Hotel Wales

1295 Madison Ave./E. 92nd St., Upper East Side, (866) 925-3746, (212) 876-6000. 90 rooms. Room service from Sarabeth’s. Fitness room. Pet- and family-friendly. Valet parking/$52 per day.

Situated in Manhattan’s Carnegie Hill area and surrounded by historic mansions, the small European-style Hotel Wales is as removed from Manhattan’s pulse as the country Wales is from frenetic London’s. It is as quiet a neighborhood as you’ll find in NYC. At 10 p.m. the streets are almost car-less, and only a few pedestrians are out. Still, you don’t need an alarm clock to wake up at around 7 a.m. because that’s when the honking, garbage trucks, and jackhammers start, making it very clear that you’re in the Big Apple. Noise aside (it is inescapable in NYC), this small hotel built in 1902 is one of the city’s oldest and has original oak-wood molding, high ceilings, and decorative fireplaces. Complimentary cookies and hot drinks, including cappuccino, are available around the clock in the large Pied Piper Room named for the classic fairy tale, and an adjacent reading room features framed vintage illustrations from children’s books on its walls.

exterior of Hotel Wales in NYC

lobby of Hotel Wales in NYC

Sarabeth’s Upper East Side

((212) 410-7335. B-L-D daily, SunBr; $$. is downstairs off the hotel lobby.

The kitchen at Sarabeth's Upper East Side serves up fabulous breakfasts, including eggs Benedict and a cheese omelette with gruyere that are especially delicious, and lunches are good, too. Pastries are scrumptious—I love the light but tall English muffin, though most recently it was disappointing. This place is famous even on the West Coast for their delicious jams (don’t miss the peach-apricot and plum-cherry). The upstairs loft area has appeared in TV’s “Housewives of New York City,” but I prefer sitting in the airy main dining room downstairs. Most recently, the whole experience here has been a little rough around the gilded edges in the form of boring presentations and slow service. Still, it is worth a meal here, even if you don’t stay in the hotel, or at one of the other locations around town. Another Sarabeth’s is in Tribeca.