Dina de luca chartouni in Debut

The uniformed doorman at The Lowell stands perfectly upright as he distributes measured smiles. The 1928 Art Deco façade is always the same, its entrance framed by dusk rose majolica tiles, and the gilded name The Lowell in copperplate lettering– without specifying it is actually a hotel. For it goes without saying that The Lowell is one of the few in New York which has always been a Hotel. It is a cold February day, and would be a seemingly normal one if it weren’t for the beautiful view of the snowy Upper East Side seen from the terraces.
It is early afternoon when a taxi turns from Madison Avenue into 63rd street and pulls up to n°28. Dina enters the lobby with a brisk gust of air. A jazz piece warms the spirits of guests seated on the silk brocade sofas. Amongst them, Dina sees an old friend coming towards her. “Dina, there you are! Allow me to introduce you to Harry. This is Dina, or DDC for her friends. She is the owner of The Lowell.” “Very pleased to meet you! Why don’t you come on through. We can have tea together.” Dina leads her guests with svelte elegance towards the sitting room. Her friend continues, “We’ve known each other since we were little."

Next to the ethereal appearance of her friend, Dina’s Mediterranean charisma is even more dazzling. Her Italian roots lie in the north and south of Italy, and they radiate warm energy. “When we met years later in film-making,” her friend continues “seeing that Dina had small children and an amazing home, namely The Lowell, we would hold our meetings here for the sake of convenience.

But Dina was always thinking of countless things at once, and couldn’t help but note how every detail could be improved.” “And that was when my adventure as a Design Director began, almost by chance.” “But without giving up on film-making”.

Bingo. The thing that Dina is most proud of is managing to create a balanced alchemy between the elements. In the corridor, she crosses paths with maids moving quickly as they push trolleys laden with tulips.

From the restaurant come the voices of the dining room staff – the kitchen has been a hive of activity for the chef’s challenging dishes since dawn. When she walks into the meeting suite, the fire is lit and the assistants around the oval table are going over the checklists.

“Well, this is it. In a few hours, we will be celebrating a unique occasion with our most valued guests,” begins Mr. Heiko Kuenstle. "This has been the largest renovation work the Hotel has undergone in 33 years."

"As the General Manager, I want to thank you for having allowed us to remain open over the last 3 years, and for continuing to provide an outstanding service, in spite of all the upheaval."

“I would like to add my own thanks and those of Mr. Chartouni to Mr. Kuenstle’s,” Dina adds. “We are a family, and I know we will deliver our very best this evening as well. Our mantra works, so believe in it. Even when something seems impossible, if you are truly open-minded and you really want it, then something will happen – one step closer to making it possible”.