Hotel Americano

The Scene

Hotel Americano is located in Chelsea, or the so-called art and gallery district in Manhattan. Specifically, it sits on the western edge of the neighborhood, and is indeed surrounded by numerous design and art galleries. The High Line, an elevated railway-turned-park, is a few steps away, and the Hudson River Greenway is only a couple of blocks west. Formerly a gritty part of Chelsea, the area is now on the rise with new cafes, night spots and boutiques popping up daily. The nearest subway station is about a 10-minute stroll away.

The Concept

The brainchild of hip Mexican hotel brand Grupo Habita, Hotel Americano takes inspiration from its high-art locale to deliver a high-design experience---through its architecture, interior design and overall connection with an area that is home to hundreds of design and art galleries (including big deal ones like the Gagosian, Pace and Paul Kasmin). For starters, its façade is anything but expected: a steel-mesh scrim made from repurposed conveyor belts covers the front of the ten-story steel-and-glass building that was formerly a parking garage. Interiors also impress, carrying the gritty-chic vibe from outside to inside, and Hotel Americano’s ongoing liaison with a lot of the city’s art and design events also elevate it to a special kind of hotel. Still, the entire experience wouldn’t be fully complete without the energy and buzz that is created by the interesting mix of guests and locals who frequent the hotel---whether in the sought-after rooftop, the restaurant (The Americano), the bar (Bar Americano) or the private space in the basement (El Privado). (Thursday nights are particularly popular and tend to draw in the most crowds as most galleries hold openings that day.)

The Look

The look is industrial and sleek, incorporating concrete in walls and floors, metal and brilliant usage of lighting. The rooftop, the biggest draw at Americano, offers expansive views of the city and is pretty ingenious in the winter as its bar gets enclosed in glass and (small) pool becomes a hot tub. (Note: The rooftop usually closes during a certain period of winter---please check with us before you book). But rooms are perhaps where the design, conceived by French designer Arnaud Montigny, gets the most interesting: wooden platform beds (some enclosed in a wooden frame), clever lighting, Zanotta beanbag chairs and a gel-burning fireplace that hangs from the ceiling (in Studio suites). The feel is of a zen urban ryokan, except a more stylish one. Bathrooms come with a soaking tub (in Studio suites) and Aesop toiletries.

In Short

High-design digs and a high-art address make Hotel Americano a quintessential New York experience. As Grupo Habita’s first US project, Hotel Americano seems to get everything right---from its commitment to the local arts scene to its creative, minimalist design to its role as a meeting place in West Chelsea.