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News for the Hospitality Executive |
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Residential Hotel in NYC's West Village . 50 sq. ft. Rooms Start at $99 |
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New York City, November 2008 � In 1912, it sheltered survivors of the Titanic. It became a sailors� haven in the 1920s. And in recent years, the storied 1907 waterfront building became a quirky �residential hotel.� Now, following a personal restoration by hospitality veterans Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode, 113 Jane St. in Manhattan�s Far West Village is about to get a new life as The Jane-a unique 200-room micro hotel for young travelers with more dash than cash. �We hope to make The Jane the type of hotel I would have stayed when I first came to New York 25 years ago,� says MacPherson, whose current portfolio with Goode includes New York�s Bowery and Maritime Hotels and the Waverly Inn restaurant. �In the �80s you would find both character and characters in these eccentric hotels like the Chelsea or the old Windsor Arms,� MacPherson says. "So many young people have a romanticized notion of bohemia New York, but have trouble finding it these days. Virtually all new Manhattan hotels seem to be versions of each other, high-end design palaces. By restoring the landmark hotel, rather than renovating it, we hope to resurrect an authentic slice of idiosyncratic New York, bathrooms down the hall, long-term tenants and all.�  The
Jane unveiled a select block of preview rooms in late-August, and will
open in stages throughout the fall. For 150 rooms measuring about 50 sq.
ft., rates will start at $99 with communal bathrooms down the hall. For
slightly higher rates, 50 rooms measuring at 250 sq. ft. will feature private
bathrooms, many of which include unobstructed river views.
Balancing the efficiency of a pod hotel with the lived-in character
of a hostel, MacPherson and Goode, in characteristic style are overseeing
every detail of rooms and public areas, from hand-picked artwork to original
wallpaper designs to furniture and fixtures. Inspired by luxury train
cabins, rooms use smart design to pack maximum conveniences into minimal
space; each �cabin� will come standard with air conditioning, fan, rails
with coat-hooks, and a compact twin bed with built-in drawers and upper/lower
storage space. All rooms will feature free high-speed internet access and
23� flat-screen LCD televisions.
Landmarked by New York City in 2001, the six-story structure was designed by William A. Boring, the architect behind the immigrant stations at Ellis Island. Its serene waterfront location places it within walking distance to the shopping, dining, and nightlife of the Meatpacking District, as well as to the West Village and Chelsea, both vibrant neighborhoods where locals and tourists mix. With their personal and idiosyncratic restoration of the landmark building,
MacPherson and Goode are returning it to its roots as a haven for travelers.
In 1912, the building gained fame when � as the American Seaman�s Friends
Society and Sailors� Home and Institute -- it sheltered the surviving crew
of the Titanic, according to a 2001 story in The New York Times. Recently,
the Times wrote, �this red lighthouse of a building in Greenwich Village�
is a rare reminder that the Hudson River waterfront once swelled with ships
and sailors.�
About The Owners Along with The Bowery Hotel, Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode own and
operate The Park Restaurant, The Maritime Hotel (including Matsuri restaurant,
La Bottega restaurant, and Hiro nightclub), The Waverly Inn, and The Lafayette
House.
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Nancy J. Friedman
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Completed
in 1908, the American Seaman's Friend Society Sailors' Home and Institute
was designed by William A. Boring, the architect renowned for Ellis Island�s
immigrant station. Originally built as a hotel for sailors with cabin-like
rooms, the landmarked hotel was lovingly restored on its centennial in
2008.