HotelChatter

As one of the first major hotels to open at the World Trade Center, guests have "front-row seats" of the site’s development – and, for now, the rare opportunity to observe the actual building of One World Trade Center (formerly the Freedom Tower).

The 20th-floor World Terrace Club, which has both indoor and outdoor seating and two terraces, overlooks the construction site. For some, the thought of sipping cocktails up here can be morbid--after all, this is where thousands of people lost their lives in a national tragedy.

But from this high-up perch, we were also mesmerized by the construction scene--dump trucks backing up and upending their massive load; oddly elegant cranes rising and dipping like giant birds; and guys in hardhats crawling all over the place.

Of course, it should be said: With this kind of a backdrop, is this the place to propose to your girlfriend? Probably not. But, is it a chance to observe history-in-the-making? Yes.

The hotel caters to business travelers, but has managed to avoid a corporate, antiseptic feel. The comfortable rooms skew boutique style: Blonde wood, iPod docks, designer toiletries from Gilchrist & Soames, and bedside touch-screen temperature controls. Our favorite amenity? Bottled water “stations” on every floor. Oh and free WiFi of course.

The rooms also feature floor-to-ceiling "window walls" which have the (not unpleasant) effect of being in a fishbowl. Put it this way: As we looked out at construction guys working on a neighboring building, we were so close we could practically read the time on their watches.

The WCH opening was as much about "resurgence and revitalization," as it was about remembering September 11. The president of the 9/11 Memorial talked about the "459 days until the 10th anniversary" next year when the Memorial will open, and a line of trees planted.

Until then, are the views aesthetically pleasing? For many, perhaps not. Indeed, the Huffington Post called it "shocking." But is it a sign of progress? Definitely.