While New York City is well known for its astronomical hotel rates, new properties are opening at an incredible speed. Whether this will lead to lower rates is anybody's guess, but we're hopeful. Here is a selection of four of the most recent openings in the city (with rates that begin at an affordable $165 a night) and four more to look forward to later in the year:
Three New Openings
Archer New York
Archer opened this week in the Garment District. The 180-room boutique hotel has a restaurant by David Burke and a 22nd-floor rooftop bar, as well as a few interesting quirks. Guestooms feature four different design palettes, and amenities include a house deck of playing cards featuring etiquette tips. Following those etiquette tips have a financial as well as spiritual reward: if a member of the Archer team observes a guest displaying an act of kindness, courtesy, or etiquette from the deck of cards, they could receive a “Class Act” card worth $10, which can be collected and combined, and used throughout the hotel, including the restaurant or bar. Weekend rates start at $199.
The Ludlow
The latest property from hotelier Sean MacPherson (of the Bowery Hotel, Marlton, The Jane, and the Maritime fame) opens on June 1 on the Lower East Side. Opening rates start at $165 for a Studio Full room, while the 15th-floor, 325-square-foot Loft King with Terrace goes for $335. Amenities include a covered garden and a restaurant by chefs Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi of Torrisi and Carbone.
citizenM Times Square
This Dutch company has hotels in Amsterdam, London, and Glasgow, and its first U.S. property opened in early April. Retaining the brand's youthful sensibility and reasonable rates, the Times Square property features a lobby filled with kitschy artwork, in-room tablets for controlling everything from the temperature to the art on the wall, and rates that start at $199.
Four More on the Horizon:
Knickerbocker Hotel
This one is not exactly new. The original Knickerbocker Hotel opened in 1906 and hosted the likes of John D. Rockefeller. It's also thought to have been the birthplace of the original martini. It's been closed since 1921, though, and so its fall 2014 rebirth will be a welcome return. The hotel will have 330 rooms, a restaurant by Charlie Palmer, and a rooftop bar. Let's hope it's still sunny by the time it opens.
Marmara Park Avenue
Occupying a converted 1927 building on a quiet corner in Midtown South, the Marmara Park Avenue will offer 128 guestrooms including 40 with private terraces. With longer-term guests in mind, the hotel will also have apartment-style rooms with fully outfitted kitchens. Reservations are open from October 1 at $485 per night.
SLS New York
Slated to open in the NoMad neighborhood this fall, SLS New York will be glitzy like its sister hotels in Beverly Hills and South Beach, and have a (likely very scene-y) rooftop bar.
Park Hyatt New York
Housed in the now-notorious 90-story One57 building (a crane collapse during construction made headlines during Hurricane Sandy), New York's first Park Hyatt is taking bookings beginning in August. As befits the luxury brand, the lowest available rates start at $698. Before shelling out in the expectation of grand Central Park views, however, it's worth noting that the hotel portion of this project, which also includes condominiums, will be located on the bottom 25 floors of the building.
