The Inn at Irving Place by Chloe Loyd

Virtually unmarked, this turn-of-the-century Inn comprises two brownstones in a relatively quiet part of town, Grammercy Park, not far from Union Square. Antique screens, period furniture and rugged wooden floors give a Victorian feel to the flower-filled lobby. Lady Mendl’s famed tea salon is a popular local hangout consisting of two rooms, filled with antiques, with working fireplaces. A wide variety of tea is served in ornamental teapots and ornate china tea services. Complimentary breakfasts are an assortment of homemade pastries, fresh fruit and cereal, while cooked options can be ordered. A more modern Spanish restaurant occupies the basement.

The rooms
The Inn’s 12 rooms (six are suites) are named after celebrated New Yorkers: the architect Stanford White and authors Edith Wharton, Henry James and Washington Irving. Six are currently being renovated but will retain their Victorian charm. Each gem of a room boasts its own period antique furniture and art, an ornate fireplace, a polished cherrywood floor, embroidered linens and often a four-poster bed. Faded silk upholstered armchairs perch gracefully on rather threadbare rugs, giving a worn elegance. Even the hotel guide is wonderfully original, parchments of tea stained paper with Italic writing, enclosed in a beautiful silk folder. Despite the loyalty to the Victorian age, luxury has not been stinted on. Italian Frette bedlinen and huge fluffy bathrobes give the luxe factor. The odd, more contemporary fitting that houses modern amenities - such as mini bars and TVs as well as sinks with brass fittings - blends well with the period ambience of each room. Black and white tiled bathrooms are small but functional; showers or baths and basins have brass fittings. Service is impeccable.