Manhattan has seen a big boom in hotel openings. Jenny Southan takes a look and finds out what’s to come
Next time you visit New York you’ll have many more options for resting your head. Like London, which is experiencing its own surge of property launches and revamps (see businesstraveller.com/tags/london+hotels), the Big Apple has seen a flurry of new hotel openings.
Last year close to 40 properties opened their doors, increasing the city’s room count by almost 6,650. And with overall occupancy standing at about 85 per cent despite this growth in capacity, there is a sense of optimism in the air.
Thomas Mathes, general manager of Kimpton’s Eventi (see page 64), which opened in Chelsea last June at 75-80 per cent occupancy, says: “We were surprised by the number of bookings when we opened – we actually had to stop selling rooms because we didn’t have enough employees.” He puts this down, in part, to people doing more face-to-face business. “During the recession people used video-conferencing a lot more, but personal meetings are coming back,” Mathes says.
Although room rates in Manhattan are on the up again, having gone down as much as 30 per cent during the financial crisis, Mathes says it will be “about two to three years until we are back to 2008 rates”.
David Chase, general manager of the Trump Soho (see facing page), which opened last April, says: “The brakes were on over the period between 2008 and early 2010 but since we opened we have seen things picking up. We are getting more business travel and meetings bookings.”
Hoteliers have also noticed a growing trend for travellers to combine business with pleasure by adding a few days on to their trip. Properties such as the Eventi are keen to cater to both aspects, offering a range of facilities from boardrooms to spas. “People are expecting more these days so a hotel has to offer everything,” Mathes says.
The industry is also finding demand for rooms away from the usual Manhattan hotspots – Starwood, for example, has travelled north of Central Park to open the Aloft Harlem. Patricia Gilles, sales manager for the property, says: “Harlem is totally different now – it has been gentrified. Things are changing and with the addition of the Aloft it’s taking Harlem to a whole new level.”
It is estimated that by 2013, over 5,000 more hotel rooms will have been added, bringing the total up to more than 91,000. So what do we have to look forward to? Hyatt was set to open the 116-room 48 Lex in Midtown, within walking distance of Grand Central station, this month, and will follow with a 175-room Hyatt near Union Square in the autumn. Other spring openings include the 91-room Four Points by Sheraton Long Island City in Queens, and the 172-room Hotel Indigo Brooklyn.
Later in the year, Conrad will open its first property in the city in the financial district of Lower Manhattan, with 463 rooms, and budget brand Yotel will open a 699-room Japanese-style “capsule” hotel by Times Square. In the meantime, here is a look at some of the properties that have already starting welcoming guests…
DOWNTOWN
W NEW YORK DOWNTOWN Starwood’s fourth W hotel in New York, the new-build W Downtown was unveiled last August and overlooks Ground Zero. Once the memorial is complete in September, the view from the hotel will be more attractive. The lobby is on the fifth floor and features an eye-catching undulating LED light installation across the whole ceiling (see our cover image). Only about 100 bedrooms are available at the moment but once the higher floors have been fitted out over the next few months, there will be 217 – each equipped with showers, Munchie boxes and iPod docks. Guests have use of a 24-hour gym, a ground-floor “pub grub” eatery, and four meeting rooms. Wired/wifi internet costs US$15 a day. DJ nights are held twice a week in the Living Room bar.- 123 Washington Street; tel +1 646 8268 600; starwoodhotels.com
- Rooms from US$266
- 9 Crosby Street; +1 212 3891 000; mondriansoho.com
- Rooms from US$427
- 246 Spring Street; tel +1 212 8425 500; trumpsohohotel.com
- Rooms from US$393
- 27 Grand Street; tel +1 212 4652 000; jameshotels.com
- Rooms from US$491
MIDTOWN
GANSEVOORT PARK AVENUE NYC The 249-room Gansevoort Park Avenue joined its counterpart in the buzzing Meatpacking District of Manhattan last August. The hotel lobby sports mismatched furniture, a purple chandelier, and black and white striped floor, while a separate entrance on East 29th Street gives visitors direct access to the 930 sqm Asellina restaurant and bar, which is backed by a wall of Cinzano bottles. As well as a heated outdoor rooftop pool that is open year-round, the property has free wifi, a 280-capacity ballroom, open-air terraces for hire, and guestrooms measuring from 33 sqm – each of these has iPod Touches and sound-docks, well-stocked minibars, azure bedspreads, erotic fuschia pink prints, and chartreuse chairs.- 420 Park Avenue South; tel +1 212 317 2900; gansevoortpark.com
- Rooms from US$319
- 851 Avenue of the Americas; tel +1 212 5644 567; eventihotel.com
- Rooms from US$312
- 400 Fifth Avenue; tel +1 212 695 4005; setaififthavenue.com
- Rooms from US$686
- 485 Fifth Avenue; tel +1 212 601 1234; andaz.com
- Rooms from US$291
- 130 West 44th Street; tel +1 212 7646 200; thechatwalny.com
- Rooms from US$635
- 70 West 45th Street; tel +1 212 3028 700; cassahotelny.com
- Rooms from US$256
- 300 West 44th Street; tel +1 212 8034 500; interconny.com
- Rooms from US$264
- 233 West 49th Street; tel +1 212 245 4000; pearlhotelnyc.com
- Rooms from US$279
- 311 West 39th Street; tel +1 212 6430 770; starwoodhotels.com
- Rooms from US$256
UPTOWN
ALOFT HARLEM Open since December, Starwood’s 124-room Aloft is one block from the nearest subway station or about 15 minutes’ drive cab from Times Square, and is an excellent budget option. The reception has a pool table, self-service snack bar, funky seating and welcoming staff, while therooms are at least 23 sqm and have huge workdesks, king-size beds, free wired/wifi internet, fridges, Bliss toiletries, flatscreen TVs, free water, tea and coffee. There are no meeting rooms or restaurants but there is a 24-hour gym. A second Aloft is set to open in Brooklyn this month.- 2,296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard; tel +1 212 7494 000; starwoodhotels.com
- Rooms from US$243. Visit nycgo.com