There is a general feeling that anyone who has ever stayed at The Greenwich Hotel has experienced: the feeling of not wanting to leave.
The Greenwich sits between Franklin and North Moore Streets in TriBeCa, Manhattan. Brainchild of the actor Robert de Niro, the hotel’s red brick, glass and wrought-iron façade makes it fit perfectly into the fabric of the neighborhood, turning down those who expect an exercise of architectural extravaganza from a big movie star. The bareness of the outdoor is balanced with gracious incongruity by the stunning indoor. Precious antique textiles, rough-luxe textured walls, masterfully aged wooden floors, exotic objects, books, sculptures and artworks are wonderfully arranged together in the drawing room and lounges creating a warm atmosphere infused with soft masculinity. De Niro put passion and soul in shaping the hotel, and this shows in every detail, which he carefully overseen, turning into reality his dream of the perfect hotel. Comfort and craftsmanship were essential guidelines of the project, greatly achieved in a strive for excellence that redefines the common standards of sophistication. New York best craftsmen and artisans worked to make each of the 75 rooms and 13 suites truly unique, with customised details that make them different from each other and top quality primal materials such as Carrara marble and Moroccan tiles for bathrooms, leather and copper finishings, plus unexpected decor elements like floor-to-ceiling French doors open onto a Tuscan-inspired courtyard.
Oriental rugs, mismatched chairs and couches, rare manufacts casually placed around the space, express the idea that real luxury is to be found in distinctive and curated elegance. The value of subtle, exclusive, details is fundamental in Axel Vervoordt‘s philosphy of living and outstanding curatorial activity. The renowned Belgian collector, antiquarian, interior designer and curator of Palazzo Fortuny, spent two years in designing The Greenwich Hotel‘s penthouse together with the Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki, and created a space that embraces elegance with quietitude and modesty, filled with objects that bear history and the traces of time, faithful to the principles of Wabi-Sabi aesthetics. Hidden in the hotel’s basement there is a secret oasis of retreat: the Shibiu spa, which includes a lantern-lid pool and a 250-years old Japanese bamboo farmhouse. But what astonishes the most, and it’s very hard to achieve in any 5 starts hotels, is the sense of privacy and intimacy, carefully preserved by the relaxed yet extremely attentive, helpful yet never intruding hotel staff. Last but not least The Greenwich is house to the delicious urban taverna Locanda Verde, which offers a tasty and refined Italian-inspired menu that would drive your taste buds wild.
