Dive Brief:
- Following an 18-month renovation, the historic Elysée New York in Midtown Manhattan will reopen early next year as an 83-key hotel, according to a Thursday news release.
- First opened 100 years ago, the hotel is entering a new era as the flagship property of Wunderkind Hotels & Resorts, a global collection of luxury boutique hotels created by Hera Hospitality Group under the creative leadership of designer and art collector Wolfgang Joop as well as his partner and Creative Director Edwin Lemberg, per the release.
- The revamped hotel will feature art, craftsmanship and interiors that interpret the property in a new way while honoring its heritage, according to Hera Hospitality Group. The reopening follows several other notable hotel restoration projects in New York City.
Dive Insight:
Elysée New York, known as a “discreet refuge” for famous guests such as Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams and Jimi Hendrix over the years, will debut with redesigned guest rooms that “offer a refined interpretation of residential luxury,” per the release.
The property will remain home to Monkey Bar, a fixture of Manhattan’s dining scene since the 1930s. The hotel will also feature Salon Sanssouci, serving light bites and coffee in the morning and cocktails and canapes at night. The lounge, which will be led by Austrian chef Eduard Frauneder, will offer a curated wine selection from Wölffer Estate Vineyard in the Hamptons.
Guests will also have access to a collection of signature facial and body rejuvenation treatments through the hotel’s exclusive partnership with medical and longevity experts Hamptons BioMed.
As Wunderkind’s flagship property, Elysée New York’s overall design will evoke a “strong sense of place and an uncompromising approach to hospitality,” though additional details about the renovation will be revealed at a later date, per the release. Additional Wunderkind properties are planned in Germany, Botswana and Greece.
Elysée New York follows other Manhattan hotel renovations and reopenings this year, including the Crowne Plaza Manhattan Times Square and Row NYC. Meanwhile, the city’s iconic Plaza Hotel will close for at least four years starting in January to undergo facade restoration.
Other hospitality companies slated to debut flagship properties in Manhattan include Hyatt, which is bringing its StandardX brand to North America, and Minor Hotels, which is set to open the first Wolseley Hotel early next year.
