HotelChatter

The Real Deal's James Gardner calls Cassa, designed by Enrique Norten, a "a good if not exceptional building," and the architect-gawkers over at Wired New York seem to agree. But the biggest bone of contention is the gap between the drama promised by the renderings and what's actually on the ground.

Here's how Gardner describes the disconnect:

If Kate Moss is photographed looking beautiful in a Karl Lagerfeld gown, that attests more to the beauty of the supermodel than to the beauty of the design: When a retail customer wears the dress, it doesn't mean she turns into the celebrity. Similarly, if the sky is blue in a given rendering of the Cassa Hotel, and if pale sunshine is shown filtering across its western façade or moonshine casting a mysterious glow over its southern side, such moody theatrics have no automatic connection with the cladding and steel I-beams that make up the finished building.

We see the same thing all the time when hotels send us room renderings rather than actual photos. We understand that rooms aren't always ready to photograph in the pre-opening stages, but we'd much prefer photos of the details that are ready—bedding, furniture, amenities—than a rendering.

To quote Gardner once again, "the promised dazzle of the renderings is not really borne out in the finished results." And all that does is set us up for disappointment when we see the real thing.

We hope to see (real) photos of the Cassa interiors—or a model room dressed as it would be in real life—soon. Stay tuned.