Baroque Travel finds a hidden gem, a chic little hotel in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea art gallery district with a decidedly Mexican feel
Set in the heart of Chelsea in Manhattan, the Hotel Americano is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway, especially for lovers of contemporary art and the Manhattan lifestyle. This chic 56-room hotel has been designed with a number of Mexican influences, including a beautiful outdoor rooftop swimming pool that transforms in the cooler months into a concept restaurant called Arriba.
In typical New York fashion, the hotel also offers numerous local touches, such as iPads in every guest room, that offer lots of information and recommendations for the best galleries in the area, as well as great shops and restaurants to visit. In addition, guests have access to bicycles so that they can explore the High Line and Hudson River Park at leisure, and take full of advantage of Chelsea’s world-class art galleries, industrial history and multi-cultural residents.
The hotel, which is located between 14th Street and 30th Street in West Manhattan, an area that was once desolate and is now full of upmarket residences and apartments, stunning restaurants, bars, stores, and markets that concentrate on organic produce. The architecture is as exciting as the area itself, with 19th Century homes with small gardens all facing the Hudson River.
The Mexican influence comes from entrepreneurs Carlos Couturier and Moises Micha, who own 12 hotels in Mexico, this Manhattan gem and two in Chicago, as well as their latest project, The Robey, a hip new property in Chicago. They are passionate about making the hotel fit into its surroundings so that guests feel at home in their environment.
This hotel was originally a parking garage, and was transformed by award-winning Mexico-based architect Enrique Norten into a 10-story building that is metal mesh-wrapped and features a stylish boutique hotel. The sophisticated façade opens onto an extraordinary space that features two restaurants, a lobby café and two bars located in the basement.
The interior of the hotel was designed by Paris-based interior designer Arnaud Montigny using a minimilast Japanese approach, influenced by the work he did in Tokyo. Guest rooms are decorated with natural materials; beds are on matresses on wooden platforms, the lighting is low and the walls are bare. The result is a neutral space so that guests can absorb the art they see in the galleries and not in their rooms.
One of the bars, El Privado, is slightly hidden as it’s private and requires reservations. It’s decorated in a muted palette. The second bar, Bar Americano, is a private dining and cocktail space that features its own private entrance. The main restaurant, The Americano, offers a menu of French fare with Latin inspiration. The dining-room is cutting edge and there’s also an outdoor patio. There’s also the Mexican grill restaurant A Piscine, offering sweeping city views. The hotel also features a coffee shop in the lobby where guests can enjoy snacks and coffee as well as pastries and smoothies.