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Update: Sanctuary NYC Not Related to Sanctuary SoBe

Where: 132 west 47th Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10036

In our 2007 New York City Hotel Openings Preview, we said the former Portland Square hotel in Times Square was to turn into a Sanctuary Hotel brand by hotelier Keith Menin, the man behind Sanctuary South Beach and Sanctuary Arizona.

However, we have learned that while the hotel will be named Sanctuary, it will not be a Menin-project. The hotel was bought by Hank Freid, a developer and CEO of the Impulsive Group who is also behind the Ameritania Hotel and the Marrakech Hotel in Manhattan. Freid is aiming to bring the previously two-star property up to a four-star luxury boutique hotel by adding some "sexy" amenities and sleek decor.

One of the hotel rooms' many sexy features will be an in-room bath, surrounded by adjustable leather drapery, to allow for an instant open setting, or a private room, at the guest's discretion. Rooms will also feature the finest European bed linens, towel warmers, flat screen TVs and rain showerheads. The lobby will have a large emphasis on small, collective gatherings, with fireplaces, a bar/lounge and restaurant.

As for an opening, construction won't begin until March and and the Impulsive Group doesn't see letting in guests before Fall/Winter 2007. Thus our opening prediction of November 2007 still stands. You leather-bath freaks will just have to sit tight.

[Photo: mrtbert]