If you’re heading to New York you will likely have asked the question, ‘Where’s best to stay?’ From the all-welcome West Village, or boujie shopping neighbourhood of Soho, to the upscale Grand Dame hotels close to Central Park – there’s no shortage of amazing spots to choose from. However my favourite place to stay in New York is none of these, instead it’s downtown towards the southern tip of Manhattan, and specifically Warren Street in lower TriBeCa. A trendy local neighbourhood beloved by celebs and wealthy New Yorkers in the know, it also offers a window into NY history, with cobbled streets and restored red brick warehouses from the 19th Century.
So for full disclosure, I may be a little biased when it comes to my love of Warren Street as my bestie lived here for several years, but this also means I’ve spent quite a bit of time getting to know the neighbourhood. So on a recent trip, to work with Pamela Anderson for her global Glamour Women of The Year cover shoot, and with my bestie no longer there to room with, I jumped at the chance to check in at the Warren Street Hotel. We’d watched with interest from her apartment window as the hotel was built.
Warren Street Hotel is an outpost of the Firmdale hotel group known for their chichi London destination hotels, including the Ham Yard, Covent Garden, Soho and Haymarket hotels. The distinctive and eclectic design aesthetic with bold, plush interiors and art features, masterminded by founder Kit Kemp and her daughters, is recognisably familiar. Think quirky English personality mixed with a bold Manhattan spirit, it’s both visually arresting and reassuringly comfortable.
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The lobby sets the tone in bold yellow and green hues with a large abstract oil-on-canvas by Vanessa Jackson and striking sculpture by Wendell Castle. Next door, the hotel bar and all-day dining brasserie, is decorated in French tapestry-style wallpaper. It’s the hub of the hotel with a steady daily flow, from serving English or American-style breakfast to hotel guests to locals popping in for a meeting or a bite to eat.
Also on the ground floor, there’s an English-style drawing room decorated in berry tones, complete with antique furniture, it’s the ideal place to pull up a chair and read (or let’s be honest catch up on your social scroll). Rich textiles feature throughout the hotel, as homage to the area being the textile hub in the 19th Century.
