Sister City Hotel Opens in New York.

Atelier Ace, the in-house creative team behind the Ace Hotel chain, has added another outpost to their NYC repertoire with the Sister City Hotel. Located on the border of the Lower East Side and Soho in the thick of downtown Manhattan action, the hotel caters to contemporary travellers looking for a place of comfort and respite in one of the busiest cities in the world.

Driven by the philosophy of ‘Less, But Better’, the design is minimal yet deliberate. Unadorned walls allow Italian cherry wood furnishings to shine, with slats and panels cladding common area walls and forming built-in furniture in the 200 guest rooms, which range in size from 11 to 24sqm. Attention to detail is evidenced in Noguchi lanterns, each hand numbered and stamped, and custom in-room terrazzo vanities.

Atelier Ace describe diverse influences, including “the functional perfection of Finnish saunas, Japanese bento boxes, rock-cut cliff dwellings of prehistory and John Cage’s 4’33”.

The bento box influence is most prominent in the compact functionality of each room, with foldout tables, chairs, and wardrobe elements, bunk beds, and screens concealing TV’s. A garden offers a transient moment between the hotel and the intensely urban city, allowing a moment of calm for arriving guests. A partnership with popular meditation app Headspace provides a grounding meditative service for guests to re-centre.

Elegant digital integration throughout the hotel starts with self-service check-in kiosks, which generate hotel keys. Electronic musician Julianna Barwick used Microsoft’s AI technology to create a first of its kind, self-generating Lobby Score, an ever-evolving audio experience informed by the weather. The hotel plans to collaborate with iconic musicians in partnership with Microsoft for future Lobby Scores. A 24-hour rooftop camera allows guests to accurately check the weather via an intuitive digital interface, which also facilitates room requests and booking modifications.

On the ground floor, all-day restaurant Floret maintains an original brick wall, full height columns, black and white terrazzo floors and Mondrian-style stained glass windows. Set on the 11th floor, Last Light bar offers uniquely wide views of the NYC skyline from full height glass windows and two outdoor roof patios. A 24-hour Lobby market sells assorted wares that might make a stay more comfortable, including noise machines, snacks, and a rotating library of books currently curated by the neighbouring New Museum.

[Images courtesy of Sister City Hotel. Photography by Adrian Gaut.]