A luxury hotel where nearly everything is reclaimed or recycled, including this piece in the lobby (Chris McGinnis)
Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, camera and notepad in hand. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂
There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.
In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:
1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown) see below for our review
The Baccarat (Midtown)
New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)
The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)
The Knickerbocker (Times Square)
1 Hotel Central Park (on 6th Ave at 58th St, Midtown)
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- Entry
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- Exterior sheathed in ivy
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- Unusual lobby furnishings
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- Looking cozy!
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- Shower in the bedroom
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- Hangers made from recycled paper
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- Hipster sinks with triple filtered, oxygenated water (Chris McGinnis)
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- Live plants in every room
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- Paneling from old water tank wood
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- Oak bark paneling in elevators
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- Cozy corner overlooking Central Park
Of the five new hotels I checked out, the 1 Hotel Central Park (opened August 2015) was probably my favorite.
It combined a hip sense of eco-friendliness with deep luxury and well-thought-out design and details. I mean, just check out that gorgeous window seat overlooking Central Park (in slideshow above)- wouldn’t you love to snuggle in there with a good book on a snowy winter afternoon?
This converted office building has 229 rooms spread over 17 floors (there’s still a dentist’s office on the top floor whose lease is still in effect). You’ll notice the building when you see the green ivy that sheathes the first two floors and the hip and healthy diners through the big window panes in Jams, its organic restaurant.
The best rooms in the house are the “14” numbered rooms on the corner looking north over 6th Avenue to Central Park. Nearly everything in the hotel is recycled or reclaimed, from the wood paneling in rooms (from spent rooftop water tanks) and the mismatched marble in the showers (from old buildings), to the floor in the gym (old U of Wisconsin basketball court). Closet hangers are made of recycled cardboard. An hourglass next to the shower gently asks that you try to keep showers to just five minutes.
All the water in the building is “triple filtered and oxygenated” according to a spokesperson. There are plants and moss growing out of glass bottles, terrariums and epiphytes in all rooms and public spaces.
Wi-fi is free and rates start at around $400-$500 per night. Even thought the hotel is the brainchild of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ one-time CEO Barry Sternlicht, it’s not possible to earn or redeem your SPG points at 1 Hotels. Currently, there’s one other 1 Hotel in South Beach Miami, and another one coming later this year to Brooklyn.
Website: 1 Hotel Central Park (on 6th Ave ay 58th St)
Have you or would you stay at 1 Hotel Central Park? Let us know in the comments below!
In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:
1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)
The Baccarat (Midtown)
New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)
The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)
The Knickerbocker (Times Square)
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