The Gene Kaufman-designed, Atelier & Co-redesigned hotel at 52-54 West 13th Street has firmly decided on a name—Jade Hotel—and seems to be on track for its November opening. We headed over for a tour, and found an exterior and interior for the most part committed to evoking a sense of 1920s Greenwich Village. The main lobby (doesn't look like much right now, but there's a rendering after the jump) leads to a restaurant meant to resemble an old speakeasy, which will be called the Grapevine (named after the old Greenwich Village tavern from which the expression "heard it through the grapevine" originated). As it was explained to us, the hotel is aimed at the "experiential traveler," who prefers a place with a sense of history to a glassy midtown tower. There will, of course, be modern amenities as well—flatscreens are hidden behind sliding decorative panels in each room (which start at $400/night) and guests can register on iPads in the lobby, or at a desk with a person, like they used to do during Prohibition. The receptionist manning that desk will likely also field a few complaints from people who are confused by the rotary phones. A small price to pay, though, for historical authenticity.
UPDATE: The interiors were designed by Andres Escobar & Associates. Curbed apologizes for the omission.
· Jade Hotel coverage [Curbed]
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