Amid the frenzied hours leading up to the 2024 Met Gala and the glamorous celebrations that followed, the Mark Hotel was one of the most star-studded destinations in New York City — and Page Six got an exclusive look inside.
Kylie Jenner, Cardi B and Emily Ratajkowski were among the dozens of notable celebrities who stayed in the iconic hotel’s lavish suites — which range in price from $2,500 to $45,000 a night — during fashion’s biggest evening on Monday.
“There are lots of attributes of the property that make the Mark Hotel the ideal spot apart from the geographical location,” general manager Etienne Haro tells Page Six.
“Of course, we are one of the closest hotels to the Met, but also in terms of product, we have the largest suites in New York,” he explains of the rooms, designed by renowned French interiors legend Jacques Grange.
In addition to its 106 charming guest rooms and breathtaking $75,000-per-night penthouse, the Upper East Side mainstay features 46 magnificent suites ranging in size from 700 to 10,000 square feet.
The spacious suites feature gorgeous modern contemporary finishes, fresh floral arrangements delivered daily, fragrances by Frédéric Malle and distinctive artworks curated by Karl Lagerfeld and Todd Eberle.
The upscale units are homey yet elevated and offer stylish bedrooms, a full dining room for dinner parties, a sophisticated office space and several plush seating areas overlooking the spectacular city skyline.
Some suites even have a lengthy terrace where visitors can tan on reclining chairs under wide umbrellas or enjoy a morning coffee with a view.
The fully equipped kitchens have an avant-garde breakfast nook, a stove and bar area, a Nespresso machine, two state-of-the-art Bosch ovens and a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer stocked with Evian, San Pellegrino and top-shelf liquors like Clase Azul tequila and Johnnie Walker whisky.
The pristine marble bathrooms are just as lavish with Toto toilets, deep soaking tubs, separate standing showers, double sinks and luxurious bath and body products by revered Italian maker La Bottega dell’Albergo.
Closets and storage spaces line the hallways and are filled with splendid offerings like fluffy bathrobes, snug slippers and orange yoga mats.
The intentionally crafted natural lighting may be one of the Mark’s most treasured elements on Met Gala night.
“When the hotel was created, a big idea of the designer, Jacques Grange, was actually to use softer color, shades of beige, a lot of natural light, which was not necessarily what you find in most New York hotels,” Haro explains.
“When you are dressing up for an event like this — for the glam team, for the designers — this natural light has a huge value.”
The hotel supplied extra Hollywood vanity mirrors and makeup chairs for an optimal glam experience as A-listers prepared to ascend the legendary Met steps in style.
Staffers often receive special requests from their celebrity clientele, including demands to completely clear out or reconfigure furniture in the suites to accommodate each star’s team of designers, glam squad and accompanying entourage.
“We’ve seen on numerous occasions a large living room being emptied and turned into a full glam room and fitting room for several celebrities dressed by the same designer,” Haro shares.
He also notes that celebrities hardly ever send a complex rider, so his team will preemptively contact clients to better understand their needs ahead of their stays.
“It’s more us, the hotel, who reach out to the celebrities to try to understand what will make this very stressful day of the Met Gala much easier,” he says.
Requests can be as simple as asking for a specific type of flower for the room, wanting a particular brand of a scent for the space or, in one VIP’s case, demanding an endless supply of fried chicken throughout the day.
“This was the calming remedy of a particular person, when we reached out, to have a constant supply of fried chicken,” Haro recalls with a laugh of the mystery guest during last year’s Met Gala. “It was the comfort food to feel at home.”
The hotel’s 24-hour, in-room dining experience is extremely popular throughout the busy day of preparations, with coffee being the most-ordered item on the room service menu.
On average, staffers brew 48 cups of coffee every 15 minutes and deliver more than 200 coffees from 6 a.m. to noon alone on the day of the Anna Wintour-hosted party.
This year, VIP guests enjoyed special-edition cappuccinos decorated with celebratory Met Gala latte art designs on the foam.
They were also treated to decadent deliveries of homemade potato chips paired with a tin of Esturgeon Blanc caviar from one of the on-site restaurants, Caviar Kaspia, to snack on during the day.
“There is a real level of happiness, but there is also a level of stress, which is palpable because a lot of the guests are here to be the show,” Haro said. “They are not there to present something. They are there to present themselves, so we, as a team, are very nurturing during this time to make sure that they are comfortable.”
Between the Met Gala and its afterparties, celebrity visitors could stop inside the hotel’s lobby, where the Mark’s iconic hot dog cart served up Jean-Georges’ gourmet organic chicken and grass-fed beef hot dogs topped with kimchi relish.
The glitterati also had the option to grab a box of the hotel’s signature Met Gala french fries for a late-night bite or Macallan’s specialty “Castle Garden” cocktail from the Mark Bar.
Several stars have been spotted munching on the famous fries after the Met Gala in the past, including Gabrielle Union and Janelle Monáe.
The Mark also coordinated guests’ transportation to and from the lavish fundraiser, taking into account scheduled arrival times and the size of their garments.
“Some of these costumes or gowns are voluminous. We stopped using cars to transport the guests and have to use larger vehicles like vans or buses,” Haro says, noting that an unnamed celebrity once had to use one of the hotel’s famous bespoke pedicabs to get to the soirée when her dress would not fit in a car.
“We always have a pedicab nearby just in case,” he chuckles.
As a parting gift, the hotel gave each guest a limited-edition 2024 Met Gala baseball hat emblazoned with its recognizable “M” logo.
The Mark Hotel’s attention to detail, high-quality amenities and year-round experience with high-profile clientele are just some of the impressive attributes that keep the stars coming back for the Met Gala year after year.
“For us, it’s a privilege to be involved because it’s a beautiful event, and as a hotel, this is very rare,” Haro says.
Other celebrities seen dressed in looks befitting this year’s “Garden of Time” theme while staying at the Mark Hotel on Monday included Doja Cat, Irina Shayk, Tyla, Kerry Washington, Karlie Kloss, Matt Damon and Serena Williams.
Past guests who have gotten ready for the annual occasion at the storied institution include Anne Hathaway, Lizzo, Lupita Nyong’o, Cara Delevingne, Gigi Hadid and Emma Stone.
