The hotel has a rooftop pool with 180-degree views of SoHo, Tribeca, the Freedom Tower, and the Hudson…
I feel like I could stop there and that alone would be enough to grab the attention of those considering a trip to New York City this summer. The city is very much alive—the super-rich are still out of town and so are many of the families. So, the young (and young at heart) have come out to play.
But with all that play, or attempting to keep up with it, bring one back to that pool—which proved a necessary respite when I recently stayed at ModernHaus SoHo, the latest selection for our series on exciting new hotels—The New Room with a View.
The hotel recently opened after an overhaul overseen by Jack Sitt, a director at Thor Equities. The hotel that used to be here, The James, was more well known for its nightlife spot, The Jimmy, than the actual hotel. The building is a tower of concrete and glass virtually unobstructed on multiple sides (Gitano is to the east, a basketball court to the south, and low-rise buildings sit between the hotel and the SoHo Grand to the west).
Sitt and team moved the lobby from the second floor to the entrance level (a small detail yet one that likely annoyed countless guests in the past). Blue chip artwork has been added here and throughout the property, including Calder, Condo, and Kaws. But the first thing that strikes you is the scent. Scents aren’t my forte but it’s certainly one that makes sure you know this is a place that cares about things like that.
The rooms in the 114-room ModernHaus start in the low $400s and were decorated with the Bauhaus Movement in mind—think clean and spacious but with little bits of pop like the berry-blue velvet couches. The bathrooms have heated floors and while there is a sexy glass wall that separates the bathroom from the bedroom, fear not, a black-out curtain can be lowered.
The pool isn’t the only star amenity. The gym, which is large (and well equipped) by New York City standards, has ridiculous views of the surrounding area. And the hotel is also home to one of the neighborhood’s most talked-about new restaurants—Veranda. Helmed by Michelin-starred chef George Mendes, it is Portuguese-inspired and located on the western side of the hotel with a glass roof that retracts and makes dining al fresco.
And, yes, Jimmy as a nightlife spot has been kept on albeit with a decor overhaul. While I didn’t check it out because the hotel was serving more as a reprieve from fun than an extension of it, I will say that the bar itself is gorgeous.
