Ace is The Place

Over the weekend I went to New York City with some dear old friends from my days at Michigan State.  One of my girlfriends has lived in the city and surrounding areas for many years and was an awesome tour guide.  We had a blast and relaxed at a great hotel that really inspired me with regard to style and I want to tell you all about it! 

Entrance to Ace Hotel on 29th St in Manhattan.

Now, I'm not a travel writer and I don't normally review hotels, but I have to tell you about the place we stayed because of the design perfection they achieved.  We booked two rooms at a small boutique hotel called the Ace Hotel on 29th between 5th and Broadway - in the heart of Midtown Manhattan.  Ace Hotels are around the country in trendy areas of big cities and they all have a unique, cool, bohemian vibe.  The New York Ace Hotel is in a building built in 1904 as the Breslin Hotel.  Over the years, it became apartments and eventually got pretty run down.  Then, two years ago, they transformed it into the hipster mecca called the Ace Hotel.  The brilliance of this hotel was that it capitalizes on the feeling of true New York - nitty, gritty, new and old.  Fantastic.

All the vintage details were in tact.  The rooms were updated with new charcoal gray carpet (some rooms even have hardwood floors), white paint on the walls and black paint on the pipes and certain architectural features, and beds had fresh white and charcoal linens.  The architectural details were pre-war and left to shine in a new way highlighted by dark paint and unexpected accents. 

Our room

 Even the new things in the rooms looked old and some were actually antiques.  It gave the rooms a vibe that was so cool - almost too cool for me - and very rock and roll.  It was so rock and roll they even have black acoustic guitars in some of the hotel guest rooms.  

This room was very similar to the one I stayed in.  Each room is slightly different and unique based on the architecture of the building.  I just love how they have combined new and old, industrial and comfy, hard and soft, Europe and USA. 

My girlfriend Carrie in a hotel room at The Ace Hotel.  Notice the HUGE black and white tiger (with bunny ears) mural and black guitar.  Crazy, sexy, different, cool.

Perhaps my favorite thing in our room - a beat up old cart holding our ice bucket and water glasses.  Next to it was a SMEG fridge that looked like a vintage ice box.  LOVE IT!

Here are a few more pictures that I took of the hotel room and lobby - but there are many more on their website.  If you love the look of vintage, industrial, or bohemian chic you will want to peruse these photos.  The designers of this hotel have perfectly combined old, new and antiques and high fashion to create a relaxing but energizing space.  Very New York, and very cool.  I highly recommend it next time you visit New York - just go in to have a drink in the hotel lobby.  It is the epitome of the New York bohemian experience. 

Clean towels were stored in this wire basket.

This old bin held our hair dryer and a few other amenities for the room.

Vintage fixtures in the bathroom and a cool "soap on a rope" for your hands.

This was the view thru the black shutters - a beautiful French inspired building across the street.  Ah...



You can see the old tiny tiles in the entry and the vintage wood floors leading to the front desk. 

This vintage store cabinet was in the lobby.  I love how it is lit with dressing room bulbs.