You absolutely must…
Must eat:
At Chambers hotel, opened since April 2010, Momofuku & David Chang with chef Tien Ho are bringing their renowned downtown French-Vietnamese expertise uptown with the opening of exciting new restaurant, Má Pêche.
Must see:
Lever House is NY’s first modernist skyscraper with a restaurant, Casa Lever.
Must Indulge:
In a suite with private terrace - some are surprisingly large and naturally offer views of New York’s skyline.
• Chambers has one of the most desired addresses - on the northern frontier just below Central Park.
• A unique feature of this hotel is the owners’ amazing art collection – pieces line guest accommodation and public spaces.
• Exciting new restaurant, designed by Thomas Schlesser - brings downtown character to midtown.
The Whole Story
A towny address with a downtown mentality – Chambers is a new kind of uptown hotel. The art consciousness that one would expect from SoHo or Tribeca has been mixed with the more formal, well dressed profile of a 5th Avenue address. Situated a stone’s throw away from 5th Avenue’s most glamorous boutiques, Chambers is in one of the most desirable Midtown areas – on the northern frontier just below Central Park.
At first glance, the interior, an eclectic mix of tribal stools, velvet clad contemporary design and serious art, seems out of place in a neighbourhood normally more comfortable with imitation French grandeur, and that’s its strength. Chambers is an oasis for people who need to be uptown, but who’s aesthetic and lifestyle is more downtown. Architect David Rockwell, a veteran of some very famous restaurant installations, was brought in to realise an interior to go with the art. For many hotels, art is an afterthought, simply something to put on the walls. At Chambers art was the starting point. Larger works hang in the public spaces, smaller ones are featured in the guest rooms. I admit I have always been a bit sceptical of the hotel as a gallery, but at Chambers it works because it reflects a genuine and intelligently conceived collection similar to one of New York’s top smaller museums.
When I stayed, the owner’s recently acquired pieces of contemporary artists from Asia were on temporary exhibit replacing the hotel’s permanent collection for six weeks. A fascinating mix of photography, painting, works on paper and sculpture, the likes of which you would normally not find in one place. With raw concrete ceilings, industrial lamps bolted to the walls, polished concrete floors in the bathroom and drafting style trestle tables complete with steel vintage work stool, the interiors are not what you would expect from a hotel around the corner from Tiffany’s. But that’s exactly why it works - a bit of edge between the poodles and the Bentleys is a good thing.
The Rooms
Chambers loft-like rooms evoke the signature spaces of the downtown New York art scene; industrial architecture has been seamlessly merged with deluxe amenities and lavish details. Original works of art adorn the walls of each room.
Stylish Queen rooms feature CD/DVD players, Red Flower bath amenities and everything you need for a comfortable stay in New York. Your hotel is conveniently located for many restaurants and amenities but if you do fancy in-room pampering the hotel offers in-room beauty treatments, yoga and room service from Má Pêche restaurant.
Suites and Studios are also available; spacious and ultra-luxurious with apartment-like touches. Two of the one-bedroom suites also include oversized terraces that offer panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.