On one night a year, huge and photographed from every angle, you can see stars like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Kim Kardashian and her sisters, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Donatella Versace, Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga, Emma Stone, Paris Hilton and a whole lineup of A-listers arriving at one place to get ready for the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, four blocks away.
They show up, check in, get dressed, do their hair and makeup, wave to fans and pose in the lavish, high-gloss lobby of The Mark, one of the most iconic hotels in the world.
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Kim Kardashian at the entrance to The Mark hotel, a blend of publicity and discretion
(Photo: BFA)
In a world where the lines between design, culture and experience are blurring, big hotels have to reinvent themselves. No longer are they just places to sleep. They are total experiences in which the guest becomes the main character. The story revolves around them and for them: the design, the lighting, the music, the food, the service, the flowers and the scents. Everything is orchestrated, calculated and almost cinematic. Hospitality today is driven not only by service and aesthetics, but by narrative. The stay has become a tool of personal branding, one that lends every guest the glow, confidence and visibility of a star on the red carpet. Sparkle and stardust have become a new standard of luxury.
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The Mark hotel, a hot dog cart next to the caviar restaurant, the mix is part of the magic
(Photo: Adrian Gaut)
The Mark Hotel manages to turn all of that into art. The historic building at the corner of East 77th Street and Madison Avenue was built in 1926 by architects Schwartz and Gross in a neo-Italian Renaissance style, originally serving as an apartment hotel for Manhattan’s upper crust. About eight decades later, the building underwent a transformation at the hands of French designer Jacques Grange, who gave it a new, bold and timeless language with Parisian elegance and American force. The place reads as a cultural and fashion statement: a one-time meeting point of historic architecture, high design and a gallery of stars. And for at least one night a year, its halls are washed in the stardust of Met Gala guests.
The Met Gala is one of the most prestigious and talked-about fashion events in the world, a festive gala held each year at the Met that also serves as a fundraiser for the museum’s Costume Institute, which treats fashion as art. The coveted evening is organized by Vogue, and until recently was steered for years by its legendary editor Anna Wintour. It is considered the most important event in fashion and is often called the Oscars night of fashion. Few people realize the hotel plays a major role in this night.
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Anna Wintour, until recently Vogue’s editor, a key figure in the hotel’s rise, steps onto the red carpet at the entrance
(Photo: Getty Images)
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Donatella Versace and Anne Hathaway moments before the Met Gala
(Photo: Neil Rasmus BFA.com \ Shutterstock)
Around the days leading up to the Met Gala there are plenty of juicy stories. Some stay discreet, but others make it out in public. Before every gala there is a behind-the-scenes battle over the best suites, especially on the upper floors. In 2018, according to a source in the fashion industry, tension flared between the styling teams of Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna because both wanted the presidential suite on the 16th floor. Rihanna’s production got it and Lopez moved to another hotel, whose name was kept quiet. Reporters caught the drama, but the stars kept their public composure.
There was also the time Zendaya nearly got stuck in an elevator, live. It happened on the Met Gala night in 2022, when Zendaya and a member of her beauty team were trapped in an elevator at The Mark. Her wardrobe crew panicked because her dress was not ready, and she was supposed to appear in the lobby within minutes. She ended up running late and chose not to appear on the red carpet at all. On X, conspiracy theories flew about “drama” between designers, but she denied it, saying, “Sometimes you just choose to stay in pajamas at the prettiest hotel in the city.”
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Meghan Markle held a high-profile baby shower at the hotel
(Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
And of course there is the natural tension between celebrities and photographers, what locals call the sidewalk battle. Since the hotel became the unofficial home base of the Met Gala, its front steps have been a magnet for paparazzi, sometimes excessive and even obsessive. In 2021, reports said Bella Hadid walked into the lobby, saw the crowd and went right back to her room. One photographer claimed her security guard physically threatened him. Between one Met Gala and the next, celebrities can be seen slipping in and out of the hotel, among them Leonardo DiCaprio with a parade of models, or Jared Leto with his “secret entourage,” previously spotted wearing capes as they entered.
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The lobby’s black-and-white striped floor has become a signature
(Photo: Adrian Gaut)
Grange, known for creating narratives rather than “just” planning interiors, broke through in Paris in the 1970s with a rare mix of intellect and artistic precision, romantic softness and restrained elegance. His work blends clean lines with objects that carry history, minimalism with cultural depth, always with the belief that true design is not only visual but emotional. His client list includes Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, for whom he designed Château Gabriel in Normandy inspired by Marcel Proust’s “In Search of Lost Time”; Princess Caroline of Monaco; Isabelle Adjani; Valentino; François Pinault; Alain Ducasse; Robert Agostinelli; and Karl Lagerfeld. He specializes not only in beautiful homes, but in building design identities that tell a story.
In 2009, Grange was tapped to redesign The Mark. He created a near-perfect blend of Parisian elegance and New York precision, producing a space that is at once dramatic and intimate, refined and modern, cheeky and classic. That includes an upper terrace that turns into a private ice rink in winter, a rare New York privilege. Like a couture gown, Grange’s interiors are measured by their precision and their totality of detail. He preserved the building’s historic shell but reimagined the inside with geometric lines, rich textures and the black-and-white striped marble floor that became the hotel’s signature. Every detail was chosen carefully: artworks and furniture pieces commissioned from leading artists, then placed with meticulous curatorial work by Pierre Passavant, a Parisian antiques and art collector and Grange’s partner.
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The rooftop terrace. In winter, it also serves as a private ice rink
(Photo: Adrian Gaut)
At every turn there is a different composition: a sculptural sofa by Vladimir Kagan, a lamp by Ron Arad, an artwork by Karl Lagerfeld. You will not find generic luxury-hotel décor here, but an accumulation of design statements stitched into a total experience. Each item is selected like jewelry and nothing repeats itself, just as no two dresses are alike on Met Gala night. Grange says the design is meant to feel personal to every visitor, as if they’ve touched art, not merely stayed in a place where art happens to hang. Add to that the hotel’s signature scent, Jurassic Flower, created by Frederic Malle, now one of The Mark’s sensual calling cards.
A night in a suite from $75,000
The hotel has 106 rooms across six categories and 47 luxury suites in nine categories, each planned as an island of calm in the heart of a roaring city. In a muted palette of beige, black and white, with clean lines and natural light pouring through large windows, Grange echoed the public spaces in every room to create continuity and a sense of belonging, layering in elegance, refined textiles and subtle fragrance. The bath products were made especially for the hotel by La Bottega dell’Albergo. The concept is simple yet sophisticated, aiming to let luxury feel relaxed. The rooms are not flashy. They are designed like haute couture: everything sits just right, from the angle of a handle to the distance between armchairs.
In 2015, Grange completed the crown jewel with the penthouse suite, declared the largest hotel suite in the United States. He designed nearly every detail, from the furniture to the hardware, distilling his Parisian style into every element. The two-story suite covers about 10,760 square feet, plus about 2,690 square feet of outdoor space and a private rooftop terrace with dining and entertaining areas overlooking Central Park, the Met and the Manhattan skyline. It also includes a glass-walled sunroom, an intimate library lounge and a formal dining room. There are six bedrooms, five bathrooms, two bars and kitchens, two additional powder rooms and four fireplaces.
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Grange designed nearly every detail, from the furniture to the door handles
(Photo: Adrian Gaut)
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The bathroom in the hotel’s largest suite. The Mark has 46 other suites as well
(Photo: Adrian Gaut)
The main bedroom carries a quiet, restrained mood, with separate bathrooms for him and her, clean lines, soft lighting and pale marble floors, plus exceptionally spacious walk-in closets. The rest of the suite continues the geometric, richly textured elegance. The central living room can easily turn into a ballroom. In every space, drama and calm are balanced: dark walnut alongside Italian marble, soft textiles against gleaming metal, clean lines warmed by natural light. A grand staircase designed by artist Eric Schmitt leads to the glass conservatory and rooftop terrace. The chef’s kitchen has cabinetry designed by Piero Lissoni for Boffi and appliances by Gaggenau and Miele.
“The penthouse is in full harmony with the hotel’s aesthetic language, only on a larger, more regal scale,” Grange explains. “Alongside the luxury, it was important to add a sense of home, so the space would feel personal, like a place you want to return to.” The price tag runs from about $75,000 a night to $100,000. Rumor has it a Saudi prince rented the penthouse in 2022 for two weeks, bringing his own private staff. The hotel has never confirmed or denied it. A standard room, including breakfast, starts around $1,600 a night.
The same design line extends from private rooms to public spaces. The Mark Bar, for example, is designed as a living artwork by Guy de Rougemont, mixing wood and glass with sophisticated Vladimir Kagan furnishings and dramatic lighting that creates the feel of a secret private club.
The hotel also houses a restaurant by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, complete with a hot dog cart, one of the city’s symbols; a Frederic Fekkai salon; and shoeshine services by John Lobb. It is also the New York home of the Paris institution Caviar Kaspia, offering a culinary experience like a lively 1980s night in Paris. The Paris branch was recreated in Manhattan, designed by Grange in emerald blue and dark wood that fuses Paris and New York into a single language.
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Caviar in abundance. The Caviar Baked Potato served at the hotel restaurant
(Photo: The Mark Archives)
Black-and-white marble that becomes a red carpet
New York does not lack luxury hotels, but only one can turn a casual walk down the corridor into a chance encounter with Nicki Minaj, Gigi Hadid or Pharrell Williams. The annual gala at the Met has made the hotel a glittering command center where tailors, makeup artists and designers work for the celebrities gathering for the most talked-about night in fashion. For one night, the hotel becomes a laboratory of dreams, style and drama, where every hallway or staircase looks like a film set. Grange’s décor barely needs a filter: the black-and-white marble gleams, highlighting neo-classical walls with a Parisian touch and singular artworks.
In the days before the event, the hotel changes its face. Private rooms become ateliers for Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. Designers roam with measuring tapes, and more than 10,000 flowers fill the corridors. A team of 40 professionals coordinates every detail, from the first coffee of the morning to perfect timing for the limousines that will take guests to the red carpet at the Met.
But the magic does not end there. After the gala, celebrities return to the hotel to change for afterparties. This year the main party was held at The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges, where cocktails, fries and gourmet hot dogs from the famed Mark Haute Dog Cart awaited guests. In their rooms, they find Caviar Kaspia boxes, bathrobes embroidered with their initials, luxury gifts and a limited run of 100 “Met Gala at The Mark” hats, a collector’s item considered almost as coveted as the gala invitation itself.