Address :
18 9TH AVE, 10014 NEW YORK NY, USA

4 Star, Modern Hotel

This hotel occupies a landmark 12-story brushed-aluminum high-rise, topped with a curvilinear canopy protecting its panoramic roof garden. It has single handedly changed the look of this often-overlooked corner of the neighborhood, but it has done little to advance the world of design hotels. The surrounding low-rise brick buildings are a mixed lot of chic cafes, fish mongers and light commercial businesses. Abutting a picturesque cobblestone street, this hotel is just one block from Nick's City Diner, near Pastis.

Built with the needs of commercial travelers in mind, the hotel is almost as attractive for the leisure set, and the edgy designer decor is right in sync with this trendy area. The lobby is a popular backdrop for fashion shoots: With its chic, minimalist style and daring contemporary flair, who could deny it its 15 minutes of fame? A big, bold Frank Stella painting flanks the curving reception desk in the airy two-story lobby.

Facilities are in line with the genre, offering basement and rooftop bars, the latter with stunning nighttime vistas, the former converting into a day spa from 8 am until 5 pm. Ono, the hotel's somewhat overrated Japanese restaurant, looks divine, but its high prices for average food are typical of this neighborhood. Guests swim in the heated indoor-outdoor rooftop pool, but its main purpose is as a conversation piece for the hip crowds that converge here for cocktails nightly. The desk surrounding the pool is small. The underwater sound system is a fab feature, and a trio of treatment rooms, Recreationthree hydro-pools, a steam room, and men's and women's lockers constitute G-Spa. A business center, meeting space for 200 and valet parking are offered. Parking is $35. Pets are allowed.

The staff is friendly and professional. The hotel made a significant splash when it first opened, but this shooting star has landed back into reality, making it overpriced. The Gansevoort has everything in place, but at these rates you can stay almost anywhere in the city, including the Pierre, St. Regis, W Union Square and Ritz-Carlton Central Park. The lack of accommodations in this location, apart from the fun, funky Maritime Hotel, makes it a standout.

Location :
New York City
Near LaGuardia Airport
Near Kennedy Int'l Airport
Near Newark Airport
Near North of Manhattan