In city filled with hundreds of hotels, it takes a lot to stand out. From robotic concierges to art gallery lobbies, New York's boutique hotels have transformed the standard night's stay into a theatrical themed experience. Why stay in a boring beige room when you could spend the night in an authentic Japanese suite or book a boat-like cabin with a porthole window? For those seeking quirkier accommodations, we bring you a list of 10 themed hotels.
For the bibliophiles, the Library Hotel is real treat. There are 10 floors of guest rooms, with each being named for a category of the Dewey Decimal System, and each of the 60 rooms is outfitted with a collection of books exploring the topic of that room's foor. The hotel's lobby, lounge, and public areas are lined with books, and guests are welcome to explore the 6,000 titles.
The Marrakech Hotel hopes to transport guests from the Upper West Side to Morocco. The lobby is decked out with Moroccan art, brightly colored poufs, and silk-screened walls. The exotic decor continues in the 125 guest rooms with burnt-orange walls, Moroccan ceiling fans, and stained-glass light fixtures.
The Japanese-owned Kitano Hotel caters to?surprise!?the Japanese. The lobby is decorated with Asian art, and there is a renowned traditional Kaiseki restaurant (hello, shashimi room service!). Most guest rooms do not have particularly Japanese decor (although they all have high-tech Toto toilets), but there is an 805-square-foot suite that offers traditional Japanese accommodations with all-natural wood floors, shoji paper screens, and Tatami mats.
The Maritime Hotel drew its inspiration from the building's former life; it used to be home to the National Maritime Union. The hotel highlights the building's nautical elements, like the five-foot porthole windows that adorn every room, while adding boat-ish flare with details like custom teak furniture and wood-paneled rooms. The theme continues on the rooftop terrace, where cabanas lit by coconut lights evoke a beachy scene.
Your standard hotel artwork is usually pastel paintings of flowers and boring landscapes, but that's not the case at the Gershwin Hotel on East 27th Street. You see the art even before you enter; giant white tear-drop like sculptures hang over a scarlet-red facade. Inside, the lobby boasts original works by Andy Warhol (including a Campbell's Soup Can signed by the artist) and Roy Liechtenstein, and the 13 floors of rooms feature work by other pop artists. The hotel also hosts rotating art exhibitions and cultural events like fashion shows.
The Night Hotel is one of the more esoterically themed hotels, but it's supposedly inspired by "Gotham after dark." A mish-mash of gothic and noir, the hotel features black and white decor in a dimly-lit environment?think black walls and red lights. From the outside, the building is cast in a constant purple-glow, and the castle-like front door looks appropriately like it will transport you to an evil lair.
The new Jade Hotel was designed with a prohibition-era style. The developer paid careful attention to period pieces, and the lobby is outfitted with classic 1920s furniture. Same goes for the 113 guest rooms, where interior design firm Andres Escobar & Associates drew from the work of '20s furniture designer Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. But the best themed feature? All rooms have rotary phones.
New York's Yotel, the first U.S. venture of the European pod chain, opened to much fanfare a few years back, bringing to the Big Apple, a purple-hued, ultra-techy hotel experience. Guests are greeted by a luggage-sorting robot and automated "Mission Control" check-in kiosks. Yotel's rooms, called cabins, are of the micro variety, and they pile on the high-tech features, like an "interactive wall" that can stream music, "super strength" free wifi, and a desk with "multi power point sockets."
New York Magazine says the Casablanca Hotel is "like stepping onto the set of the movie with the same name," which happens to be exactly what the hotel is going for. The lobby is decorated in a vibrant Moorish theme with tropical plants, rattan furniture, colorful mosaic tiling, and, of course, a piano. The in-house restaurant is called Rick's Cafe (named for the film's lead character) and features decor reminiscent of the movie.
The theme of the Jane Hotel in Greenwich Village is a bit undefinable, but parts of it draw from the Titanic, as the building was once used to house the ship's survivors. The rooms are tiny, but they draw inspiration more from luxury train cabins than cruise ship rooms. Expect odd quirks like stuffed monkey bellhops, a disco ball in the lobby, and hotel staff in costume.
· All Hotels Week coverage [Curbed]
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