RSS
Extreme Midtown Makeover
Right on the heels of a terrorist threat, Times Square is steeling itself for the most intense hotel activity in years.
Armed drug dealers. Gangs of bored, aggressive teenagers. Delusional drunks. In the 80’s, Times Square suffered from a different kind of terror than car bombs rolled in by religious extremists. Yet none of it — then or now — has stopped visitors from flocking to New York’s neon heart. These days, half a million people walk through Times Square everyday, and a month after the latest attack, the Times Square area is set to receive a string of new luxury hotels.
The largest of the newcomers is InterContinental, opening on West 44th Street and Eighth Avenue in July with 36 stories and 607 rooms featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. That’s for capturing views of the Hudson River to the west, and the lights of Broadway to the east. Meanwhile the in-house spotlight will be trained on Todd English, who will open a French-inspired bistro, Ca Va, along with a to-go cafe, Ca Va Marché.
Next up is Element Times Square West (October 14) from Starwood’s eco brand. Then, the Portland Square Hotel will be reborn as The Sanctuary (December), styled in chic earth tones by the designers of the W Hotel Midtown Atlanta. However, the most anticipated addition to the neighborhood is The Chatwal (interiors pictured), now officially opening August 1 (after much delay) with a sophisticated dose of retro-1930’s glamour.
In a landmark Stanford White building that formerly housed the Lambs Club (the famous haunt of Fred Astaire and W.C Fields), the Chatwal’s masculine guestrooms feature leather accents and vintage touches (think retro playing cards and backgammon sets). Chef Geoffrey Zakarian will helm the 90-seat dining room and collaborate with the team behind Lotus nightclubs for a bar serving Prohibition-era cocktails.
While the new kids stake their claim on a hot market, a pioneering property is celebrating a most successful gamble. The colossal Marriott Marquis opened its doors in 1985, when those brave enough to visit Times Square, may not have always stayed.
With nearly 2,000 guestrooms — and New York’s only revolving rooftop restaurant — Marriott was in it for the long haul. Now through September 6, an anniversary package offers upgraded accommodations, Sonoma champagne made exclusively for the hotel, and chocolates infused with the flavor of the city (apple, of course). It’s Marriott’s way of thanking 25 years’ worth of guests, from New Years revelers to business travelers, to the stranded New Yorkers who sought shelter on 9-11.
read more: 02. Sleep | boutique | historic | 05. Eat | 06. Drink
