By Terry
Funny how something that seems so out of place in February or April looks utterly perfect in December and early January. We’re talking trees, of course – Christmas, holiday, whatever you may call them. And they’re lighting up hotels all around town. We found a dozen we love, each with a distinct style. That big tree at Rockefeller Center isn’t the only game in town! (more…)
By Terry
The Matilda
She’s the long-time mascot of the Algonquin Hotel, the coolest hotel cat in town. But when we stopped by the hotel yesterday, the only Matilda we saw was this drink – a golden $20 concoction of tangerine vodka, Cointreau, fresh lemon and orange juices and Korbel Brut named for the Algonquin’s fabled feline.
As reported in the New York Post, Matilda the cat was banished from the hotel’s clubby lobby lounge where she – and her nine predecessors – sauntered silkily among the sofas and club chairs and occasionally, when the mood struck, cozied up to guests. Though a cat has had the run of the Algonquin’s public spaces since 1932, when the staff took in Rusty, an orange tabby who drank milk from a champagne glass, the hotel reined in Matilda following a nudge from the city’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, which deems it unhealthy to allow animals in restaurants. (more…)
By Terry Trucco
Silver stencils on the ceiling.
A lampshade that looks like a feathered hat. A coffee table perched on the legs of a beast. Silver rosebuds dancing across the ceiling.
This is the kind of lobby you either love or love to loathe, but really, a dash of whimsy never hurt anyone, especially when it’s this amusing.
The best hotel lobbies are a lot like stage sets, expertly produced environments where you step into whatever realm the hotel chooses to create. The Algonquin’s urbane, wood-paneled gathering place flaunts its history. The Ace’s tech-inflected scene is equally conducive to cocktails and laptops.
And the Mondrian SoHo? It’s a fantasy set, where you feel like you’ve taken a detour and fallen into the rabbit hole.
The other-worldliness is palpable, fueled by color (French blue and beige shot with silver) and surfaces – everything looks dreamy and a little surreal, especially when reflected in a wall of floor-to-ceiling blue mirrors. Hang out long enough in this feast of feathers, velvet and patent leather and you’ll wonder why luggage racks are cruising by. (more…)
