Refinery Hotel

The Scene

New York’s Garment District is to the US what Paris is to France: it’s the epicenter of the fashion world, churning out designs that create new trends on a global scale. The Refinery Hotel---once a flower in the hat of New York’s millinery industry---is perfectly poised between the district and NYC at large. Bryant Park is a very quick walk north (just a block away), but walk west down 28th Street to surround yourself with fashion’s heart. If you avail yourself of her, the Refinery Hotel’s concierge will gladly mark off a few notable sights missed by many visitors to the Garment District (such as the sculpture of the giant needle and button). If you didn’t notice on the Refinery Rooftop, the Empire State Building is a mere 4 (short) blocks away from the Refinery itself, so you’re in the thick of things beyond fashion.

The Concept

The inspiration for the Refinery springs from a surprising source: Winnie, a baroness who ran a Prohibition lounge for ladies (read: tea with a “kick”). The Refinery sees her as a charming bon vivant whose spirit imbues the hotel; raise a drink to her downstairs in Winnie’s Lobby Bar where you can often catch a live jazz band. For a fantastic Americana meal, Parker & Quinn is your place without question; sip from the extensive whiskey list around the bar or snag a semi-private plush booth for a leisurely meal (it’s open from breakfast until dinner). If you’re still in the mood to party, head upstairs to the Refinery Rooftop. No matter the weather, here’s where you can take in a uniquely New York view with the Empire State Building and even a couple water towers thrown in. Don’t be surprised if you’re fighting for elbow room---all of these spaces are immensely popular, so do yourself a favor and arrive early.

The Look

These days, vintage is always en vogue, and industrial vintage even more so. There’s something timeless about warm, dark woods embellished with shining brass and rich leather paired with a perennially tasteful grey tweed. Rooms recall their industrial past with innovative headboards and seemingly repurposed sewing machines-cum-tables. The space is never truly expansive, but it’s very well laid-out and feels just right with plenty of large windows and bright linens to play off the natural light flowing in. Custom locally-curated art decorates the walls of the lobby and the rooms for a welcome dose of stylish dissidence. Due to its sheer size and popularity, the Refinery Rooftop is worth mentioning in some detail (though the best advice is simply to experience it yourself!). The rooftop’s deliberately shabby style of faded rugs, repurposed burlap, and beat-up wood for its interior contrasts with its vibrant exterior of wrought iron and wood tables and chairs amidst greenery and enormous swings.

In Short

The Refinery Hotel has a distinct sense of who it wants to be---a perennially cool destination with classically refined style rooted in the garment district---with all the pluck of its historic patroness, the indomitable Winnie.