HotelChatter

The Standard New York
344 Rooms
West 13th Street between Washington and West Streets
Scheduled Opening :: Late 2007

André Balazs is taking it up a notch. He just opened the Beaver Bar, ahead of the William Beaver House condo project. He is rumored to be thinking about opening his flagship Standard brand hotel in both London and Seattle. However, most impressively, AB is shooting for a late 2007 opening of the Standard NY--an opening that was previously reported for early 2008. AB is hard at work with Polshek Partnership Architects to design his High Line district property and according to the AB website, Standard NY will open soonish. The hotel is also rumored to have a rooftop pool, which is rare for New York but almost compulsory for Meatpacking District hotels. While we still think the start of '08 is a more likely open date for Standard NY, we are not about to doubt Balazs, after all he opened both Standard Miami and QT Hotel on time. That said, we are rooting for a December 2007 opening.

Opening Date Prediction :: December 2007

Standard NY Hotel Stories:
·   André Balazs Coverage [HotelChatter]

Sanctuary Hotel New York
132 West 47th Street
Scheduled Opening :: Fall 2007

Update on this hotel here, though we still like the idea of a Menin Sanctuary NY. In any event, the opening prediction below remains the same, even as the hotel details change.

Major renovations to the Portland Square Hotel are scheduled to turn the property into a "urban lifestyle resort" from hotelier Keith Menin, much like the current Sanctuary resorts in Miami and Arizona. Will its "high style, low service" reputation follow this hotel to NY? If you glance at the reviews of Sanctuary SoBe you will see that the low scoring reviews tend to come from New Yorkers. A foreshadowing? Let's all just give the place a chance first, k? One word of warning to the Sanctuary New York crew: If you institute a "Forbidden City" policy in Manhattan, the i-bankers will buy up the hotel models, er, "work out partners" in no time. Actually, could turn into a regular bidding war.

Opening Date Prediction :: November 2007

Sanctuary Stories:
·   Sanctuary South Beach [HotelChatter]
·   Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain [HotelChatter]

The Downtown Hotel
83 rooms
377-383 Greenwich St
Scheduled Opening :: September 2006 Summer 2007

Actor/hotelier Robert DeNiro and partner Ira Drukier have built $43 million, six-story luxury hotel in TriBeCa, now they just need to open the damn thing. What is being called "the most hyped hotel in the country" doesn't even have an officially website, that we can find. Why is it that as soon as Hollywood types get involved in hotel projects things go awry?

Despite that the hotel is yet to open, people have complained about the hotel noise, the hotel architecture, and one website even named it one of the "Top 10 New Best Hotels for Romance for 2006". What? It will have 90 rooms, and a restaurant called Ago when it finally opens.

We are still a little scared of Bobby DeNiro so we are just gonna be positive and encouraging here. We should be talking actual guest reviews on this place sometime before the Ides of March.

Opening Date Prediction :: March 2007

The Downtown Hotel Stories:
·   Downtown Hotel Stories [HotelChatter]

Six Columbus
90 rooms
6 Columbus Circle
Scheduled Opening: 2005 2006 2007

AKA: "Hotel Big Dig", "Six Columbust", "Chinese Democracy Hotel", "666" "Groundhog Day Hotel"

This place should announce that Axel Rose will play at their opening, just to keep the joke going. First scheduled to open before Britney even married K-Fed, getting "six columbused" is now a verb according to Urban Dictionary.

You know the funniest part? This hotel is no longer even visibly mentioned on the Thompson Hotels website.

We are starting to believe 6 Columbus may try to quietly re-flag itself this year, but do you think we will let that happen?

Opening Date Prediction :: September 2007, but not as a Thompson Hotel.

Six Columbus Stories:
·   Six Columbus Hotel Coverage
·   West Park Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]

The Lamb's Club Hotel
72 rooms
130 West 44th Street
Scheduled Opening: 2007

Has fatherhood softened Vikram Chatwal? In '06 he stopped hanging out with the Paris Hilton crowd, got married, opened Night Hotel on time, and had a daughter. Here is what Vikram had to say about pregnancy:

Ideally, a pregnant woman puts on weight because she eats for two people. In our case, I look the pregnant one. My appetite has increased, my ankles have swollen and I have put on weight. It's bizarre!

So who was pregnant, Vik or his wife?

As long as he isn't dragged down by a bad case of postpartum depression, the new softer, doughier Vikram should be able to transform the landmark 1904 Sanford White designed Lamb's Club into a luxury hotel on schedule in 2007. Architect Thierry Despont has signed on to design. Who knows, maybe family life will help Vikram focus and actually achieve his dream of becoming the first Sikh billionaire.

Opening Date Prediction :: October 2007

The Lamb's Club Hotel Stories:
·   Vikram Chatwal Coverage [HotelChatter]

Allen Street Hotel
112 rooms
Allen Street (between Houston and Stanton Streets)
Scheduled Opening: September 2006 Summer 2007

Here is what we said last year:

Ok, this one is kinda laughable. If Jason Pomeranc is able to open his Lower East Side boutique hotel in the year 2006 we will personally rent out one of the suites and have an open bar party for the entire Allen Street hotel staff.

Oh, and Jason, we are going by the Gregorian calendar, just to clarify.

This opening isn't as laughable this year and we will make no such deals with the Allen Street staff (word is they have already made a couple hires). "Allen Street progress" is now Pomeranc's middle name and development is moving along at a decent clip. We still doubt this property will open by the summer, after all, we have been through this before, but we wouldn't be surprised to be checking this place out sometime in late 2007.

The hotel will feature 32 luxury condominiums plus a spa, and swimming pool--when it is finished.

Opening Date Prediction :: December 2007

Allen Street Hotel Stories:
·   Allen Street Hotel [HotelChatter]

Other Hotel Openings List News
Hotels falling off the list: Loft Hotel Tribeca--changed its name and confused us.

2006 hotels successfully opened: Blue Moon Hotel, The Night Hotel

2006 list hold overs: Six Columbus, The Downtown Hotel

Other noteable 2007 scheduled hotel openings: The Plaza Hotel, Four Points Soho Village, Hotel Mela, Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca

Have info, tips, or photos on any of the above NYC hotel openings? You know where to send 'em.

Related Stories:
· 2006 New York City Hotel Openings Preview [HotelChatter]