Inside NYFW’s it girl hotel Fouquet’s New York

Fouquet’s New York — the marble-encrusted luxury hotel situated in the heart of Tribeca — has become the unofficial runway for New York Fashion Week’s crème de la crème.

Director of marketing and communications, Victoria Menechella Bello, gave Page Six an exclusive glimpse inside the glamorous Groupe Barrière property that has delivered stars like Kylie Jenner, Miley Cyrus and Brad Pitt a Parisian-style escape in the bustling Big Apple.

“Fouquet’s is the hotspot for Fashion Week because it really has that ‘je ne sais quoi’… It’s an ‘If You Know, You Know,’ kind of place,” Menechella Bello said, noting that “every corner” is “photogenic and picturesque.”

Take the guilded speakeasy hidden behind a discreet door in the otherwise ornate lobby. Titsou Bar, steeped in rich colors and textures inspired by its French sister property, became the backdrop for “original supermodels” Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen one cocktail-infused evening.

“They actually took a selfie that went very viral, and it was a big moment for the hotel,” Menechella Bello recalled. “It kind of showcased us as a fashion spot.”

Before its official opening day in 2022, the hotel’s first-ever guest to check in was ’90s runway icon Kate Moss.

“That really set the tone. I think it showed everyone that we were, you know, the place to be for the fashion girls,” Menechella Bello said.

While high-profile guests are drawn to the cocktail lounge’s intimate ambiance and popular pornstar martini (a balanced blend of vanilla vodka and passionfruit served with a sidecar of champagne) the venue’s fine dining restaurant, Brasserie Fouquet’s, doles out indulgent French bistro bites like burgers and fries, French onion soup and chocolate-drizzed profiteroles.

“Brasserie Fouquet’s was famously dubbed Taylor Swift’s favorite restaurant in New York City,” Menechella Bello said. “After that hit the news, it was impossible to get a reservation here for a few weeks.”

Several stylish events have unfolded in the sophisticated dining room over the years, including French clothing brand La Ligne’s NYFW fête attended by Emily Ratajkowski and Chris Rock.

“People were actually dancing on tables by the end of it,” Menechella Bello recalled.

Private parties for fashion’s elite have also taken place on the exclusive rooftop, Le Vaux, which is only accessible to members and hotel guests.

“People like to come to the rooftop for light bites, to have drinks with their friends or to watch the sunset,” Menechella Bello said.

Last year, Moda Operandi co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo hosted an intimate soirée celebrating Chloë Sevigny’s floral fragrance, Little Flower. And this year, the hotel has partnered with the celebrity-loved Tera pilates studio for daily classes throughout Fashion Week.

Serena Williams also utilized the beautiful outdoor oasis to announce her new podcast while staying as a guest in the hotel ahead of the 2025 US Open. She clearly enjoyed the decadent decor and posted several photos of herself from inside the lobby and her lavish suite.

The two-story penthouse, the largest suite in the hotel, was conceptualized by internationally acclaimed Swedish interior designer Martin Brudnizki and has a starting rate of $22,000 a night.

The three-bedroom, four-bathroom, three-terrace megasuite features hand-painted wallpaper inspired by a French garden, a full office, a cozy outdoor fire pit and a wet bar stocked with candy, top-shelf alcohol and sleep supplements by Kourtney Kardashian’s Lemme wellness brand.

“The suite has an insane art collection,” Menechella Bello said, motioning toward a large, abstract Richard Serra painting hanging as the focal point of the living-dining area. Natalie Choy was the mastermind behind the penthouse’s art curation, while all other suites were dreamed up by Saatchi Art.

Aside from the beautiful primary bedroom with a private terrace overlooking downtown Manhattan, the opulent en-suite bathroom with a marble his-and-hers sink and free-standing tub offers guests plenty of natural light that’s perfect for photo-ops and glam sessions.

“A lot of different VIP guests and celebrities like to film here and like to do their glam here because of the natural light when doing their makeup,” Menechella Bello said. “Charlotte Tilbury will host an annual event here where she has a few different notable figures come and get ready.”

Last year’s makeup brand event saw Sienna Miller and Miranda Kerr getting gussied up before heading out for a “glamorous night.”

To make sure VIP visitors can fly under the radar while coming and going, the hotel has several private side entrances. And if they choose to hide away inside, occupants have everything they need at their fingertips, from room service and private sessions with Dogpound Gym trainers, to spa access and in-room spray tan services or IV drip treatments.

Throughout NYFW, Attain Medspa will be hosting a pop-up event in one of the splendid suites from Sept. 11-14, at which clients can enjoy IV therapy, facials, Gua Sha massages, filler injections and restorative laser treatments.

The team at Fouquet’s is willing to go “above and beyond,” Menechella Bello said, adding, “Nothing is impossible.”

“Probably the most unique request we’ve ever gotten is, one of our guests would only drink milk from Erewhon,” she recalled.

“So we had to have a messenger go and grab the milk in Los Angeles. Then they had to ship it here within 24 hours, and it was sitting in the guest’s room when they arrived.”

Another “wild request” staffers encountered was when a celebrity noticed the hotel’s pet-friendly policy and asked to bring their eight dogs.

“While we are pet-friendly, we unfortunately could not accommodate,” Menechella Bello laughed.

But for the lucky dogs that do get to stay overnight, executive chef Matthew Woolf offers a gourmet pet menu.

“So if a dog were to check in, they would get all the fixings. We have beef tartare. It’s really, really elevated and well done,” Menechella Bello said.

She added, “And our doormen are always willing to take a dog on a walk around Tribeca.”

In the end, it’s the distinctively “French ethos” at Fouquet’s New York that keeps A-listers returning season after season.

“We really pride ourselves on our French hospitality,” Menechella Bello mused. “We do go above and beyond for each of our guests, and you can really feel it when you enter the doors.”