Inside New York’s The Mark hotel (but not the penthouse where Meghan Markle had her babyshower) 

At the top of the website for New York hotel The Mark – of Meghan Markle babyshower-venue fame – is a rolling tickertape of praise from various esteemed publications. But there’s no mention of the ensuite showers.

There should be.

Mine is a world-beater, a torrent-issuing marvel that’s the most powerful I’ve ever stood under, with superbly chunky industrial-chic polished-nickel fittings by renowned British firm Lefroy Brooks.

My room, a ‘Seventy Seven King Guestroom’, is 18 tiers beneath the Upper East Side hotel’s top-ranking accommodation, The Mark Penthouse, where Meghan and her famous chums hung out in 2019. This is thought to be the most expensive per-night hotel room in the U.S, with a daily tariff of $75,000 (£56,000).

And while the starting price for mine – one of 106 – for a night is vastly more affordable at around $1,025 (£750) a night if you book well in advance, it’s still not cheap.

But you are definitely getting what you pay for – and that’s sheer class.

Legendary French designer Jacques Grange is the creative force behind the interiors at The Mark and in the rest of the bathroom he’s given me a vast bathtub and double washbasins smothered in marble and a striking geometric black-and-white floor.

The main bedroom is the last word in understated elegance, a soothing medley of ebony, sycamore and Italian linens.

The bed is next-level comfy and the cupboard that opens out into a mini bar is an exquisite touch.

The aesthetics in the lobby, meanwhile, soar to bold new Instagram-baiting, celebrity-luring levels.

Other famous faces seen at The Mark – sometimes when in its guise as an A-lister hang-out for the nearby Met Gala – include Kim Kardashian West, Selena Gomez, Kendall Jenner, Kerry Washington, Emma Watson, Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen, Oprah Winfrey, Pharrell Williams, Diddy, Kendall Jenner and Jennifer Lopez.

They wouldn’t turn up if they didn’t have an arresting background to be papped against. 

The vivid geometric black-and-white floor is back, but here, spread over such a large area, it’s even more eye-catching.

There is also a sumptuous red sofa with matching armchairs beneath a mesmerising red-hued minimalist painting and various expensive-looking objects d’art.

It feels like a homely art gallery.

And I’m able to study it at greater length while waiting for my table at the renowned ‘The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges’.

A bouncer-type is vetting everyone who approaches the doors from the lobby into the bar area – which leads to the restaurant.

I tell him I have a table for one booked at 8pm and he tells me rather ungracefully to stand ‘over there’ (by the sumptuous armchairs) while he ‘tries to find me a spot’.

Bit odd. Usually it’s the restaurant staff who do the spot-finding in a restaurant. Regardless, I’m happy to go along with his demands as it’s a very nice lobby to linger in.

There are three well-dressed women next to me also trying to gain access and one of them is particularly irked about the perceived wait.

She doesn’t seem to be appreciating the extra time she’s been granted to admire Jacques Grange’s eclectic style, then suddenly goes ‘New York’ on the bar/restaurant gatekeeper, telling him forcefully that she is fed up with other people ‘being let in ahead of her group’. And in such a loud voice that another security-guard type is minded to waft over and ask her – politely but firmly – to stop shouting.

‘You think this is shouting? I’ll give you shouting,’ she shouts.

I look around for some popcorn.

As it happens, there’s some on the dessert menu, which I find myself studying before the final act of the lobby drama is played out, having been ushered through to my table for one by a young lady who appears with a clipboard (and an apology for the confusion).

The popcorn comes as part of a salted caramel sundae, which also comprises peanuts and fudge sauce.

Sold (though the ‘plate of cookies’ is tempting).

I wend my way to this Augustus-Gloop-a-licious feast via a refreshing ‘Mark Cocktail’ of prosecco, lychee and raspberry; a pasta and truffle starter and a rip-roaring cheeseburger, accompanied by a knock-out glass of Italian red, a 2016 Barolo by Fontanafredda, chosen by an enthusiastic sommelier who clearly knows his way around the wine list.

This restaurant is one of the hottest tickets in town – but why?

I enjoy the food, but it’s well-executed crowd-pleasing fodder, not Michelin-star Jean-Georges. For that you need to go to the two-star Jean-Georges restaurant in New York that is simply called ‘Jeans-Georges‘. 

It is a bit confusing. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, born in Alsace, France, puts his name to 38 restaurants – 19 in New York alone (I’m half-expecting the tap water in the city next time I visit to be ‘by Jean-Georges’). 

The Mark’s Jean-Georges eatery, I suspect, draws the crowds because it matches those appealing, moreish dishes with seductively moody opulence – in the evening it’s just so deliciously dimly lit and luxurious and cosy, and there’s a deluxe bar.

All in all, perfect for a date.

And perfect for bubbly chinwag with chums.

Everyone around me seems to be having a wonderful time, conversations are flowing, and the waiting staff don’t put a foot wrong.

In the morning, I’m back for the Jean-Georges Vongerichten breakfast experience, which takes place in a beautifully airy part of the restaurant beneath a vaulted glass-panelled roof and next to a copper and glass wine wall.

I snag a banquette seat and linger over coffee, orange juice and scrambled eggs, sausage and a mound of salad leaves (‘seasonal greens’).

I can’t quite cope with the mound of salad leaves (it’s not a breakfast item in my book), but the rest is great, the table smartly laid out and the service purrs.

Time to explore the neighbourhood.

The Mark’s location is beyond reproach. It’s housed in a beautiful 1927 building at the corner of Madison Avenue and 77th Street, a short walk from The Met, The Guggenheim and The Frick Collection.

Central Park is a few steps away too, and it’s here that I attempt to walk off the breakfast (and the dessert and burger, to level with you).

To be honest, I check out still feeling full. But hungry to return to one of the Big Apple’s most impeccably lavish hotels.

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Lux of the Irish: Revelling in the majesty of the £1.5k business-class ‘throne’ seat on an Aer Lingus single-aisle A321neo as it makes its debut on the carrier’s new Manchester to New York route

 By Ted Thornhill

A private jet from the UK to New York is a financially unobtainable luxury for most. But there is a much more affordable alternative – business class on an Aer Lingus single-aisle Airbus A321neo.

The aircraft recently made its debut on the Irish flag carrier’s new route between Manchester and New York and I was lucky enough to bag a seat on it in business class, discovering that it has a definite private jet vibe – as long as you don’t look behind the curtain into economy.

Snare, as I did, one of the coveted single ‘throne’ berths – they alternate with rows of paired seats – and the experience is elevated to feeling like royalty.

I didn’t feel so princely earlier in the day, though, when my pre-booked ‘executive’ Uber to London Euston (for a train to Manchester) from my flat in the south of the capital arrived at 4.45am for a 5am pick-up, then drove off at 5.01am as I descended the stairs to head out of the door, forcing me to catch a night bus (see boxout for more on this Uber drama).

Still, I arrived at Euston with enough time for a selfie by the concourse Christmas tree before catching the rapid 6.16am Avanti West Coast Pendolino to Manchester Piccadilly.

Fast forward to 9am and I was on an almost-empty train from Piccadilly to Manchester Airport. Fifteen minutes later, I was striding through the hub on the hunt for Terminal 2, where the transatlantic Aer Lingus flights depart.

I found the Aer Lingus check-in desks at the shinier end of the terminal, by rows of self-service screens.

Here mild panic ensued when the chirpy check-in official asked me for my PCR test certificate. I’d taken an (accepted) antigen test.

He then admitted that he thought they were the same thing.

(I suggest some training on this matter.)

After enduring a tortuous hour-long queue at security (though staff thoughtfully fast-tracked passengers with imminent flights), I made my way to the new 1903 Lounge, which my business-class ticket granted me access to.

It impressed. It’s spacious with plenty of comfy seating, there’s a nicely presented buffet of hot and cold food – including cooked breakfast items and 1833 vintage reserve cheddar from Somerset-based Barber’s, the world’s oldest cheddar-makers – and various alcoholic libations are proffered via eye-catching circular self-service counters. 

The lounge is named in honour of the first-ever sustained powered flight on December 17, 1903, achieved by pioneering brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright.

Aviation technology has moved on a wee bit since then, as can be seen through the lounge’s floor-to-ceiling windows, which afford glorious views of the Terminal 2 taxiway and, to the far left, the runway.

I ensconced myself in one of the chic chairs arranged to face them and watched hi-tech A350s, A380s and Dreamliners trundling around – but my Aer Lingus A321neo remained tantalisingly hidden from view at an out-of-sight gate.

ON BOARD 

A plate of sausage, scrambled egg and beans later and I was gazing upon my ride to JFK – a brand-new state-of-the-art long-range Airbus A321neo, which has a 15 per cent reduction in fuel burn compared to a regular A321 and 16 fully lie-flat business-class seats.

I settled into my soothingly green aisle-access throne seat, narrowed my eyes and scanned for niggles.

Barely a blip.

There’s no in-vogue privacy screen, but no matter – the ergonomically designed seat wraps around and cocoons you very nicely indeed. I immediately felt snug and ready for a transatlantic trip to see how New York has been holding up.

It’s not the widest seat on the market but the dimensions were just fine for my 5ft 10in frame – and the legroom was ample. For even the loftiest of travellers.

There are bountiful options, meanwhile, for bespoke adjustments.  

A panel to my left by my elbow that needed a slight twist to access from the upright position had one-touch buttons for three modes – ‘upright’, ‘relax’ and ‘sleep’ – as well as lumber control, pressable up and down arrows for leg-rest manoeuvering, a massage button and an option for turning a mood light on and off.

For minimal hassle while reclined, the seat position can be altered using a separate panel further along the pod wall.

Being uncomfortable was never going to be on the agenda.

There are plug points and a USB slot for charging phones and laptops and free Wi-Fi using a discount code the crew dish out that worked well (on the way out, my phone wouldn’t play ball on the way back).

Storage space is generous, with a little cupboard and water-bottle-sized tube to my left, a cubby hole by my right leg and a pull-down pocket in front of me underneath the (excellent) entertainment screen.

In addition, there’s a huge table to the right and a smaller one to the left. More than enough horizontal surface area for all your in-flight flotsam and jetsam – phone, tablet… Champagne glass.

Sadly, there were too many passengers filing through the plane as we boarded for the crew to deploy pre-flight bubbles (this is not a turning left business class), but once we were in the cruise, service got underway and I was, as during any premium cabin experience, unable to resist the fizz.

In this instance, it was a Duval-Leroy Champagne Brut Reserve (£35 retail) made from Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay grapes – and it’s a splendid taste-bud tickler. Refined, lightly citrusy and with a hint of roasted almonds on the palette.

The fizz stage was enhanced by accompanying pecorino, rosemary and seaweed ‘Drinks Biscuits’ by the Drinks Bakery, and onion jam. Delightful.

And so was everything else on the menu.

I loved the starter for lunch – flavoursome prawns, Marie Rose sauce and sun-dried tomato. The main was gratifying too – succulent roast Parmesan chicken breast with steamed spinach, carrots, baby potatoes and wild mushroom sauce.

And the raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake dessert was delectable.

Aer Lingus hadn’t finished feeding me just yet, though – a most inviting afternoon tea arrived about an hour before we landed. As we flew down America’s east coast I tucked into egg and rocket and roast beef sandwiches, plus a trio of delicious mini cakes – lemon and poppy, chocolate opera and Raspberry Bakewell.

The only non-fizz beverage I tried was a Cotes-du-Rhone Domaine Clavel, a perfectly serviceable red – soft and fruity.

You might be forgiven for thinking I ate and drank my way through the entire flight.

Not quite true.

I spent a few minutes examining my amenity kit by Voya, which contained lip balm, hand cream, a toothbrush, earplugs, a pen, flight socks, mints and an eye mask. Not the most luxurious of bags, but usefully re-useable.

The in-flight entertainment system, which fully works from gate to gate, occupied a bigger chunk of my time.

It was a joy to use – not the biggest in its class but big enough, super-clear and with an intuitive, easily reached touch-screen operating system.

The freebie headphones were one of the blips on the niggle radar – their sound quality was a bit average and they didn’t muffle the cabin noise terribly efficiently. 

Still, they were good enough to facilitate getting completely lost in a movie. Job done.

(Airlines generally seem to skimp on headphones, with American Airlines being one notable exception – its business class passengers get amazing Bang & Olufsen cans.)

There was no danger – at any point – of the crew becoming a blip. 

The pair that crewed the flight were top-notch – friendly, professional, very smartly turned out and eagle-eyed with the Champagne refills.

THE RETURN JOURNEY – AND THE VERDICT

Before boarding the red-eye return leg on the Air Lingus A321neo I popped into the carrier’s lounge, by gate 26, which is pleasingly secretive – beyond an easy-to-miss frosted door.

And inside it’s relaxing and stylish (I liked the raindrop-shaped lights and grass-effect carpet), but there isn’t much on offer by way of food, drinks or views.

There’s just one counter from which one can plunder (tiny) sandwiches, crisps, coffee and various alcoholic drinks.

Wonderfully, on board the aircraft, it was the crew from the flight over and the sky-high standards were maintained.

And this time, mercifully, pre-flight Champagne was dispatched.

Foodwise I thoroughly enjoyed a salmon main with the freshest of fresh salads – plus strawberries. 

And fresh fruit and hot bacon roll with coffee proved a most satisfying breakfast.

The only downside to the journey was that I barely slept a wink. 

The seat is supportive and comes with a soft, luxurious blanket and a plump pillow, but the time difference had wreaked havoc with my body clock and there were too many bumps courtesy of the jetstream for me to drop off.

But it didn’t prevent me concluding that the Aer Lingus A321neo ‘throne seat’ is a dreamy experience, all the more so given the aircraft’s single-aisle dimensions.

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