They say location is everything and if that’s the case, New York’s Chambers Hotel is especially blessed. Its position on 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, opposite the modest facade of the Argentinean embassy, may not be the most immediately captivating. But it benefits from a prime position close to many of Midtown’s main attractions and is an unpretentious base from which to see the sights.
Carnegie Hall is close by. As are Times Square, Grand Central Station, Central Park and the Rockefeller Centre, to name just a few nearby landmarks. From the latter’s sixty-seventh floor ‘Top of the Rock’ viewing space, you can see the full panorama of Manhattan, a vista of concrete, iron and glass shaped into Lego brick towers.
Even closer – a two-minute stroll along 56th Street – and you’re on Fifth Avenue, home to the gleaming boutiques of Gucci, Armani and Fendi et al. There’s also a strong touch of America amongst the international designer brands demonstrated by a group of topless male models with washboard stomachs wearing denim, standing alongside girls with gleaming smiles in lumberjack-style shirts, who entice shoppers into the Abercrombie & Fitch store. Yellow taxis pass by, stopping when hailed by shoppers laden with prized bags from the lavish outlets. It feels like a scene from Sex and the City.
It was in one such yellow taxi that I’d arrived at the Chambers, where a typically friendly and helpful New York doorman had greeted me with a warm welcome, before lifting my bags from the boot and leading me through a tall entrance of latticed woodwork framed by large green flags.
The lofty lobby space and mezzanine make an equally bold statement: walnut floors decorated with Tibetan and Turkish rugs; a scattering of silk-velvet sofas and comfortable armchairs; walls hung with striking pieces of modern art. It’s a compact space – the 14-storey building stands on a narrow lot, rather like an old townhouse – and has the feel of a private collector’s gallery, a place to sit and gather yourself for a few moments, before heading out into the hectic surrounding streets.
In fact, the character of the whole hotel is defined by modern art, with more than 500 pieces of original art, inspired by the cultural heritage of the city – fine art, literature, fashion and film – on display in the Chambers’ 77 rooms and five suites, together with the corridors and lobby. Artwork in the corridors includes direct-wall application in paint, custom silk-screened wallpaper, photography and mixed media.
The theme continues in the guest rooms, which are designed as simple, practical spaces akin to artists’ lofts, their ceilings showing exposed concrete slabs painted but ‘unfinished’, pipes and sprinkler taps showing. My room has a desk made of two custom-made sawhorses with a sheet of glass on the top, while steel spotlights and bedside lamps reinforce the industrial and minimalist feel. On the walls, meanwhile, hang a framed repeating pattern of spheres and a print of a dainty dress. The hotel’s literature claims this is ‘artistic genius’ from ‘among some of the freshest new ultra-mega superstars of the art world’, although I’ll confess that I’m not totally convinced. But then again, perhaps I just don’t get it.
The ensuite bathroom has a large sink and a walk-in shower. The double bed is comfy, although not especially ‘American’ in its dimensions. There’s also a green armchair with a purple footrest, another arty touch.
I have access to high-speed
broadband connection, plus a 27-inch flat-screen tv on which guests are welcome to watch dvds from the hotel’s library – which throws up some appropriate titles: Annie Hall, American Graffiti, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Singin’ In The Rain.
Playing cards and board games including Trivial Pursuit, Chess and Monopoly are other distractions for guests looking to while away an hour or so before returning to the shops, taking a walk in Central Park or watching a Broadway show. I wonder what people would think if I started playing Twister in the lobby, but am not brave enough to find out for myself.
In all honesty, you’re unlikely to want to spend hours in your hotel room, with so much going on outside, and the Chambers seems fully aware of this. It’s smart and stylish, but doesn’t go overboard with its facilities. There’s really no need.
Dining also reflects the time-precious functionality of the hotel. Its basement restaurant is Má Pêche, a new venture opened in April 2010 by the award-winning Momofuku restaurant group from the East Village. The style is French bistro meets Vietnamese flavours, with food eaten at communal tables, including a fun and friendly criss-crossed dining table at its centre. Upstairs there’s also an outpost of Momofuku pastry chef Christina Tosi’s bakery, Momofuku Milk Bar: an afternoon tea menu on the mezzanine floor features cookies and colourful cupcakes.
Then, suitably refuelled on tea and pastries, it’s out once more to enjoy the busy streets and bright lights of Manhattan. As the Chambers knows so well, every minute is precious in New York.
