TONY HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS SPICE UP NOMAD
New High-End Hotels Are Opening in Once-Bland Office District
by KAYA LATERMAN
The bar at Roof at Park South Hotel. Andrew Lamberson for The Wall Street Journal
The advent of luxury apartments and the influx of a younger workforce around Park Avenue South and the 30s have sparked interest from hoteliers and restaurateurs to take a look at this once rather bland office district as the next area for expansion.
Several high-end hotels, most with posh amenities and design, are sprouting in the northeastern corner of NoMad, while some older hotels are undertaking $20 million-plus renovations to keep up with the competition.
One of the splashier newcomers is the SLS Park Avenue, slated to open in late 2015. Early plans for the 190-room hotel include a large restaurant, an indoor and outdoor lounge on the 14th floor, as well as a lounge in the basement.
“We thought building our flagship hotel brand here was an opportunity to bring this part of Park Avenue to life,” said Sam Bakhshandehpour, president of sbe, owner and operator of SLS hotels. “We’d like to be a destination.”
Mr. Bakhshandehpour said the hotel would be similar to the SLS Beverly Hills, which is known for its high-energy bar and rooftop pool scene.
Marta chef Joe Tarasco. Andrew Lamberson for The Wall Street Journal
To be sure, there are many hotels that dot the area, including those in Rose Hill and Kips Bay, but many of them are middle-market establishments. Besides the celebrated Ace Hotel New York and the NoMad Hotel farther to the west, there only are a handful of boutique or luxury hotels in this area, including the Gansevoort Park Avenue at 29th Street and the Roger hotel on Madison Avenue and 31st Street.
“We noticed all these plans for luxury residential buildings going up in the neighborhood about four years ago, which indicated to me that the neighborhood was ready to welcome additional four-star hotels and amenities,” said Tom Glassie, managing director of Atlantic Stars Hotels & Cruises, owner of the Park South Hotel on 28th Street.
Mr. Glassie said the hotel’s $20 million renovation project, which is expected to finish next summer, includes modernizing the rooms, gutting the lobby area and adding an additional entrance.
The hotel also lured noted Boston restaurateurs Tim and Nancy Cushman to curate its food-and-beverage operation, which includes the newly opened rooftop bar.
“I wanted our guests to say that not only were their rooms great, but they had great drinks and food as well,” Mr. Glassie said.
Also undergoing a $25 million renovation is the Martha Washington, a historic building that was designated as a landmark by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The hotel originally opened in 1903 for only female guests and once served as the headquarters of the Interurban Women’s Suffrage Council. The hotel had many notable residents, including actress Veronica Lake and poet Sara Teasdale.
The hotel, which still houses about 50 permanent residents, has updated all the rooms and continues to reconfigure the lobby area, which includes moving the main entrance from 30th Street to 29th Street.
A rendering of the main lobby at Marmara Park Avenue. Marmara Park Avenue
It is also now home to Marta, a new Italian restaurant that is part of restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group.
“I wanted the hotel to be more upscale, in line with the other full-scale hotels that are coming to the area,” said Ed Scheetz, CEO of Chelsea Hotels, owner of the Martha Washington.
Mr. Scheetz, who is also planning to open two additional, but smaller restaurants on the northern side of the hotel, said he wanted Marta to be attractive to local residents and office workers first.
“Visitors want to eat where the locals go, so that’s the (dining) experience we went with,” he said of Marta, which has been packed since opening last month.
Sommelier Natalie Fackelmayer at Marta in the Martha Washington. Andrew Lamberson for The Wall Street Journal
Other newcomers will include the Marmara Park Avenue on 32nd Street and the tommie 31st Street hotel, between Fifth and Madison avenues.
The Marmara, expected to open in mid-December, is looking to catch the eye of long-term visitors and will offer many large suites with kitchens that feel like a home away from home, said general manager Nur Ercan-Magden. The hotel placed major emphasis on design and many items were handmade by local artisans.
“I think the neighborhood can certainly use more hotels since demand is increasing,” said Ms. Ercan-Magden. “We expect interest from both corporate and leisure travelers, even families with nannies.”
Commune Hotels & Resorts started construction recently on a new brand called tommie and looks to open in about two years.
The 40-story hotel will have a self-check-in system, cocktail lounge with an outdoor terrace, as well as a rooftop bar.
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