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A Sneak Peek Inside the Andaz Wall Street, Opening January 11

Where: 75 Wall Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10005

OK, so our last Guess the Hotel wasn’t much of a brainteaser at all, judging by the five commenters who confidently told us that the hotel bar in our picture was located inside the Andaz Wall Street. Right you are, oh, wise ones! And your reward is this here Sneak Peek gallery of snapshots taken inside the soon-to-open star of a hotel.

You already know all about the Andaz concept from our coverage of the Andaz London and the Andaz West Hollywood, so you know that Andaz Wall Street will feature the same fun and efficient elements as those hotspots.

Here are a few of the other things we’re chomping at the bit to experience once the hotel opens on January 11 (although rooms won’t be available until February 15).

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Book The Strand Hotel For $249 on Quikbook For Stays After November 16th

Where: 33 West 37th Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10018

Last week when we checked in on The Strand Hotel we learned the place was opening either "any day now" or on November 16. But having just received our latest Quikbook.com newsletter advertising rates of $249 for the new hotel, we assumed it was open now. But we must have pulled out our "Jump to Conclusions" mat by accident.

Rooms were not available for tomorrow night on Quikbook.com. However, November 16th was open for $249 a night for a standard king with complimentary breakfast. The hotel's website is also not showing rooms open until November 16th. So we think you can guess what we recommend for booking this hotel--wait until November 16th. But book through Quikbook.com. Their rates are $40 cheaper per night than the hotel's website.

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Scoping Out The Trump SoHo With Ivanka on 'Nightline'

Where: 246 Spring Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10013

In case you missed it, Ivanka Trump was on Nightline last week, talking about nepotism, her conversion to Judaism, her impending marriage, and—our favorite part—Trump SoHo. There’s not too much of the hotel’s much-vaunted Rockwell design to see in this clip, but if you want to see Ivanka in construction boots, this may be as close as you’ll get without stalking the still-in-the-works hotel. (She says her dad would kill her if he saw her in 4-inch stilettos on a construction site.)

You can kinda sorta see the view from the Terrace Penthouse, even though it’s raining and Ivanka doesn’t want to go out on the balcony. For the rest of the details, we turned to the hotel’s press release to get our imagination working …

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A Sneak Peek at The Surrey Hotel

Where: 20 East 76th Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10021

While the Crosby Street Hotel wowed us in downtown Manhattan, a sneak peek at The Surrey Hotel left us breathless uptown. If you love The Carlyle, then you will love The Surrey which has the same elegance as The Carlyle, except it's now newer. (And it's just a block away.)

The hotel won't soft-open until October 15 but we took a tour with the hotel's designer Lauren Rottet the other week and got a sneak peek at this model room on the 12th floor.

This is a Grand Deluxe Salon which averages about 330-sq.ft. and features a little sitting area off to the side of the bed. Aside from loving the soft gray color scheme, we found ourselves admiring the hand-painted armoire which holds the flat-screen TV. Usually, we despise armoires in hotel rooms but this one was just too pretty to resist.

The rooms also feature a mirrored wardrobe closet, a vanity/desk and a windowsill seating area overlooking the posh Upper East Side. The minibar is Don Draper-approved with a cocktail tray and the appropriate bar utensils to make your old fashioned, neat. Or at least a Tom Collins.

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The Crosby Street Hotel Will Now Open on October 5th

Where: 79 Crosby Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10012

We are so close, people. We are almost inside: can you feel the excitement? We're talking, of course, about one of the most anticipated New York hotel openings of the year: The Crosby Street Hotel. In case you haven't been following our coverage of the first Firmdale property in the U.S., the story so far is this: when it was first announced, the hotel was to open at the end of 2008.

Then it became March 2009. Then September. Then September 29. But that was earlier this week, and the hotel broke our hearts by making us wait even more. (The delay, apparently, due to an electrical problem.)

But today, a source tells us that the hotel will be "fully operational" on October 5 and we couldn't be happier. What better way to make a sucky Monday totally awesome instead! Join us, will you, in crossing your fingers and your toes that no more hiccups occur before then.

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Get Your Advance Copy: Ink48 is Now Open

Where: 653 11th Avenue [map], New York, ny, United States, 10036

We love it when hotels open ahead of schedule so a big (Rihanna Bellman's) hat tip to Kimpton's Ink48 Hotel in Manhattan for opening up one day before the scheduled opening date.

Of course, we have been waiting for this hotel to open--way back when it was supposed to be The VU Hotel so we guess Ink48 had to make up for lost time.

Our sources say the hotel actually was open yesterday too. Room rates are currently going for $269 tonight for a total of $312 with taxes.

The hotel is located on 11th Avenue in a former printing house and each room has retained the building's original high ceilings. Guests will get complimentary breakfast (before October 15), a two-hour wine tasting session in the lobby from 5 to 7pm and gourmet honor bar selections in the room.

L'occitane toiletries can be found in the baths, Frette sheets cover the beds and flat-screens and iPod docking stations round out the in-room amenities. We can't wait to check it out!

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The Crosby Street Hotel Will Not Open Tomorrow, Thanks to an 'Electrical Problem'

Where: 79 Crosby Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10012

UPDATE: The Crosby Street hotel is putting guests who have reservations up at the Gramercy Park Hotel. No new opening date is set.

Monday mornings are already rough, but today we got some news that totally bummed us out: The Crosby Street Hotel is not opening tomorrow, as planned. (And here we were just one sleep away from getting to check it out!)

We received the update via an email from the hotel’s general manager, who said:

Crosby Street experienced an electrical problem yesterday and although this was through no fault of our own, it has affected the hotel’s progress and so our opening has been put back a few days. I am very sorry to let you know this close to your arrival. If you would like me to find alternative accommodation for you on the night of the 29th I would be more than happy to do so.

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What will the W New York Downtown’s Outdoor Spaces Look Like?

Where: 123 Washington St [map], New York, ny, United States, 10006-1509

We have to wait until February to see the W New York Downtown Hotel, but thanks to the marketing of the W New York Residences in the same building, we get to have a peek at some of the property’s public spaces.

The new structure just south of the new Freedom Tower site was designed by Gwathmey Siegel Architects, with interiors by Graft. It will house 255 hotel rooms and 233 condo units, some furnished. In addition to the obligatory restaurants, bars, and gyms, both hotel guests and residents will be treated to that most coveted of New York amenities: the outdoor space.

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