Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made their first public trip to New York together and their first major outing since the birth of their daughter, Lilibet, in June. The couple were in town to visit the UN headquarters and made an appearance at the Global Citizen festival on Saturday.

The couple are staying at the Carlyle, a Rosewood hotel on Madison Avenue. This distinguished hotel in the heart of Manhattan puts the royal couple in good company as it has long been a privileged place to stay with distinguished jet-setters.

Built in 1930, the hotel has a reputation as a haven for celebrities, politicians, royalty, and the rich and famous. Named after Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle, the five-star Upper East Side skyscraper is just one block from Central Park, where the Global Citizen event took place.

In addition to hosting Prince Harry and Meghan this weekend, the Carlyle was one of Princess Diana’s favorite places to stay during her visit to New York.

Indeed, the hotel has received several members of Prince Harry’s family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who stayed there in 2014, and Prince Charles, who visited for the first time in years. 90. And it’s not just British monarchs who have a fondness for the historic Carlyle Corridors – the kings and queens of Denmark, Greece, Spain and Sweden have also registered.

Rising some 35 stories above the city, The Carlyle has dominated the corner of Madison Avenue and 6th Street for 91 years. Meanwhile, an endless procession of prominent guests have stayed at the hotel, grateful for the level of privacy that is consistently provided to them.

The New York Times previously dubbed the hotel “The Palace of Secrets” and, according to the hotel’s website, “every US president since Truman” has visited it. President Kennedy owned an apartment on the 34th floor, reported The New York Post.

Inside the hotel, there are 189 guest rooms and suites, the pinnacle of which is the 1,800 square foot Royal Suite on the 22nd floor. This is where Princess Diana has stayed before but, according to reports from Harry and Meghan’s trip, this is not where the Sussexes are resting their heads.

All of the tower rooms have Central Park views, and several of the suites have their own grand piano. Each was also inspired by the hotel’s predominant Art Deco style and has been reinvented as a contemporary interpretation of elegance first achieved by Dorothy Draper, one of the “first ladies of interior design”, when ‘she defined the initial plans for the image of the hotel.

However, affluent travelers don’t necessarily come for the sophisticated design. It is the feeling of privacy that comes with your stay at the Carlyle that has earned this monument its reputation.

“Everything that happens here stays here,” says Tommy, a former hotel bartender, in a trailer for Always at the Carlyle, a 2018 documentary that brought some of the building’s untold stories to life.

“They come here because it’s low key,” says Radha Arora of Rosewood Hotels.

In addition to showcasing employees who have worked at the hotel over the years, Matthew Miele’s film also stars George Clooney, Vera Wang, Tommy Lee Jones, Roger Federer and Anthony Bourdain, who all spent time at the hotel.

“You check in at The Carlyle hotel on Madison Avenue, and it’s magic,” late Broadway actress Elaine Stritch said on camera, while model Naomi Campbell recorded saying “the party is still on. at the Carlyle, always “.

During their stay at the property, Prince Harry and Meghan were spotted at the Bemelmans Bar, which is somewhat of a New York institution in its own right.

Adorned with masterpiece murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the classic Madeline children’s books, the piano bar is also where Wes Anderson found whimsical inspiration for his 2014 hit film The Grand Hotel in Budapest.

With live music every night, the bar was famous for never taking reservations – no matter who the guests were, until today. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the hotel to take reservations at Bemelmans for the first time in its nearly 75-year history in April.

Elsewhere, the hotel’s cafe, Carlyle, is the home of jazz and cabaret and has hosted pianist Bobby Short, Hollywood director Woody Allen, and singers Eartha Kitt and Judy Collins.

It’s no surprise that a stay at the Carlyle doesn’t come cheap – rates in the smallest rooms start at $ 800 a night, rising to over $ 1,300 on weekends.

Update: September 26, 2021, 1:30 p.m.