NEW YORK—Boutique hotel pioneer Ian Schrager, in partnership with Marriott International, has opened The New York Edition here on Madison Square Park.
Housed within the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, the 273-room hotel’s aesthetic was influenced by turn-of-the-20th century private clubs in NYC, Fifth Avenue’s Gilded Age Mansions and Stanford White’s architectural masterpieces, according to the company.
Among the visual features are a 30 ft.-long hand-forged blackened steel fireplace, sculptural spiral staircase leading up to the second floor, Jean-Michel Frank-inspired coffee tables and chairs of the 1920s, Christian Liagre-designed floor lamps and tones of oatmeal, silver and white.
“The New York Edition will possess a fusion of old and new. I’m always interested in upsetting the status quo and going off in new directions. Combining opposites and unexpected surprises has always been fascinating to me. When two opposing aesthetics come together, they either fail miserably or create alchemy. If done well, the presence of one will always serve to showcase the other. It takes the experience of staying in a hotel to a whole new level and the end result is impossible to categorize,” said Schrager.
Amenities include a restaurant helmed by London chef Jason Atherton, two bars and a billiard room. There are three dining rooms, a parlor with a billiard table and a library serving cocktails, after-dinner drinks and dessert.
“Luxury has a new address,” says Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International. “With the opening of our first Edition hotel in New York City and the loving restoration of the century old Clocktower building, we have ushered in a new era of timeless hospitality.”