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First Look: The Lobby of The Ace Hotel New York

Where: 20 West 29th Street [map], New York, NY, United States, 10001

Behold the majesty of having the first look inside of the lobby of the barely-open, much-hyped Ace Hotel NYC. Up until our infiltration, the lobby had remained a dark, mysterious spot in New York City where no cameras seemed to tread and only tweets made it out alive.

While the darkness still prevails—this hotel's lighting is the worst for taking good photographs—we managed to sink into one of the cracked leather banquettes and absorb the decor, which reminds us of the study and liquor cabinet of an elderly, crotchety Ivy League professor who dabbles in botany as well as mixology. It's musty, it's retro, and its ceiling is still being restored during the day while at night, the artist James Hammond works to complete his "Graffiti Collection" installation on the wall of the lobby stairs.

That's enough from us until the full room review later today; we'll let the video above speak for itself. Do let us know in the comments what you think of this massive (by New York standards) lobby, and if you think that it's as game-changing for the New York lobby/bar scene as everyone seems to think it is. One thing's for sure: it'll be bustling this summer when the hotel's restaurant, The Breslin, finally opens its doors into the space.