Real estate mogul Aby Rosen, co-founder of real estate design company RFR Holding, has announced the opening of 11 Howard, a New York hotel experience driven by fashion, furniture and craftsmanship in the most vibrant area of SoHo. Guests will experience the energy of New York City in every corner and space through the hotel’s innovative design, art, fashion and cuisine. 11 Howard officially opens April 1, 2016, and is currently taking reservations.
11 Howard’s Creative Director, Anda Andrei of Anda Andrei Design, in partnership with interior designers Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou – the team behind the Danish architecture and design studio SPACE Copenhagen – have consciously crafted the hotel to infuse the timeless DNA of the Danish design tradition with the raw and industrial yet timeless nature of New York. The resulting environment is incredibly warm, light and open, and transforms the essence of how a hotel should look and feel. Guests at 11 Howard are greeted by meticulously curated objects as if walking through a gallery. Every area of the hotel displays a bespoke piece of furniture, a painting, sculpture or a digital art-piece chosen specifically to frame the guest experience.
The architectural design behind 11 Howard is enhanced by the historic and cultural-focused architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle. The hotel’s street arrival was moved from its original position on Lafayette Street to be an extension of the vibrancy and energy of Howard Street, which is one of the few remaining streets in SoHo that maintains the original essence of what it was in the early 1800s.
As guests approach the hotel, they are greeted by majestic trees and marquee lights forming a gateway to the hotel reception and offering a breathtaking view of the custom-made blacken steel cylindrical staircase linking to the second floor amenity spaces. The top of the stair neon art piece by Dan Attoe, visible from the street, is the first signal of the blending of the old and the new.
The 15-foot high ceilings accent 11 Howard’s lobby, lined with bleached oak wood paneling and polished concrete floors. The lobby is furnished with unique and sculptural furniture that melds effortlessly with a limited edition Alexander Calder mobile as its centerpiece. The spiral staircase stands to the lobby’s left, and on the right stands an artisanal shop curated by creative consultant and interior designer, Oliver Gustav, with beautiful objects consistent with the shops on Howard and Crosby Streets. Studio Oliver Gustav offers
for the first time in the States a unique and distinct collection of home-furnishings, art and antiques that was only available to a few collectors before this shop at 11 Howard opened.
As part of the seamless service goal, guests will have the opportunity to choose the way they want to interact with the building and its services. From checking in, luggage assistance, room service or concierge requests, guests have the option to interact one-on-one with the 11 Howard team or choose the current technology personal platform that uses the guest’s own cell phone or convenient in-room tablets.
Every space in 11Howard is intimate and specific in mood and atmosphere. Guests will feel like they are in their home rather than in a hotel. There is always a nook to explore, whether guests want to read a book, grab a drink, have an intimate conversation with a friend or celebrate with a large group.
The Library – an open, sun-drenched space on the second floor of the hotel – features a wide wood-board floor, plaster walls, plush area rugs and a collection of furniture curated from different parts of the world and many one-of-a-kind designed pieces by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard of SPACE Copenhagen, Rick Owens, Gio Ponti, Tobia Scarpa, Vincenzo De Cottis, Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson. The room’s elements are accented by two distinct photographs of The Empire State Building and breathtaking ocean views by Hiroshi Sugimoto, who has spoken of his own work as an expression of ‘time exposed’ or photographs serving as a time capsule for a series of events in time.
Echoing the hotel’s meticulous, modernist and timeless ethos, 11 Howard Hosts are dressed in designs to stimulate your senses by fashion designer Serkan Sarier. Maintaining a traditional approach to hotel uniforms but respecting how fashion is influenced by the streets of New York City, Sarier fused an urban, relaxed attitude with a traditional bespoke look for the 11 Howard uniforms that is appealing and comforting to guests visiting from down the street or across the globe.
The Blond, the 11 Howard bar, adds to the hotel’s unique aesthetic and fluid design. The Blond welcomes guests throughout the day and evening to enjoy themselves, work, meet friends, network or just relax. Open and warmly-lit, once the sun goes down, The Blond transforms into an elegant bar space making it the perfect spot to savor the bars signature cocktails or snacks before venturing into the New York City night. If guests get comfortable, they can get a taste of the city’s nightlife without making a move when The Blond morphs into a fun, high-energy nightclub after midnight with a new DJ spinning every night.
Near The Blond and The Library is The Creative Studio, room for up to 14 people that is perfectly fitted for a meeting and breakout session, intimate dinner party or private wellness class. Like all the other spaces of the hotel, Aby Rosen commissioned a one-of-a-kind piece by English painter and fashion designer Holly Fowler, to create a hand-painted silk mural unique to the hotel.
Upstairs, 11 Howard’s 221 guest rooms boast 11-foot-high ceilings and oversized windows for abundant natural light and unique views of the city’s streetscapes thanks to low surrounding buildings, from an unexpected views of the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge to lower Manhattan’s hidden architectural gems. The hotel’s celebrated Terrace Suite extends these incredible city sights with a wrap- around landscaped terrace for entertaining or a private outdoor oasis, flaunting a 270-degree view of downtown Manhattan to the North, East and South.
Each guest room is furnished with bed and chairs, desk, credenzas, tables and light, all designed to be functional with grace and humanity by SPACE Copenhagen and handcrafted by Danish carpenters in a variety of luminous woods and fabrics. A single art object designed by ceramist Katie Yang decorates each room, and each piece was positioned in each room by Yang herself. Beautiful materials of porcelain tile, marble countertops and brass trimmings line the in-room bathrooms, along with organic Grown Alchemist and Glossier products. Guests are able to personalize their mini bar experience through tablets in each room offering a menu of healthy munchies, supplied by Thrive Market and Conscious Commerce.
Famed restaurateur Stephen Starr, owner of such notable eateries as Morimoto, Upland, Buddakan, and El Vez, has conceptualized the restaurant at 11 Howard with Chef Daniel Rose, a Chicago native often cited as a leader in reinvigorating the dining scene in Paris. In keeping with the hotel’s timeless sensibility, the restaurant will serve classic French dishes with a modern twist in a dining environment only Stephen Starr can deliver.
With mentorship from renowned contemporary artist Jeff Koons, youth from the local group Groundswell have created a site specific mural on the property’s south facing wall. The mural’s design shows the history and culture of SOHO – the music, food, fashion and the industries that formerly existed within the neighborhood, encouraging pedestrians to stroll and wander through the winding side streets to window shop, to discover new wonders or uncover relics of bygone days. Some particular symbols in the mural include a bird on an illuminated wire, which reflects the ambiance in and around SoHo; a crown pays homage to Basquiat, who was part of the artistic movement that made SoHo famous in the 1980s; and the silhouette of a figure to represent the fashion sense and spirit of SoHo as a metropolitan woman in and about town.
The first of its kind, 11 Howard is defining “conscious hospitality.” Each aspect of the hotel — from design to location to amenities to their ultramodern brand of service — is operated with awareness, purpose and thoughtful consideration. The hotel has partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations and businesses in an effort to give back to the community and to the world, including Global Poverty Project, Barbara Burchfield and Olivia Wilde’s Conscious Commerce, Lauren Bush Lauren’s FEED and Thrive Market, whose goal is to make healthy living affordable to everyone.
11 Howard has mixed technology with the quintessential NYC method of transportation – the skateboard. Through a partnership with Boosted Boards, guests can explore the neighborhood on 11 Howard Boosted longboards to commute in true NYC style.
