The NoMad Hotel

The Scene

NoMad, or North of Madison Square Park, is a novel term for a previously-nameless stretch of land between Herald Square and the Flatiron District. Essentially, it sits just south of Midtown and it’s well positioned for many of the city’s attractions including Madison Square Park a couple of blocks to the south and the Empire State Building another few blocks to the north. Plenty of subway lines are easily accessible and can whisk you away in minutes to Times Square, Fifth Avenue, the Museum Mile, Union Square and anywhere in the five boroughs, really. Though it’s seen some rough days, the area has and continues to transform itself. And, as with most “new” neighborhoods, it's ranking pretty high in hip factor, even attracting a downtown crowd who would not generally come up as far north as this.

The Concept

The NoMad Hotel cultivates a rare dedication to food and beverage inside its doors, and not in a fussy way. It has five (yes -- five) spaces to drink and eat in, including the Atrium, the Parlour, the Nomad Bar, the Elephant Bar and the Library, plus a gorgeous rooftop (seasonal and for private events) and a fireplace lounge to take your digestif in. The hotel’s casually elegant food and beverage program is headed by Chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara, both of three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, a local foodie destination a couple blocks south. With so much space and effort devoted to food and beverage --- and the ability to execute with as close to perfection as it gets -- The NoMad Hotel has itself become a Manhattan culinary destination (Humm’s whole roasted chicken stuffed with foie gras and truffles still has everyone talking) and, along with the Ace Hotel, can be credited for putting its eponymous neighborhood on the map as well as solidifying the area as a hip (and gourmet) destination. (Side note: with previous guests such as President Obama, expect tables at the restaurant to be in serious demand; fortunately, hotel guests get first dibs.)

The Look

If the hotel’s vocation for fine food and beverage impresses, its interiors by no means lag behind. Walk inside the NoMad and you might just forget you’re in New York as the hotel is housed in a turn-of-the-century beaux-arts building that has been fully restored to its original grandeur and kitted out in a boho-luxe Old-Europe style---the brainchild of none other than acclaimed French designer Jacques Garcia (of Hotel Costes in Paris). Inspired by a Parisian apartment, Garcia’s retro-bespoke style is evident throughout the hotel, his first in NYC, in elements such as the reclaimed maple floors, vintage hand-made rugs and a 200-year old fireplace imported from France. Also featured throughout the hotel is a curated selection of quirky artwork and photographs and a two-level library containing extensive volumes on anything from the history of New York to cocktails and spirits. Rooms, which all come with a king-size bed, are amply sized to move around in and feature mahogany writing desks and distressed club chairs. The European-style bathrooms, which are separated by damask screens, have separate water closets and either walk-in showers or claw-foot bathtubs---the latter providing a great standpoint from which to take in views of nearby Empire State Building.

In Short

NoMad, just south of Midtown, has a new lair for fine food and beverage: The NoMad Hotel. With a multitude of dining rooms and bars, a Michelin-starred chef and interiors by French designer Jacques Garcia, it’s a hotel-cum-dining experience unlike any we've seen before---at least in New York City.