NEW YORK—Room Mate Hotels plans to expand across the continent with the renovation and relaunch of Room Mate Grace, located near Manhattan’s Times Square. The newly restyled boutique hotel, set to reopen this fall, will be the North American flagship of the European hotel group headed by Enrique “Kike” Sarasola.
Room Mate Grace is the fourth North American hotel for the brand, which also includes the newly acquired Room Mate Lord Balfour and Room Mate Waldorf Towers in Miami and Room Mate Valentina in Mexico. Last fall, the brand further increased its footprint in the region with the launch of BeMate.com, an apartment rental service that combines the amenities of a hotel with the privacy and convenience of an apartment, and offers properties in North American cities including New York and Miami, with expansion planned for London, Paris and Lisbon in the coming year.
“Prior to the renovation, Grace already had an average occupancy of 97%—one of the highest in our portfolio,” said Sarasola, founder and CEO of Room Mate. “We’re so thrilled to launch our North American flagship hotel in New York, one of the world’s most exciting destinations. It’s a time of major growth for the Room Mate brand, with new properties in Malaga, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Milan and Istanbul slated to launch in the next year. We look forward to growing further in the U.S., including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.”
The hotel is located at 25 West 45th St. and offers 139 guestrooms and suites. The renovation marks the return of Spanish interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, who has worked on many Room Mate hotel properties.
Nearly all of the hotel’s interior spaces are being renovated, including each guestroom and suite; the lobby; bar and lounge areas; and gym, and will feature bold yet minimalistic design with playful touches and globally sourced furniture and design details throughout, according to the brand. Metallic wallpaper in geometric and floral prints and custom-made Spanish textiles and fabrics add color to each guestroom, while gold cube side tables and wall installations from Portugal provide a sophisticated touch, according to the company.