NEW YORK — Planning a getaway to New York City? I know just the spot to stay for those who like a little edge – Hotel Gansevoort.
What’s to like? Well, for starters, Hotel Gansevoort offers some of the most inviting rooms; a stunning 360-degree river and city views of New York, a 45-foot heated outdoor pool with underwater music, some of the hottest nightlife in New York, and a location off the beaten path of the typical hustle and bustle of the Big Apple but still within reach of the city’s gems.
Interested yet?
Located in Manhattan’s vibrant Meatpacking District, you get a feel for the uniqueness of Hotel Gansevoort as soon as you pull up to the front of the hotel. In keeping with the neighborhood’s architectural tradition, the freestanding building has been designed with zinc-colored metal panels, glass sheathed balconies and projecting bay windows.
The hotel’s entrance on cobble-stoned Ninth Avenue features 18-foot internally illuminated glass columns and a 14-foot high revolving door. Lighting plays an important role in all areas of the hotel, from lobby ceiling lights that move up and down to create moods that vary with the time of day, to computer controlled lights that effect choreographed color changes.
The 14-floor hotel, designed by noted architect Stephen B. Jacobs and interior designer Andi Pepper, features 187 rooms including 20 corner suites. The guest rooms feature lofty nine-foot ceilings and a mix of contemporary designs with high-tech and include amenities like feather beds, flat screen TVs, CD players and complimentary wireless Internet. The décor of the rooms is enhanced by a color palette of neutrals and grays and details such as the use of leather and fabric in the headboard, armoire and wall coverings that give the place a contemporary, rich feeling. And many of the rooms feature a cozy seating area within the window bay.
Some of Gansevoort’s more exclusive clientele will book the hotel’s duplex penthouse, which features a dramatic, two-story wall of windows, with nice views of the Hudson River. The penthouse also features an oversized fireplace that anchors a 42-inch plasma television, as well as custom-designed furniture and a Jacuzzi. It’s worth a look even though at $5,000 a night it’s out of the price range of most. A standard room costs roughly $300 to $600 depending on the season and availability, which is pretty typical for a nice hotel in New York City.
In addition to the heated pool, Hotel Gansevoort’s signature rooftop features a contemporary roof garden/lounge, a spacious event loft with soaring 20-foot ceilings, and an Asian restaurant, Ono.
Ono, a 300-seat Japanese indoor/outdoor bar and restaurant, is owned and operated by Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management. The bar/restaurant was designed by award-winning design firm Jeffrey Beers International. The menu includes traditional Japanese food as well as a robatayaki (grilling over an open flame.)
The hotel also features the Gansevoort Spa & Lounge, one of the country’s first spa/bar “hybrids” where patrons can sip and mingle while getting a massage. The spa caters to men and women as a place to unwind and socialize, serving as a cool spot to chat over manicures and pedicures during the day and martinis at night. Highlights include O Bar, private tatami rooms and the Garden of Ono featuring outdoor cabanas with fireplaces.
The 4,300 sq. ft. spa features three infinity-edge hydro pools for soaking, including a freshwater pool for treatments, three private treatment rooms, a spacious steam room, a Hiro Haraguchi hair salon and a bar and lounge. Additionally, rooftop couples massages and manicures and pedicures are offered in a private cabana in the hotel’s garden. Gansevoort Spa’s bar, serving healthy drinks and spirits, features a Japanese-influenced spa menu from Ono restaurant.
At night, the spa’s treatment rooms transform into VIP lounges with their cozy benches multi-tasking as storage, while teak cabinetry does double duty, housing spa equipment and products. Highlighting the persimmon-colored painted glass walls of the treatment rooms with backlighting casts a sultry glow on the space. Glass coverings placed over the hydro-pools complete the transformation.
The bar and lounge serves a creative cocktail menu and Japanese-style small plates from Ono and features some of New York’s hottest DJs.
The hotel also features an adjacent 24-hour fitness center for those who hate to miss that workout with state-of-the-art fitness equipment. The gym’s mirrored walls hide LCD televisions that can only be seen from behind the mirrors, in keeping with over all décor of the hotel even in its workout facility.
Interested in stepping out for shopping or dining? You’ll find it all in the Meatpacking District from hot restaurants and a thriving nightlife to designer boutiques. The area features Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen’s flagship stores along with a new restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, which have help to transform the area into a 24/7 district where there’s always something to do.
Hotel Gansevoort is also near SoHo, Chelsea, the West Village, TriBeCa, Gramercy and Flatiron neighborhoods if you want to venture out a bit to take in more of New York. But chances are, you’ll find it hard to leave the hotel area. There’s more than enough there to keep you busy during your stay.
For information and reservations visit www.hotelgansevoort.com or call (212)206-6700.
