When Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week hits New York City this Friday, the hip downtown hotels will of course be flooded with fashionistas. The ones who value refinement and elegance over mere trendiness however will head to the Upper East Side's Carlyle Hotel, a luxurious landmark since it first opened in 1930 and one of our favorite places to stay in the world.

French Vogue editrix Carine Roitfeld recently declared that the Carlyle is her favorite hotel as well, and with the addition of a luxe new spa next month, with its "sleek palette of slate, charcoal and black complemented by finishes in nickel, chrome and glass and rich molding," others are sure to follow suit. Not that the Carlyle lacks for high-profile guests; since it opened nearly 80 years ago, the hotel has played host to an endless procession of movie stars, millionaires and high society.

The Art Deco masterpiece was the perfect setting for both stylish philanderer John F. Kennedy, who owned an apartment on the 34th floor, and legendary cabaret singer Bobby Short, who hung his top hat at the swank Café Carlyle for decades (Woody Allen has also been known to hoist a clarinet there on occasion).

This penthouse at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City has both a view and history. The duplex penthouse once played host to John F. Kennedy and has been renovated by Sharyn Bey Turchin. The appointments are lavish with onyx and marble baths and a beautiful glass chandelier but the apartment is not exactly large, it has just two bedrooms. Of course if you need a sense of spaciousness there is a lovely solarium and open terrace with city views on the second floor, which also has the apartment's bedrooms. The main floor has a tiny kitchen and a unique semicircular dining area as well as a great room and a living room. This lovely jewel box is listed at $14.9 million. After the jump, is that a computer in the bathroom?