The Sumptuous Crosby Street Hotel

Crosby Street lobby

Set back from the cobble-stoned streets of SoHo sits the Crosby Street Hotel. The latest in sleek, glass-enclosed structures to rise in Manhattan, the Crosby Street Hotel is a colorful, home-y, light infused space for both weary traveler and shopper looking for a break from the shopping.

While the front desk and the friendly staff are the first thing you notice upon entering the hotel, the 10 foot high Jaume Plensa steel sculpture of a human head created from letters of the alphabet quickly demands attention, leading some to start looking for words amongst the word jumble. Setting the tone for the rest of the hotel, the lobby foretells of the design mix of modern and eccentric displayed throughout. Design Director and co-owner Kit Kemp took three years to curate the pieces for the Crosby Street Hotel, and the effect is homey and bright. Mixtures of textiles, colors and art pieces that most would think disparate work amazingly well in both guest rooms and public spaces.

The Crosby Street Hotel is the seventh hotel for the U.K.-based Firmdale Hotel group. The company’s first foray into the United States hotel market, Firmdale is hoping to expand in the U.S. beyond New York’s SoHo neighborhood. Open in September of 2009, only the outdoor garden area has yet to be fully utilized, as it was not quite ready for guests at the opening. Hoping to be one of the first hotels in New York to be certified GOLD LEED, the hotel charms with its details.

Crosby hotel room

With just 86-rooms and suites, Crosby Street feels intimate, due to small personal touches. The rooms are spacious, and each has its own distinct design. All with the requisite amenities (flat screen TV, WiFi, iPod docks, umbrellas in the closets), the rooms’ best feature, by far, are the floor-to-ceiling warehouse style windows. With amazing views of downtown Manhattan, the floor pillows at the base of windows seem like the best spot in the rooms.

As an added value, guests can enjoy the guest-only drawing room, bursting with color, just off the lobby, and the outdoor garden space beyond the drawing room. For those looking for event space, the Crosby Street Hotel is equipped with three private event and meeting rooms—and a 99 seat state-of-the-art screening room.

Finally, there is the Crosby Bar. European in its design, the Crosby Bar does not distinguish between bar and restaurant, allowing guests to dine or drink, or dine and drink, wherever in the space they please. Spacious, hewing to the colorful, sumptuous décor seen throughout, the bar features high, warehouse style windows, providing a ton of light. The seating banquettes are colorful, and low; the lighting vintage 50’s ceiling lights in the colors of the rainbow stretching along the bar, bursting in the middle; the art varied. One art installation featured assorted vintage, Bakelite telephones.

If the rates of the Crosby Street Hotel are a bit beyond ones budget, the Crosby Bar also serves afternoon tea, and would be a welcome respite from a day of SoHo shopping. What better way to end a lovely day with the girls (or boys!)?

The Crosby bar