Spread across 42 stories, Motto by Hilton New York City Chelsea has arrived in Manhattan as one of the brand’s maiden outposts. Locally based firm Stonehill Taylor spearheaded the design of the 374-key hotel, setting a standard for Motto properties to come. The design draws influence from the hotel’s proximity to Broadway theaters and reinterprets local vernaculars to entice out-of-towners and New York natives alike. Motto Chelsea’s location on 24th Street also inspired Stonehill Taylor to explore the number 24 and resulted in homages to 24 hours in a day, 24-karat gold and chromium, and 24-bit color.
White steel columns and beams frame the glass-covered plaza, which is lined with black stone paving that creates an abstract yin-yang/night-and-day reference. The arrival experience is further enlivened by a kaleidoscopic ceiling installation featuring stained-glass artwork that recalls the phases of the moon.
Beyond green doors, the convivial lobby comprises reception, lounges, bar areas, and an all-day restaurant across two floors. “Stonehill Taylor created an energized lobby to reflect the bustling New York City lifestyle,” says Stonehill Taylor interiors associate Wally Aubuchon. “Designing the Motto Chelsea to be a go-to spot for travelers and locals, the lobby is a lively space full of vibrant colors and artwork used throughout the interiors.”
The brass-topped millwork bar, in particular, perpetuates the celestial motif along with a unique mixed-metal light fixture overhead, while bottles line a backlit backbar framed by an arch—a nod to the neighborhood’s former opera houses. Gold and midnight blue elements amplify the theme across the skylit F&B space, which is populated with gold velvet upholstered chairs, arch-legged walnut tables, and backlit midnight-hued velvet and leather banquettes.
In reference to the 24th element on the periodic table, an oversized mixed-metal wall sculpture stretches across the walls as guests ascend stairs to the jewel-toned lounge and bar on the second floor. “To cohesively connect all of the interior spaces, finishing touches of metal were used throughout the property in casegoods, light fixtures, and artwork,” Aubuchon adds. Jewel tones and stained glass compose the homage to 24-bit color, a means to produce color digitally, as well.
Accommodations are anchored by ochre-toned platform beds equipped with channel-tufted headboards, mixed-metal lighting, and built-in storage. Midnight blue and white color tiles are illuminated by brass and chrome fixtures in bathrooms, while in-room vanities amplify the arch theme with brass frames.
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