The Mark and The Met - Premier Wellness Travel

It’s that time of year again! The first Monday of May is tomorrow, meaning the Met Gala is tomorrow night.

I highly recommend the documentary film The First Monday in May if you’ve not yet seen it! (You can rent or buy it on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.) The film follows the creation of the most attended fashion exhibition of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 2015 Met Gala—with Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and Met Gala chair, and Andrew Bolton, the curator. That year’s theme was China: Through the Looking Glass.

This year, the Costume Institute’s spring 2025 exhibition is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The exhibition, which explores Black dandyism, runs from May 10 to October 26, 2025.

The Met Gala itself takes place on Monday, May 5, 2025. The exhibition will be the night’s focus, and the dress code, “Tailored for You,” encourages guests to interpret the theme in their way, emphasizing menswear and tailoring. We have an exceptional opportunity to share from one of our favorite New York City hotels, The Mark.

This summer, if you reserve a stay for three nights at The Mark, your third night is complimentary. This offer is available for stays between 27 June and this fall. We can also arrange a unique tour of the Superfine exhibit with your own personal guide.

Images provided by The Mark Hotel

I love The Mark. When my father had a stroke ten years ago, I would stay there when I traveled north to see him and spend time with him. They took very good care of me there. The service and personalized attention are unparalleled, as I can attest. I love this chic and comfortable hotel.

And the location could not be better, nestled within the venerable confines of a stately 1920s edifice gracing the intersection of 77th Street and Madison Avenue, right in the best blocks of the Upper East Side.

Combining classic opulence and cutting-edge design, The Mark epitomizes the pinnacle of five-star luxury, seamlessly blending timeless comfort with state-of-the-art amenities. The interiors, spearheaded by the esteemed designer Jacques Grange, embody a fusion of French elegance and American sophistication. Each room or suite within The Mark is furnished with sumptuous furnishings crafted from ebony, sycamore, and nickel, while the resplendent marble-clad bathrooms evoke the glamour of Art Deco. They embrace digital sophistication by integrating cutting-edge technology into every facet of their accommodations seamlessly and easily. Trust me, it’s easy.

The Mark’s comprehensive fitness center, available 24/7, beckons with top-tier equipment and bespoke training sessions with esteemed fitness guru Dan Flores. The illustrious Frédéric Fekkai presides over a sanctuary of beauty and wellness, offering guests an exclusive retreat tailored to their individual needs.

Images provided by The Mark Hotel

For dining on site, there’s The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges, which tantalizes with a repertoire of European delicacies. Caviar Kaspia, the storied Parisian institution, opened its first US location at The Mark. There, you can savor the finest caviars and gourmet accompaniments. I love Sant Ambroeus, which is right around the corner; the folks there took very good care of me, too, as I ate there nearly every day. Finally, there’s the Mark Bar, where you can grab a cafe or freshly-pressed juice before you head out for your day.

Images provided by The Mark Hotel

I love how The Mark adds a fun flair with neat drawings that evoke the famed New York Times illustrator Al Hirschfeld. (I loved finding all the Ninas)

About the Exhibit

Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, an exhibition from May 10 to October 26, 2025. This groundbreaking showcase delves into over 300 years of Black fashion, focusing on the Black dandy as a symbol of resistance, identity, and artistry.

Curated by Andrew Bolton and Monica L. Miller, and inspired by Miller’s seminal work Slaves to Fashion, the exhibition is the first at the Met to center Black style and designers, and the first in over two decades to focus exclusively on menswear. It features various garments, from historical pieces associated with figures like Frederick Douglass to contemporary designs by Virgil Abloh, Grace Wales Bonner, and Olivier Rousteing.

The exhibition is organized into twelve thematic sections, including “Respectability,” “Heritage,” and “Ownership,” each exploring different facets of Black sartorial expression. Notably, the presentation includes custom mannequins by artist Tanda Francis and photography by Tyler Mitchell, enhancing the narrative of Black masculinity and beauty.

Superfine offers a profound exploration of how Black individuals have used tailored fashion to assert identity, challenge societal norms, and express creativity across centuries. It’s a must-see for those interested in the intersections of fashion, culture, and social history.

The Possibilities

Your private tour of the Superfine exhibit lasts 90 minutes and includes all the highlights. The guide has a minimum of 2 hours, so you can include other parts of the museum in your personalized tour if you would like. There’s so much to see at The Met!

While in Manhattan, you can sail through the New York Harbor on The Mark’s 70-foot sailboat, take The Mark Pedicab for a picnic in Central Park, or borrow one of their Mercedes-Benz e-bikes. Or relish one of the acclaimed very dirty martinis at Bemelmans Bar around the corner at the Rosewood’s Carlyle. Browsing the books at the Assouline at the Mark shop right there is a favorite pastime of mine. Or you could take in a jazz show around the corner at the Cafe Carlyle, which embodies the golden age of New York cabaret. After a long day at the hospital, I somehow managed to talk my way in there to hear Alexa Ray Joel perform at a sold-out show.

Let’s head to New York City this summer and delight in the fun and wonder of Manhattan. In the meantime, enjoy the guests’ dresses and fashion as they arrive at the Met Gala on the first Monday in May. I will be keen to see. And many of the most famous attendees stay and emerge for the first time from The Mark!