French finery in midtown Manhattan

Founded with the permission of King Louis XV in 1764, esteemed French crystal brand Baccarat has now opened a flagship hotel in midtown Manhattan, Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York. Entering the lobby, guests are welcomed by a 6 x 7.6-metre wall featuring more than 2,000 Harcourt glasses, lit with an LED light to create a constant light show. Planned by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the hotel contains 114 rooms and suites over the first 12 floors of a 50-storey tower on West 53rd Street, just across from the Museum of Modern Art. Paris-based interior designers Gilles & Boissier have included features such as 17 custom-made chandeliers, bespoke furniture from French artists Francois Houtin and Armand Jonckers, and custom-designed Baccarat red enamel minibars. The hotel exterior has a 38 metre wide, ridged crystal-like ‘curtain’ and once inside, guests can drink from a selection of 15,000 pieces of Baccarat crystal stemware. Each room phone has a button marked ‘Champagne’ which, when pressed, allows guests to order their favourite vintage straight to their room.