HotelChatter

What's Inside
According to Peck, the Cooper Square Hotel is set for an April/May 2008 opening. There will be 148 rooms, averaging about 320 square feet. Fifteen percent of the rooms will be suites and the top floor of the hotel is the Penthouse suite. The price point? Peck said room rates will range from $375 to $500. Klaus Ortlieb (of THOR fame) will be the operator.

Restaurants, Bars and A Performance Venue?
Peck told us that there will be a partnership with the Table 8 group to open a restaurant on the hotel's ground floor. Peck actually stressed the word "partnership" and "not just signing a lease with someone." The restaurant will have a bar as well as the hotel lobby and wait for it...a performance venue in the hotel basement.

Peck said the space will be about 2,000 square feet and will feature an adult cabaret and live music. When we asked if it would be similar to The Box, he replied,

"It will be more like The Box than CBGB."

Another comparison thrown out was The Spoken Word.

The Concept
Cooper Square is simply a boutique hotel, regardless of Peck's disdain for that word. Still, he wanted this hotel to combine great architecture, great design, fun and exciting food and beverage with a level of service found in older luxury hotels found in Europe. When pressed for a comparison, Peck was at first reluctant to make comparisons but threw out this:

"It's like the Mercer meets the Four Seasons."

The Role of Technology:
Since hotel technology is an increasing trend these days, Peck said Cooper Square will employ the best technology but as a way to make the experience more personal for the guests. An example? A wireless check-in. But not the kind that you do from a Blackberry or other PDA device.

Peck said that when a guest checks into the lobby, there will be no actual front desk. Instead a person will come greet you and having emailed with your before checking-in, will be able to show you right to your room.

"When you arrive at a hotel after a long trip, you're tired and the last thing you want is someone looking down as they type and not really focusing on you."

Should you want a more traditional check-in, check-out experience (and most guests will want this at check-out when they finalize the bill, Peck said), there will be a VIP room just off the lobby (think casino VIP check-ins.)

Neighborly Concerns
Residents of Cooper Square have protested this building from the start and about everything-- the design, the height, the fact that it will be a hotel, the noise, and the list goes on. But Peck said the residents may feel differently about it when they get to experience it.

"It's not going to be some crazy noisy club kids environment. The hotel is a great piece of architecture that was designed to be mature and elegant and I think it will be a benefit to the community. It can be a gathering place and a catalyst to bring people in to explore the neighborhood."

Peck also pointed out the garden/small park that will be open to the entire public, not just hotel guests a la Gramercy Park.

On the Left Coast, The Crescent Beverly Hills
The Crescent hotel is still Peck's "baby" as it was the first hotel he opened in 2001. And he has grand plans for the hotel, namely spinning off the brand. But he's not interested in creating a prototype franchise to sell to developers. Each hotel will have the Crescent name but the design and attitude will be unique to the location. Although, he wouldn't officially confirm it, there are possibly plans for a Crescent hotel opening in Palm Springs.

Parting Words
In spite of the rumors about his non-involvement in Cooper Square and the vocal community dislike for the hotel, Peck is focused on opening what he believe will be one of the best new hotels in New York.

"It's been a huge struggle. Yet, I didn't think this project would come together as magically as it has.