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Downtown Manhattan Hotels Are All About the Nightlife
The NY Sun has an article today about the ever-growing (already established?) trend of hotels serving as more of a nightlife outlet than an actual place to rest your heads.
"Before, it was basically an amenity," nightlife impresario Steven Kamali said. "Now it's becoming like London. The social scene is gravitating toward hotel restaurants, bars, and lounges."
Aside from creating a vibrant social life within the hotel, having nightlife options like restaurants, bars and lounges also help the hotel pay their hefty rents. So expect the 33 upcoming hotels for NYC to have some kind of nightclub/bar/lounge/restaurant or all of the above.
Tags: Fourth of July Hotels / Downtown NYC Hotels / Rooftop Bars / Hotel Packages / → All Tags
Best Hotels for Fireworks in Manhattan
Fourth of July is just two weeks away so in case you are headed to a big city for some fireworks fun, we'll be taking a look at hotels with prime fireworks views. Have a favorite hotel for gawking at bombs bursting in air? Send it our way.
Fun Fact: New York City is loaded with rooftop bars offering fabulous views of the Manhattan skyline-- perfect for watching Independence Day fireworks. Less-Fun Fact: Around July 4th, the city is also teeming with fanny-pack sportin' tourists eager to catch those fireworks, crowding the various rooftop bars so badly that you can barely get through the door, much less get your hot little hands on a drink.
Your best bet? Book a Fourth of July package at a hotel that guarantees you access to some of the best patches of sky in Manhattan. We recommend lower Manhattan because, well, did you really plan to spend July Fourth at the Peninsula's rooftop bar? Boring much? Really though, their Fourth of July package involves a VIP escort to a seating area by the East River to view the fireworks. We prefer to chill on the roof of the hotel we're paying big bucks for, thank you.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Tribeca Grand Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / Hotel Happenings / → All Tags
Weekend Hotel Happenings: Yoko Ono Learns Kung Faux
Hotel: Tribeca Grand Hotel in New York
When: Saturday, February 24th: 9pm-late
Where: The Sanctum @ Tribeca Grand
What: A party in honor of NY Comic Con featuring the musical stylings of Shitake Monkey, a guest DJ set by Yoko Ono spinning, and Kung Faux episodes in the screening room from 9pm - 11pm. New episodes starting every half hour.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Soho House Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: Soho House
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New Yorkers love exclusivity and the Soho House is no exception. The UK version of the members-only clubhouse opened in the Meatpacking district in 2003 with the offering of 24 hotel rooms for outsiders to book. However, exclusivity often comes at a high price so this isn't quite the hotel of the people.
Room Rules
Each room is named with play like the Playpen, Playroom, Playhouse and Playground and feature exposed beams and brick walls of the former warehouse. But this isn't some hard-edge meatpacking district place. The rooms get swank with some crystal chandeliers, antique furniture and oriental rugs, along with hi-tech amenities.
The Playpen bedrooms give you more room than the Soho hotels at 325 sq ft while the Playground gives you 950 sq ft to accommodate your anglo-phile obsesssion.
In the larger rooms (the Playroom and Playground) there are freestanding baths while the Playpen has a spacious walk-in shower. Cowshed hair and body products are the toiletries provided for guests, hand-made and shipped straight from England. Or so they say...
Three Day Average
The Playroom was available on Oct. 29 and 30 for $595 a night. But always check their last minute New York deals for cheaper rates, although it's not always guaranteed.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
A possible sighting of Gwenyth Paltrow, Madonna or Stella McCartney and their spawn at the teeny tiny rooftop pool. Or maybe a dead baby doll.
Map-Making Moment
Of course, it's the Sex and the City episode when Samantha crashed the pool area.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
You have to be a member of the Soho House or a guest to use the hotel restaurant and bar and this in itself is pretty pricey (Memberships costs $1400 a year, if you can get in). Then once you can actually use the restaurant or bar, you have to fork over a lot for the bill. So in this case, neither place wins.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
High brow members only, thank you. Well, members and their chosen guests. Make that, members, their chosen guests, and Luscious--an attractive, well spoken prostitute.
Subway Stop:
If you can afford to stay at the Soho House then you wouldn't be caught dead riding the subway.
Quickest route uptown
Your Town Car or chauffered Rolls.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Maritime Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: Maritime Hotel
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The Maritime Hotel is on the border of the Meatpacking District and Chelsea on 16th street and Ninth Ave. Once the headquarters of the National Maritime Union in 1966, the hotel keeps the nautical theme intact from the porthole windows to the "marine blue" lobby carpet and the teak wood paneling.
Room Rules
There's not a whole lot of room options here. You got either the standard room which averages about 300 sq ft and comes with a faux Murphy bed or the penthouse with its terrace suites. On the bright side each room has complimentary WiFi, flat screen LCD television and DVD player, and bathroom amenities by C.O. Bigelow.
Three Day Average
For our selected dates, a standard room was going for $395 a night.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
The porthole windows.
Map-Making Moment
Definitely the hotel's Model Night during Fashion Week.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
Fortunately, the Maritime Hotel has not done kitchy nautical-themed restaurants or bars here. They have two restaurants--La Bottega and Matsuri--both of which take advantage of the huge outdoor patio aka the Cabanas Rooftop bars. In case that isn't enough, there's also a regular old Lobby Bar. But the piece de resistance here is probably the Hiro Ballroom which can be rented out for special events. On side of the wall is a 20 foot bar; on the other side is banquette seating.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Models. Male models, female models. Lots of models, oh, and John Stamos.
Subway Stop:
The A,C,E or L at 8th Ave.
Quickest route uptown
A,C,E.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / The Hotel on Rivington Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: THOR
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The Hotel on Rivington or as the blogosphere likes to call it, Thor, is either the big eyesore in the Lower East Side or the first great sign of neighborhood gentrification, depending on how you feel about that stuff. The place is now about 2 years old but we still aren't sick of it.
Room Rules
Advertised as "larger-than-average" the Thor rooms have Tempurpedic mattresses from Sweden, flat screen TV, motorized curtains and heated tile floors in the bathroom. The Regular rooms are supposed to be 30 percent more than the average NYC hotel room at 300 sq ft, while the 3-story penthouse suite has a grand total of 2,500 sq. ft. for your pleasure.
Three Day Average
For our selected dates, the regular King rooms are going for $350 a night, plus $96.66 in taxes.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
It's a toss-up between the eclectic Annie O boutique store and the voyeuristic see-through bathroom windows.
Map-Making Moment
Again another toss up between the moment real customers entered the place and Nemo Librizzi's hash hammock suggestion.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
We haven't heard much about the THOR restaurant but the member (and guests) only lounge hasn't won rave reviews. Mainly it's too cramped for people to even stand around in.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
The Midwestern parents of "gritty" LES Gen Xers, rock stars and i-bankers.
Subway Stop:
The F train at Delancey Street.
Quickest route uptown
The F to the 6 at Bleeeker which takes you up the East Side. Change at Grand Central for the shuttle over to Times Square.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Mercer Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: The Mercer Hotel
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Before there was Hotel QT, The Standards and The Raleigh, Andre Balazs opened The Mercer Hotel way back in 1998. It took Balazs eight years to open the darn thing after investment hurdles and trying to accommodate historical landmarks (the building is over 100 years old and was originally an office site for John Jacob Astor II.) But those eight years paid off as the hotel is still a chic boutique hotel to visit today.
Room Rules
Props to the Mercer for including the exact square footage for each type of room on their web site, ranging from the 280-sq-ft Courtyard room to the gigantic, 1,375-sq-ft Penthouse and Courtyard Suites.
Three Day Average
There were no available rooms for our selected weekend but Oct. 22 to 24 showed a Mercer Room (300-sq-ft.) overlooking Mercer Street available for $495 a night. This may seem low for the hotel but remember, it's a weeknight.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
Complimentary guest passes to the Crunch Gym or World Gym around the corner.
Map-Making Moment
The unforgettable Russelle Crowe Phone-Throwing Temper Tantrum.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
Without a doubt, Mercer Kitchen.
Subway Stop:
The N,R at Prince St.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Youngish couples in love and a bit of the Hollywood crowd.
Quickest route uptown
The N,R train will take you into the heart of Times Square.
Related Stories:
· Loft Life at Soho's Mercer [IHT]
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Thompson Hotels / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: 60 Thompson
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Currently Jason Pomeranc's only completed hotel in New York right now, 60 Thompson has managed to stay afloat in the boutique hotel scene, largely with its prime Soho location and by providing a killer nightlife.
Room Rules
The rooms are filled with goodies like Dean & Deluca snacks, toiletries from Fresh, linens by Sferra and complimentary WiFi. However, the standard rooms are tiny. They range from the Queen Superior (probably because only a queen-sized bed can fit in the room) to the King Deluxe. Things get a little roomier when you book a King Suite which has a balcony or the 1,000-sq-ft Thompson Suite.
Three Day Average
For our dates selected the Queen Superior was available for $539 a night.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
The members-and-guests-only rooftop bar, Above 60, offers kick-ass views of the city without a crush of Eurotrash and B&T-ers.
Map-Making Moment
60 Thompson became an "It" spot when it first opened in 2001 but we still like it that Charlie Sheen got kinky with some prostitutes there back in '04.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
What the hotel lacks in room size, they make up for in the restaurant and bars. Kittichai serves contemporary Thai cuisine which is a fave among locals while the Thom bar and Above 60, provide exclusive places to sip your expensive but tasty Lychee martinis. So, we consider this restaurant-bar face-off a tie. (Note: Above 60 is closed in the winter.)
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Nick Lachey sneaking a Christmas tree up to his suite.
Subway Stop:
The 1,9 at Houston.
Quickest route uptown
The 1,9.
Image via Alyssamg80/Flickr
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Soho Grand Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: Soho Grand
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The Soho Grand opened up way back in 1996 around the time dowtown NYC was starting to become cool again, making it the old maid on our downtown map. However, despite age and celebrity guests the hotel manages to stay atop of the game.
Room Rules
There's 363 rooms in this hotel for you to choose from, all sporting "natural materials" of wood, clay, canvas, and leather. But despite the earthy decore the rooms are full of hi-tech amenities like flat-screen TVs, digital cable, iPods, and Bose Sound Docks along with luxury toiletries from Malin+Goetz, Frette linens, a gourmet mini-bar and a pet goldfish upon request. And after 10 years, the hotel is starting to renovate some rooms, although we haven't seen one yet.
As for space in this place, the smallest room, the queen superior has only 230-square-feet to offer and only a walk-in shower no bathtub. The penthouse lofts on the other hand offer two bedrooms and 1,200 sq ft terraces.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
The hotel offers its guests the use of high-sport Electra bicycles (complimentary!) to get around town during the "warm spring", summer and fall months.
Map-Making Moment
While making the list as one of the best NYC hotels to have an affair was map-worthy, the TV actor doing lines at the bar is by far the more important moment.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
The Grand Bar & Lounge serves up American fare and cocktails and is a pretty standard boutique hotel bar. However, The Gallery is a "more intimate" place to wine and dine with art works by the city's avant-garde artists and photographers. Yet, if The Yard, the hotel's spring/summer outdoor bar were open year-round we have a feeling this place would beat out both the Grand Bar and Gallery.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Ad execs, media workers, and Web 2.0 kids using their VC's credit card.
Subway Stop:
The A,C,E at Canal Street or the 1,9 at Canal Street.
Quickest route uptown
The A,C,E.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Tribeca Grand Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: Tribeca Grand
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The Tribeca Grand is the sister property to the Soho Grand and when it opened up back in 2000, people were still trying to figure out exactly where Tribeca was located. Today the hotel is one of the city's top boutique hotels but finding the hotel at its strange location on the corner of Walker and Church and Avenue of the Americas and West Broadway hasn't gotten that much easier.
Room Rules
The 203 rooms take a hi-tech approach to the hotel stay with sleek, modern, and minimalist furniture, but as we personally experienced the hotel TVs are broken down chunky boxes. In this instance, the SoHo Grand is the more luxe of the two.
The room sizes are a smidgen bigger, ranging from the 240 sq ft Superior King room to the gigantic Grand Suite & Rooftop Terrace which is totally out of your price league.
Three Day Average
For our selected dates, a Superior King room costs an average $451 a night.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
Tribeca Grand has the iStudio suite which is full of Apple's latest multimedia technology such as "a fully-loaded G5 computer outfitted with film, photo and sound editing software as well as iSight cameras." So already this suite is a favorite of film-makers, but the Tribeca Grand goes one-step further to appease film auteurs with their very own screening room.
Map-Making Moment
Hands down (or is that pants down?) the Ass Man moment, when a hotel employee delivering an Bose iPod station to Jet Set Lara and her female friend blurted out that he was "an ass man."
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
The Church lounge is a ginormous bar and restaurant area at the front of the hotel that takes on an atrium feel as you can peer up to the room floors. But at night, it sort of reminds us of the alternative future when Biff is the powerful wealthy man in Back to the Future 3 thanks to the railings that line each floor above and the dark lighting. Also, dining there during a fashion week party doesn't help dispel that scary futuristic feeling.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Fashionistas and Kevin Costner.
Subway Stop:
The A, C, E on Walker St and 6th Avenue or the 1,9 at Franklin Street.
Quickest route uptown
The A, C, E or the 1,9.
Tags: Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Downtown NYC Hotels / Gansevoort Hotel Reviews / Downtown-New-York-City-Hotel-Scene-Map / → All Tags
NYC Downtown Hotel Map :: Hotel Gansevoort
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When the Hotel Gansevoort opened in the meatpacking District two years ago, it officially ended the grittiness (but not quite the smell) of the neighborhood.
While locals probably abhor the place, lots of Eurotrash and the bridge & tunnel crowd keep the place in business. Them and of course, a few well-intended tourists who have heard legendary stories about the rooftop pool and the newly-opened GSpa.
Room Rules
Book a deluxe room which at 300 square feet is a tad larger than the superior room and also more expensive. On the plus side, these deluxe rooms have 9-foot high ceilings.
Three Day Average
$435 a night is the starting rate but for our selected dates, only the Grand Deluxe rooms (also 300 sq. ft) were available and the average was $565 a night plus $158.14 in taxes.
Only in NYC Amenity or Service
G-Spa, the club that's also a spa during the daylight hours for guests. It's a genius idea and perfect for those hedonistic Euros. And guidos.
Map-Making Moment
That weird sign posted by the pool that talks about expectorating or something.
Hotel Bar vs. Hotel Restaurant
We're sure Jeffrey Chodorow's Ono restaurant is a fine establishment but the 360 degrees of Manhattan from the rooftop pool and bar area are hard to beat.
Who you are most likely to see in the lobby:
Bridge and Tunnel, media executives, Hollywood stragglers, and travel hoi polloi.
Subway Stop:
A,C,E at 14th Street
Quickest route uptown
The A,C,E takes you right into the heart of Times Square.
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