The New York EDITION, a partnership between Marriott International and hotelier Ian Schrager, is set to open in May.
Owned by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority following its recent sale and managed by Marriott, the New York EDITION is situated on Madison Square Park in Manhattan’s historic Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, also known as the clocktower.
“Luxury has a new address,” says Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson. “With the opening of our first EDITION hotel in New York City and the loving restoration of the century-old clocktower building, we have ushered in a new era of timeless hospitality.”
In collaboration with Ian Schrager and his own design team, locally based Rockwell Group has designed the 273-room hotel. Many of the building’s original architectural features were retained and paired with contemporary elements.
“I’m always interested in upsetting the status quo and going off in new directions,” says Schrager. “Combining opposites and unexpected surprises has always been fascinating to me. When two opposing aesthetics come together, they either fail miserably or create alchemy. If done well, the presence of one will serve to showcase the other. It takes the experience of staying in a hotel to a whole new level and the end result is impossible to categorize.”
In the lobby, Venetian plastered walls were retained, but contrasted with custom-cast concrete, while a 30-foot-long, hand-forged blackened steel fireplace and a sculptural spiral staircase were added to recreate the feel of Fifth Avenue’s Millionaire’s Row and the 1920s. Lobby furnishings are meant to evoke the same time period. The concierge desk, chair, and lounge chairs will be inspired by modernist Erik Koling Andersen and Alvaro Alto and upholstered in oatmeal, silver, and white leather and fabric. The coffee tables and chairs are inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Frank and paired with Christian Liaigre-designed floor lamps.
The 273 guestrooms open up to a paneled foyer clad in dark oak wood original to the building. Many feature 180-degree city views, while the 1,400-square-foot penthouse offers 360-degree vistas. Each room features a white oak desk, and a dark walnut headboard and nightstands.
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Headed by chef Jason Atherton, the EDITION’s restaurant will be on the second floor and include three dining rooms with original herringbone oak floors, mahogany wainscoting, a restored Venetian plaster ceiling, and a large chandelier by modernist Eric Schmitt. The property will also feature two bars, a billiards room, a parlor, and a library.
