HotelChatter

Location
The Crosby is smack bam in the heart of SoHo, one block behind Broadway, between Spring and Prince Streets. Designer shopping, chain stores, art galleries, funky office buildings, and lust-worthy lofts surround the building. Balthazar and Starbucks are on the closest corner of Spring and Crosby. Stay tuned for a What’s On The Block for more details.

Check-In
We checked in around 5pm, and were greeted warmly. There was some staff activity in the lobby, where we immediately noticed the abundance of dog art. And a massive sculpture of a head. The concierge came over to show us around and take us to our room. We had a peek at the Crosby Bar, the Drawing Room, the Screening Room, and a few meeting rooms, each with a unique design. All lived up to the expectations of a Kit Kemp-designed space.

Room Reaction
We booked a Best Available Room but thanks to the delay, and being one of the first guests, we were upgraded to a suite on the 9th floor. The living area you walk into is large and airy, and you almost don’t notice the detailed layers of décor because of the SoHo-scape view through the loft-style windows. The bedroom looks like those in the photos we’d seen on the hotel’s website, but larger in person.

Our room was mostly done in pinks and oranges, and we loved the dress form fitted in the same print as the headboard. Despite the luxurious looking bed (and couch in the living area), the most inviting space to sit and take five was the cushions on the low window sill, overlooking that late-afternoon view. (Think window-seat but closer to the floor.)

The walk-in closet was large, and the bathroom was granite, mirrored, and home to both a tub with a TV, a shower, and a bidet beside the loo.

The bedroom had its own flatscreen TV, but the one in the living room was one of the biggest we’ve seen. Large vases, sideboards, and a big, square coffee table made the living room seem like your own private version of the Crosby Bar and Drawing Room downstairs. The attention to detail was worth waiting for. Plus: everything smelled and felt fresh and new!

Internet Connect
In what we hope is a harbinger of what’s to come with all the other New York hotels on the way, high-speed WiFi and cabled internet access are complimentary. We only had our Blackberry with us, but turned it onto WiFi mode for a quick spin, and it worked fine.

The Tech
In other gadgetry, there’s a Blu-Ray/CD/DVD player, a Bose i-Pod docking station, and a TV you can watch from the tub. It wasn’t working for us, and since we were soaking in a midnight-bath we did not call the front desk for help. In theory, though, it looks great.

With the other TVs, we had some trouble finding ESPN so we could catch Monday Night Football. The hotel’s info booklet said it was on channel 91 but we did not seem to have it on our set. (We had similar trouble with the major networks, but plenty of cable channels were freely available.) We settled for the Spanish ESPN to get our football fix.

Amenity Madness
The Le Jardin 10012 bath products! The hotel’s custom Miller Harris scent is as lovely as it sounds. A little floral but undercut with a kick of cedar. There was a shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and soap for both the bath and the shower, plus body lotion and more soaps above the double-sink vanity. A Le Jardin 10012 candle was available in the slick-looking mini-bar for $40. Other selections were cool and classy: Krug in a half-bottle, Carslberg or Paciico beer, English crisps, plus the now-ubiquitous “intimacy kit.”

The basement gym is not finished yet—but they did have some weights, medicine balls, and a stationery bike which did the trick for a quick workout. The staff is offering passes to the nearby Equinox until the gym is finished, hopefully within 1–2 weeks.

Bar and Dining Scene
The Crosby Bar is still in soft-opening mode, open to friends and family until next week. It looks lush and colorful, and the menu is a blend of American classics and British fare. Both the Crosby Bar and the red, ultra-arty looking Drawing Room (where room service is available) were kind of quiet and lacking real-guest ambiance this early in the hotel’s life. But we expect these to become major hotspots in the coming weeks. We ordered room service, which was delivered promptly (in hotel-time), and with a smile. The Classic Club Sandwich was solid, and the Benton's Smoked Country Ham and Grafton Cheddar Melt was delicious and rich. The hotel does a Breakfast to Go, and also a Champagne Afternoon Tea.

The Extra Mile
When we first checked in, we mentioned that our husband would be arriving later, and that it was our anniversary. When we returned to our room later in the evening, a bottle of Champagne had arrived, with a note of congrats from the hotel. (Yes, it really was our anniversary! Our first.)

Also waiting for us were two silver dog bowls that looked like they might’ve come from the nearby Museum of Modern Art store. While the Crosby is (so far) not advertising dog amenities, they do accept small, housetrained pets. We were asked to carry our dog, Winnie, through the lobby and people seemed interested to see her, although perhaps not as enthusiastic as you’d think from all that dog art and the hotel’s own logo.

Turndown service included a small vial of Sleep Well, a blend of lavender, rosewood, petitgrain, and grapefruit to spray onto your pillow “for a delicious sleep.” (It seemed to work.)

What We Liked
The crisp, comfortable design (the bed was especially cozy), and the feeling of living in a spacious SoHo loft, even for just one night. The friendly, English-influenced service, and the massage setting on the shower.

What We Didn't Like
The uneasy feeling that the neighbors across the street were spying on us, a la The Standard (easily fixed by drawing the curtains), and the fact we couldn’t find ESPN among the hundred or more channels—on a Monday night, no less.

Bottom Line
We paid an introductory rate (available in October) of $495 a night, which was $572 with tax. This was meant to be for a regular room, which we feel is pretty steep, even for such a fantastic location and such a gorgeous property. We were thrilled to get an upgrade due to the opening delay—and loved the recognition of our anniversary—but we can’t be sure these perks will still be on offer once the hotel hits its stride. This is one for the SoHo creative/arty/fashiony-famous crowd.

We look forward to dropping by again soon to experience Crosby Bar in full capacity, to see the completed Sculpture Garden out back, and to catch a movie in the private screening room in the basement.