The next year, The Carlyle, as famous for its iron-clad discretion as for housing the best place to drink a martini in New York City (Bemelmans), rolled out a red carpet of its own. “The Carlyle has long been the constant behind fashion’s most extravagant night,” said the hotel’s managing director, Marlene Poynder, in a typically tight-lipped email, referring to its pedigree as the home away from home for royals, Beatles, and the likes of George Clooney and Miuccia Prada. “For decades, style icons have graced our halls, and on the first Monday in May our red carpet offers the first glimpse of the glamor to come.”
Like its neighbor a block up Madison Avenue, The Carlyle is slammed on Met Monday. Last year, it’s where the likes of Kaia Gerber, Dwyane Wade, Greta Lee, Omar Apollo, Sydney Sweeney, and Hari Nef got ready. Its reputation as a “palace of secrets” notwithstanding, The Carlyle’s in-house polaroid photographer takes everyone’s portrait before they head to their Sprinter vans.
Lucky Met weekend guests at The Mark encounter a host of subtle amenities. There’s a team of couriers on call to run any errands—candles and scent diffusers are among the most common requests. I’ve seen souvenir ball caps embroidered with “Met Gala 2023” that the hotel dropped in every room that year. The staff are also happy to clear out any space to facilitate a photo shoot, including the kitchen and the dining room of Jean-Georges; last year, waiters hurriedly removed about a dozen tables so that Cardi B, wearing mountains of tulle, could pose on a banquette before departing.
But the biggest perk of all might be the orchestrated exit. “The carpet outside The Mark is actually where everything clicks into place,” said Gustav Witzøe, a Norwegian model and salmon fishery scion who attended last year’s Gala in a regal Atelier Versace getup. To Witzøe, it’s where he warms up for the main event. “The Met Gala carpet is a beast. It’s intimidating, no doubt about it. But the moment I step out of the hotel, see the people lined up, the energy buzzing—that’s when it all becomes real. It’s strangely calming.”
It’s also an extra press moment on a night that’s all about standing out. Nothing can compare to the spotlight on the museum’s Fifth Avenue steps, but the buzz outside the hotels is getting louder. Now, said Haro, “The Mark is seen as a second red carpet of the Gala.” This year, the hotel is adding a press riser to accommodate a growing pool of media outlets clamoring for a first look at the big outfits of the night, which includes an E! News crew and the hotel’s own livestream team. “From last year’s Met Gala, we’ve reached 7 billion impressions,” Haro proudly noted. “Our red carpet is the single-most-watched recurring hotel event in the world.”
Which means it’s a great place for dolled-up celebs to jump the line and tap into the social media conversation before the Gala has even gotten underway—whether they managed to snag a room or not. “A lot of talents,” said Haro, “ask to exit the hotel even if they are not staying with us.”
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