Room Mate Hotels is getting ready for its New York moment and expansion across the continent with the renovation and re-launch of Room Mate Grace, on the edge of Times Square. The newly restyled boutique hotel, set to reopen in fall 2015, will be the North American flagship of the European hotel group headed by Enrique “Kike” Sarasola.
Room Mate Grace is the fourth North American hotel for the brand which also includes the newly acquired Room Mate Lord Balfour and Room Mate Waldorf Towers in Miami, FL and Room Mate Valentina in Mexico D.F. Last fall, the brand further increased their footprint in the region with the launch of BeMate.com, an apartment rental service that combines the amenities of a hotel with the privacy and convenience of an apartment and offers properties in North American cities including New York and Miami, with rapid expansion planned for London, Paris and Lisbon in the coming year.
“Prior to the renovation, Grace already had an average occupancy of 97 percent – one of the highest in our portfolio,” said Enrique Sarasola, founder and CEO of Room Mate. “We’re so thrilled to launch our North American flagship hotel in New York, one of the world’s most exciting destinations. It’s a time of major growth for the Room Mate brand, with new properties in Malaga, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Milan and Istanbul slated to launch in the next year. We look forward to growing further in the U.S., including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago,” continued Sarasola, who was recently awarded the Medal for Touristic Merit in innovation by the Spanish government.
Located in the heart of New York City at 25 West 45th Street, near Times Square and offering 139 guest rooms and suites, Room Mate Grace is positioned to enhance the presence and notoriety of the Room Mate brand in North America. From business meetings to family vacations, the hotel’s boutique design, social atmosphere and prime location will appeal to business and leisure travelers alike. As with all Room Mate properties, Grace is designed to give guests the comfortable feeling of staying with a friend and is named and inspired by a fictitious character that personifies the hotel’s distinctive personality of a cosmopolitan, creative and worldly host.
The renovation of Room Mate Grace marks the return of renowned Spanish interior designer Lorenzo Castillo, who has worked on many Room Mate hotel properties. Nearly all of the hotel’s interior spaces are being renovated, including each of the guest rooms and suites; lobby; bar and lounge areas; and gym, and will feature bold yet minimalistic design with playful touches and globally-sourced furniture and design details throughout. Elegant metallic wallpaper in geometric and floral prints and custom-made Spanish textiles and fabrics add a pop of rich color and whimsy to each guestroom, while gold cube side tables and wall installations from Portugal provide a sophisticated touch.
Meanwhile, Room Mate Grace remains one of the few hotels in New York City with an indoor pool complete with swim up bar. Guests can enjoy cocktails from a window in the pool or while seated in the surrounding bar area.
Sarasola’s vision for the Room Mate brand in North America is to offer design-centric hotels that are not only affordable, but centers of hospitality innovation in the heart of major cities. As with all Room Mate Hotels, Room Mate Grace will offer amenities and guest services, such as complimentary Wi-Fi inside and outside the hotel, breakfast until noon, late check out, and warm welcomes one might expect when staying at a friend’s house.
