Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel officially opened its doors as one of the tallest properties in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.
Rising to an impressive 39 floors at 430 feet high, the brand’s first hotel in Chelsea is crowned with one of the highest rooftop pools in the city, offering unparalleled 360-degree views.
Located on the former site of the iconic Antiques Garage flea market, the hotel pays homage to the site’s history and the area’s charming antique shops with a theatrical design concept by architecture and interior design firm Stonehill Taylor. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding neighborhood, spaces within the hotel aim to surprise and delight guests with unexpected moments, each thoughtfully designed to tell a story.
Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel is the latest hotel to debut under the brand’s growing North American portfolio which includes recently opened hotels in Philadelphia, Toledo, Reno, Dallas, and Newport Beach, as well as renovated properties in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Palm Desert, among others. Additionally, the brand is set to grow its New York City footprint two-fold over the next two years with highly anticipated openings in both Flushing and Harlem.
A Hidden Retreat in the Concrete Jungle
Underscoring Renaissance Hotels’ unexpected design aesthetic, Stonehill Taylor created an escape that plays on the contrasting dichotomy of the hotel’s industrial, antique and floral market surroundings to create the illusion of walking through a secret garden. The hotel’s top-floor exterior features a sleek, modern glass facade, while the entrance embodies the look and feel of an English manor. Behind a stone-walled arcade, entry lays a private, open-air courtyard studded with lush foliage and seating for guests to lounge.
Tapped to curate the hotel’s collection of artwork, art consultant Indiewalls led a massive two-story installation of antique knobs, locks and keys created by local artist Laura Morrison that takes center stage as the backdrop to the lobby staircase. As guests pass through the space, they are encouraged to touch and interact with these whimsical wares.
Indiewalls also oversaw mixed media artist Liam Alexander’s creation of various video art moments throughout the hotel, reflecting inspiration from the flower district and flea market concepts in the surrounding locale, eliciting the feeling of a “living painting.” Trellage-Ferrill Studio fabricated custom pieces like a collection of upside-down bird cages, as well as a large pendant at the elevator lobby inspired by a bird’s nest to pique the curiosity of travelers. Inside the elevator cabs, leather tiles made from vintage belts coat the walls, adding intrigue of the hotel’s overall design.
Earth tones dominate the color palette of the 341 guest rooms and suites. Interiors are outfitted with wood-paneled printed wallcoverings and unexpected playful touches include gnome desk lamps and rabbit coat hooks. Guest bathrooms evoke a quaint garden shed with concrete sinks, porcelain tiles and mirrors etched with silhouettes of wildflowers. Suites on the fourth and 36th floors are distinguished by their 14-foot high ceilings.
A focal point of each suite is a floor-to-ceiling framed wallcovering art installation of a magnified peacock feather, as well as an oversized mural of a woman’s silhouette comprised of fuchsia roses by artist Sara Byrne.
A Twist on Traditional Italian Cuisine
Chef Fabrizio Facchini brings a bold twist on authentic Italian cuisine in the hotel’s restaurant, Cotto, set to open in the early spring. With 10-foot-high, floor-to-ceiling windows, the airy restaurant will feature an indoor family-style dining room and lounge as well as a 14-seat bar surrounded by a framed picture collection of vintage oddities. Exposed wood beams run across the ceiling and down the walls, which are peppered with mason jar sconces, a romantic reference to firefly jars placed in a secret garden.
Serving daily breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, specialties will include burrata al tartufo with freshly shaved summer truffles and paccheri al pistachio di Bronte with a creamy saffron sauce and pistachio pesto. In addition to an extensive list of wine and spirits offerings, Facchini has developed an innovative mixology experience incorporating a selection of spirits, fruit, and herb-infused ice cubes into the restaurant’s cocktail programming.
Evenings at Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel
In the lobby area near the bar, the hotel hosts Renaissance’s signature bar ritual four times per week, featuring a complimentary, locally inspired punch cocktail prepared by the hotel’s resident mixologist. Guests will also be treated to weekly activations and performances by local musicians and artists alike as part of the brand’s Evenings at Renaissance programming, providing them with an even deeper connection to the neighborhood.
An Urban Oasis, 430 Feet in the Air
The bi-level lounge and rooftop pool, Somewhere Nowhere, welcoming guests in the coming months, will offer an escape from the busy streets of Manhattan. The indoor lounge on the 38th floor will be accessible via a hidden, ground-floor passageway – a repurposed loading dock transformed with spray-painted murals of fireflies and mischievous gnomes, neon signs and old-fashioned lantern sconces – that leads to an elevator transporting guests to the 38th and 39th floors.
On the 39th floor rooftop terrace, guests will enjoy one of the highest open-air pools in the city showcasing 360-views of Manhattan’s majestic skyline. Somewhere Nowhere will be open seven days a week and is operated by El Grupo SN.
Sun-Drenched Meeting & Event Spaces
The hotel boasts 7,326-square-feet of flexible event space, including Somewhere Nowhere. The 2,170-square-foot Cardinal Ballroom, drenched in natural light, features floor-to-ceiling windows that open out to Juliet balconies with city views. The ballroom, with a maximum capacity of 200 people, is ideal for weddings and galas, but can also be split into two separate rooms for smaller conferences.
A grand, yet intimate atmosphere, Cotto’s private dining room is defined by an arched doorway, playful garden string lights, antique rugs and dried moss encased in antique gilded frames on the walls.
The dining room’s greenhouse-esque glass wall folds open to provide complete access to the restaurant’s rear garden. R.E.N. Meetings, Renaissance Hotels’ creative meetings platform, provides planners with a dedicated event team that will bring events and meetings to life using the storied neighborhood of Chelsea and the flexible event space as inspiration – from the styling of each space, incredible locally sourced catering and turnkey social breaks to inspire and motivate networking among guests.
Access to the Thriving Chelsea Neighborhood
Guests are encouraged to explore the surrounding area and can engage with Renaissance Hotels’ Navigators, the brand’s neighborhood ambassadors who are on-hand to share hidden indigenous gems not found in the guidebooks.
Located at 112 W. 25th Street between 6th and 7th avenues, the hotel is steps from some of the area’s most in-demand spots, such as Chelsea Market and The High Line. The property is within walking distance to the 1, 2, N, Q, R, W, A, C and E MTA subway lines, as well as New York Pennsylvania Station.
In celebration of the opening, Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel is offering travelers special access to their “Discover this Way” package, inspired by Renaissance Hotels’ celebration of local haunts found in each hotel’s surrounding neighborhood. Available through March 4, 2020, the package includes accommodations in double occupancy, two complimentary welcome cocktails, daily breakfast for two and a pair of tickets to tour the hotel’s “This Way” local partner, Our / New York Vodka distillery.
For more information, please visit:
www.RenaissanceChelsea.com and www.RenHotels.com.
KeiKei is a London-based award-winning journalist and videographer with a degree in Broadcast Media and Journalism from the University of the West of Scotland and an extensive reporting background in news, entertainment, travel, and lifestyle.
KeiKei has travelled the globe interviewing, reporting and reviewing. Her work has been published in worldwide media outlets including, The New York Post, The Guardian, The Mirror, The Daily Mail, National Geographic and Conde Nast publications.
