Opened in 2003, the Maritime Hotel was repurposed from a 1960s office tower originally built for the now-defunct National Maritime Union of America. That marine history shows itself throughout, from the blue color scheme to the ship cabin-inspired guest rooms. Upon walking into the Maritime’s lobby, recently redecorated, guests will find a space so low-lit and snug they’ll wish for a rainy or frigid day as an excuse to settle down in the warm, comfortable enclave. Low-seated velvet arm chairs and leather couches sit on plush dark blue carpet, a fireplace glows in the background, and wooden shelves are filled with architecture books and a National Geographic collection dating back to 1965.
Through connecting doors from the lobby, guests can glimpse the luminous space of La Sirena, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s most recent restaurant addition to New York in nearly a decade. Patrons have the choice of dining outside on the patio overlooking Ninth Avenue or inside surrounded by marble archways and Portuguese tile floors with a showstopping 38-foot-long Caesarstone quartz bar. Guests can also take meals in their own hotel rooms—though the room menu shows a $3 to $5 markup for some menu items. Casarecce with broccoli rabe, aleppo chili and sesame is $23 on the room menu as opposed to $20 on La Sirena’s menu online, and Lasagne al Pesto e Patate is $30, instead of $25 as on the online menu. (Note: Guests are offered a 20 percent discount on breakfast if they eat in La Sirena and charge it to their rooms before 10am.)
Each standard room features a five-foot porthole window that opens, a teak-wood desk and drawers and two upholstered arm chairs around a small circle table by the window. The space is fairly small: There’s not much floor left after the seating area and queen-size bed, making the room suitable for two people only. Heavy blue velvet curtains block out any semblance of light, the remaining sound rising from the street can be muted with the complimentary bedside earplugs, and guests can further unwind under the waterfall shower with herbal-scented C.O. Bigelow bath products. Surprisingly, each room does not come with its own coffeemaker, but Keurigs are available upon request. Also be sure to ask about the complimentary DVD library, as On Demand movies run about $18!
TIME OUT TIP: If you want to venture out from your cabin to the top decks, head to Gallow Green, the 1920s rooftop bar atop the McKittrick Hotel—which isn’t a hotel at all but the home of interactive mystery performance Sleep No More. Whether you just go for drinks or to partake in the show, you’ll get your breath of fresh air.