The High Line Hotel

The Scene

The High Line Hotel’s Gothic facade slips right in with the brick neighborhood around, sitting 50 yards from its namesake park. If you crave more of New York’s whimsical and charming greenspace (no one else seems to marry the urban with the natural quite like NYC), the Hudson River Greenway and Chelsea Park are sure to round out the experience. In the 10 minutes it’ll take you to walk to the Chelsea Pier, you’ll pass a host of galleries and studios that show off Chelsea’s artistic side; catch a sightseeing or dinner cruise at one of the piers and Manhattan will show itself off to you.

The Concept

The High Line park seized on an opportunity to bring a green sanctuary to built-up Chelsea; The High Line Hotel did much the same, taking advantage of a newly available erstwhile dormitory for seminary students to craft its own private paradise. The expansive terrace invites you in beyond the iron gates with Champagne Charlie’s, featuring champagne (but of course) and tapas-style eats with all of Chelsea at your doorstep. Inside, the eclectic jumble of decor---everything from a blue sofa to a mounted buck’s head to unfilled gilded frames---invites you in to be yourself, to sit down and have a cup of coffee at the first Intelligentsia outpost of the renowned Chicago coffeehouse brand. The somewhat limited space in the lobby is a boon for other areas. You’re encouraged to go outside (with the High Line right outside your window, how could you pass it up?) or to explore the former seminary further in the event spaces (of which the Refectory is the most impressive).

The Look

“Waste not, want not” seems to have driven design duo Roman and Williams (they’ve designed the Ace Hotel NY among others). The space is New York to the core, using vintage and antique furniture while leaving the architecture delightfully untouched in its wholly Gothic grandeur. Each writing desk, for example, is different from the next and we wish you all the luck in the world to find two chairs that match, but this mismatched reclamation is what makes The High Line Hotel so very, very endearing. Colors are used somewhat sparingly in number but in large swaths; for example you’ll find an impressive headboard of sorts done in bright fabric behind the beds. Seminary students may have had to squeeze in, but you won’t (too much)---the only space that may leave you just a little wanting is the lack of a bathroom counter, yet the charm and CO Bigelow amenities pretty much make up for it in our book. Of course, the High Line Suite impresses in its relatively large size compared to the other rooms, but we found our happy medium in the Deluxe King.

In Short

Eclectic style and a come-as-you-are vibe fit in beautifully with the vibrant atmosphere of Chelsea. The High Line Hotel’s location and amenities are equally enviable, showcasing New York vintage style and resourcefulness at its finest.