The lobby of New York’s Ace Hotel in mid-town Manhattan is dark. There’s an atmosphere to it but once you become accustomed to the light you’ll realise it’s filled to the brim with local art and all manner of people. It’s like this pretty much every night of the week too, a real hub in one of the most fashionable parts of town.
A boutique hotel in New York that’s actually affordable is something of a rarity in itself and this one is found in a turn of the century building boasting original fittings, cutely tiled floors and beautifully sculpted ceilings. The emphasis is very much on vintage here, the crowd is hipster, rock star, tourist, and tortured artist. It’s a fun place and a welcome alternative to the slightly more straight laced establishments you’ll find further uptown.
If you can swing it, the Loft Suite is a must. A huge corner-building space filled with an impossibly comfortable bed, a well stocked Smeg fridge, a guitar, turntable (with decent vinyl collection) and stunning views of Broadway and the Empire State Building. While it perhaps could do with a few warmer touches there’s no doubt that this is about as cool as apartment living gets in NYC.
If you want to eat in you’ve got the fantastic Breslin restaurant – Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield’s sort-of successor to the West Village’s famed Spotted Pig – or just a little further around the corner the amazing John Dorry oyster bar. Of course this is New York, you’ll want to explore the madness, however there’s a real draw to this place, meaning that evening if you just spend a couple of nights of your trip onsite, you’ll still be at the centre of the action.