The Meatpacking District has managed to achieve the New York impossible: It’s stayed consistently cool for decades, ever since the west-side neighborhood traded slaughterhouses for stylish designer boutiques. And arguably no MePa destination is as indicative of that trendy makeover as The Gansevoort, an area centerpiece since 2004. The Gansevoort hasn’t lost its cool since the days Carrie B. and co. were stopping across cobblestones in Manolos, but the downtown property did give things a sleek top-to-bottom spiff-up last year, a four-year-long $40 million renovation well-timed to celebrate the hotel’s big 20th anniversary.
And though it still harbors its Cosmopolitan-loving, party-girl ways, it’s looking like the Gansevoort is finally growing up: The 186 guest rooms have been given a refined refresh, with the loft-like interiors (some with 20-foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling fireplaces, dramatically large bookcases and double balconies overlooking the Hudson), contemporary-art touches (Banksy coffee-table books, Mick Rock photography) and tech-y amenities — Google Nest Hubs, Mirror home gyms and the like — of the ideal New York apartment none of us can actually afford. (Rooms range from a very comfortable 250 square feet to two-bedroom suits and the duplex penthouse, an elegantly minimalist 1,700-square-foot sprawl of of brushed concrete walls, slate floors and panoramic views.)
Outside of your main dwellings, the property’s public areas have also been glamorously refurbished, from the lobby restaurant (now an art-forward French restaurant with works from the nearby Leica Gallery) to the lofty rooftop, home to a lush terrace lounge, a Japanese restaurant with a 14- to 19-course sushi omakase, and a 45-foot, year-round heated pool. Other on-site amenities include a renovated 24-hour fitness center replete with Peloton Bikes and a Studio 54-inspired members-only speakeasy aglow by disco ball — it’s a balancing act between holistic and hopping that’s characteristic of a particular kind of modern-day downtown doyenne.
Whether you’re actually from New York (staycation offers are aplenty) or just want to pretend to be, The Gansevoort Meatpacking is a faithful and ever-fashionable representation of the neighborhood’s effortlessly chic blend of modern luxury and urban vibrancy.
Neighborhood
The Hotel Gansevoort Meatpacking is located on the cobblestone corner of Ninth Avenue and 13th Street, blocks away from the West Side Highway and an extremely short walk from the A, C, E, and L subways at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue. Because the MePa isn’t that large, you have the advantage of taking a leisurely scenic stroll to the bordering neighborhoods of Chelsea and the West Village.
Nearby
- Pastis: Another lasting relic of early-aughts New York cool, this Keith McNally bistro is a favorite for equal parts celebrity sightings (Sarah Jessica Parker and Andy Cohen are regulars) and comforting French plates, like a reliably delicious steak frites.
- Little Island: This futuristic public park rests on stilts in the Hudson River, with scenic gardens, performance spaces and skyline views
- Kobrick Coffee: The flagship of the century-old NYC-born coffee company serves coffee by day and cocktails by night, including Negronis laced with cold brew from a Japanese drip apparatus.
Time Out tip
The hotel is blocks away from the Hudson River, the High Line, the Whitney Museum of Art and Chelsea Market so your to-do list will never be empty. Throw in a plethora of shops and boutiques like Diane von Furstenberg, Rag & Bone, Christian Louboutin and Theory and, well, your shopping is taken care of. To satisfy both your couch-purchasing and cocktail-sipping needs, head to the massive 90,000-square-foot RH (Restoration Hardware) store, which boasts six levels of luxury home furnishings capped by a greenery-filled rooftop restaurant-bar serving truffle pasta and refreshing spritzes.