Michael Achenbaum, president of New York’s Gansevoort Hotel Group, is building the Curtain Hotel and Private Members’ Club on Curtain Road in east London, not far from Nick Jones’ Shoreditch House.
The US$70 million project will take the form of a nine-floor building (including three underground) with 114 hotel rooms and six suites. Each will have hardwood floors, tin ceilings, original contemporary artwork and plenty of natural light.
Opening next summer, the hotel will feature an airy lobby on the ground floor, plus open-plan co-working spaces (shared with a local tech incubator), and meeting venues (including a ballroom).
There will also be two restaurants, one of which will be overseen by a Michelin-starred chef.
Following the lead of sister properties the Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC and Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC, the highlight will be a 1,600 sqm rooftop with a Moroccan-themed swimming pool surrounded by day beds. There will also be a retractable roof, a bar and a café.
The on-site Curtain Spa will feature a hammam, while a state-of-the-art fitness centre will be designed by Jon Squirrell, founder of London’s high-class Vault workout studios.
Opening in the autumn, the club will be “seamlessly integrated” with the hotel, and will feature dedicated areas for members.
These will include a whisky bar, garden room, inner courtyard and sound-proof event venue. A screening room will also be available for hotel guests.
Achenbaum said: “We are creating collaborative spaces where connections from all industries and backgrounds will be forged.”
The art on show throughout the building will be curated by premier British gallerist Steve Lazarides and renowned rock ‘n’ roll photographer Mick Rock.
As well as two hotels in New York, the Gansevoort Hotel Group manages the Gansevoort Turks and Caico, as well as the Gansvoort Dominican Republic, which opened last December.
thecurtain.com, gansevoorthotelgroup.com
Jenny Southan