Freshly launched in New York’s fashionable SoHo district, 11 Howard emerges as the antithesis of the cookie-cutter hotel through its unique blend of game-changing Scandinavian design and socially-conscious hyperlocalism. The Design Hotels member is an art spectacle in itself and a community hub founded on meaningful relationships with non-profit organizations and neighborhood businesses. In addition, a creative collaboration between Anda Andrei Design and Danish studio Space Copenhagen ensures the 211-room hotel’s design cred. The result is a property that embodies the ultimate expression of form and function and the realization of hotel owner and Original Aby Rosen’s vision of conscious hospitality.
Set on the historic Howard Street, the once nondescript structure now welcomes guests with a gateway of mature trees and marquee lights, while the custom-made steel cylindrical staircase linking to the second floor frames a neon art piece by Dan Attoe. 11 Howard’s light and airy lobby has 15-foot-high ceilings and is lined with bleached oak wood paneling and polished concrete floors, giving guests the first insight into the hotel’s innovative new-Nordic meets New York aesthetic. “We commissioned designers from Denmark renowned for defying habits and employing a sincere personal vision to their design,” Rosen says of the appointment of Space Copenhagen’s Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard.
As is to be expected of such an avid art collector, Aby Rosen has ensured that art remains at the heart of 11 Howard’s conceptual design. Guests are immediately greeted by Alexander Calder’s Untitled, 1976 mobile in the lobby and every corner of the hotel boasts a sculpture, painting, or digital art piece carefully curated by Rosen himself. On the second floor, The Library is an immersive art living space with its collection of one-of-a-kind furniture, as well as photographs by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Among the world-class art pieces, it is the spectacular mural by young, unknown artists on the hotel’s south wall that is most striking. Under the guidance of acclaimed contemporary artist Jeff Koons, emerging artists from the local Groundswell group have created a visual celebration of the culture and history of SoHo.
Informed by the Scandinavian principles of light and space, the 211 guest rooms have 11-foot-high ceilings and oversized windows allowing for an abundance of natural light and breathtaking views over Manhattan’s streetscapes. The hotel’s signature Terrace Suite has 270-degree views over some of the city’s most famous landmarks thanks to the landscaped, wrap-around terrace. With an equal emphasis on function and form, each room features custom lighting and furniture by Danish brands Mads Raaschou and Gubi, with a material palette of subtly-hued variations of wood, warm metals, velvet, and wool. Bathrooms are elegantly outfitted with porcelain tile, marble countertops, and brass trimmings, and feature organic Grown Alchemist and Glossier products.
Seamless, thoughtful, and personalized service is at the heart of 11 Howard, where the latest in-house technology means check-in, concierge, and room service can all be arranged via personal cell phones. Guests can even tailor their minibar through in-room tablets with products from Thrive Market, a social enterprise offering health food at an accessible price point, as well as support for low-income families in America. In keeping with Rosen’s definition of conscious hospitality, all aspects of the hotel are operated with awareness, purpose, and thoughtful consideration, which in turn encourages meaningful relationships with both guests and neighbors. The hotel has partnered with a number of non-profit organizations and businesses in an effort to give back to the local as well as the global community, including Global Poverty Project, Conscious Commerce, and FEED.
The hotel’s culinary concept has been entrusted to restaurateur-extraordinaire Stephen Starr, owner of such notable eateries as Morimoto, Upland, and Buddakan. Set to open in May 2016, 11 Howard’s restaurant Le Coucou will have Head Chef Daniel Rose, formerly of Spring, at the helm. A menu of classic French dishes with a modern twist keeps with the hotel’s timeless sensibility. Aperitifs come courtesy of The Blond, 11 Howard’s open and inviting bar. Already carving out a name for itself as SoHo’s hottest new drinking den, The Blond is perfect for evening cocktails, or dancing the night away as the elegant bar becomes an exclusive nightclub after midnight.
Leading on from The Blond is The Creative Studio, an events room for up to 14 people that is perfectly fitted for meetings and intimate dinner parties, which features a specially commissioned silk mural by English painter and fashion designer Holly Fowler. The second floor 11H Collective, located in The Library, provides a dynamic co-working space and cultural hub for the artistically-minded neighborhood.
Location
11 Howard is located on Howard Street, in New York City’s pulse-quickening SoHo district. With its eclectic mix of culture, food, and fashion, this storied area of lower Manhattan is one of the borough’s last great domains.
