New York-based real estate group Alfa Development will open its first boutique hotel project. The company has invested $18 million in renovations to prepare the 10-story, 90-room HGU New York hotel, located in Manhattan’s NoMad district.
Designer Peter Guzy of locally based Asfour Guzy Architects has collaborated with fellow New York-based designer DD Allen of Pierce Allen Design to infuse the hotel with a modern New York sensibility.
The history of the distinct Beaux-Arts structure, designed in 1905 by Frederick C. Browne, will remain preserved in the new hotel’s lobby. The hotel lounge, aptly named 1905, boasts a fireplace from the building’s original design, and will serve as a venue for live entertainment, artist recording sessions, film screenings, and Q&As. HGU has also partnered with Gallery 151 in Manhattan to showcase contemporary pieces influenced by emerging artists and New York icons like Fab 5 Freddy and Liz Markus.
Guestroom entryways will feature soft tones to perpetuate a serene environment, enhanced by wood cabinets and furniture as well as handwoven patchwork Turkish rugs and velvet headboards.
“While the renovation brings new life to this landmark hotel, we are preserving the historic elements to what we believe the hotel would have offered, providing guests with an experience grounded in a century-long New York point of view,” says Michael Namer, CEO of Alfa Development.
The eco-conscious hotel, slated to open in June, also features a state-of-the-art HVAC system to slash the building’s carbon footprint in half.
