The Mark

A showcase for modern East Side style.

A gilt-mirrored bastion of traditionalism.

If you still think of the Upper East Side as a starchy neighborhood for bluebloods and financiers, you need to check into The Mark. An influx of young professionals and a slew of hot new restaurants and bars are redefining the area, and the hotel—which opened in 1927 but received a top-to-bottom rehab in 2009—fits right in. Paris-based designerJacques Grange (whose famous clients have included Yves Saint-Laurent, Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld) shook things up with bold touches, like the black-and-white Op Art floor in the lobby and the cowhide-covered seating in the bar. The 150 rooms and suites, all pale yellow and silver, are more subdued; starting at 400 square feet, they're large and plush. The in-room technology is top-flight: in-mirror televisions, zippy Wi-Fi, a Crestron tablet that controls everything. And the hotel amenities name-check some of the city's top tastemakers: Jean-Georges Vongerichten does the restaurant, Frédéric Fekkai runs the salon, John Lobb shines the shoes. There are stylish little bikes to borrow for a Central Park picnic (Jean-Georges basket included) and even a pedicab service that will drop you right at Bergdorf Goodman. It has all the makings of a fun and fashionable stay.

You plan to shop on Madison Avenue and exercise in Central Park, and you like hotels with contemporary panache.

The doorman offers to take the profusion of shopping bags off your hands and send them up to the room—so you can head to the restaurant, put up your feet and order a smoked-salmon pizza.

The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges - Innovative French-American fusion

The Mark Bar