WHAT'S IT LIKE? One of the newest additions to Manhattan’s Chelsea hotel boom (joining others including Ace Hotel, Hotel Indigo and Kimpton’s Eventi), Wyndham’s Fashion 26 Hotel, has, as the name implies, a sartorial theme suiting the neighborhood. On the ground floor of this sleek 22-story glass tower, the lobby establishes the motif, with tables shaped like enormous spools, artwork crafted from colorful thread and a front desk modeled after a cutting-room table (topped with welcome cupcakes).
There’s considerable substance behind this fashion-consciousness though. In addition to being stylishly outfitted, front-desk staff, porters and doormen were also engaged, helpful and friendly throughout my stay, and there was no shortage of staff to address my needs.
WHERE IS IT? Fashion 26 is on West 26th Street, just off Seventh Avenue, steps from FIT and within walking distance of Penn Station, Macy’s and the Empire State Building.
HOW MANY ROOMS? The hotel has 280 guest rooms.
ROOM FACILITIES Guest rooms have free Wi-Fi, 37-inch flat-screen TVs, custom-designed hardwood furnishings, blackout shades, iHome docking stations with alarm clock radios, hair dryers, mini-bars, laptop-sized safes, coffee makers, and cordless direct-dial speaker phones. Design details in the form of herringbone throws, pinstriped carpeting and wallpaper reminiscent of silk ties, and amenities such as Frette linens and bathrobes give rooms a luxurious feel.
The hotel also provides guests with overnight shoeshine and free weekly listings of New York City sample sales. Hotel elevators have radio-frequency locks to limit guest floor access, as do guest-room doors. Room service is available 24 hours a day.
My King room, although small, was extremely comfortable, with an excellent bed facing the flat-screen TV and the working desk, and a layout that made the most of the space. The bathroom, featuring a pleasant, streamlined design, with Kohler fixtures and honed travertine tile, was stocked with plenty of towels and Gilchrist & Soames bath products. All guest rooms have showers, and 11 of the hotel’s ADA rooms have tubs, while three ADA rooms have roll-in showers.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The hotel’s two-level RARE Bar & Grill specializes in steaks and gourmet burgers in an open, modern setting that nicely balances casual and business-like. (Salads and fish dishes are also available.) During my dinner at RARE, my colleague enjoyed the Cowboy ribeye steak, a thick, perfectly cooked tomahawk chop served with red wine mushroom sauce and truffle spinach risotto, and I was equally pleased with the Mexican-style skirt steak, a generous slab covered with a tasty chimichurri sauce. (Be sure to try the fried pickle appetizer dubbed the “Frickle,” a sour, crunchy delight.)
Fashion 26’s rooftop bar and lounge, RARE View, is scheduled to open this summer, offering creative cocktails and snacks, along with views of the Manhattan skyline.
BUSINESS FACILITIES Fashion 26 features a meeting venue that can host up to 80 attendees and a boardroom that can accommodate up to 14 people. A 24-hour business center on the Meetings Floor offers two PCs with complimentary Internet access, a printer/copier/fax and an ATM.
LEISURE FACILITIES The hotel’s 24-hour fitness center is outfitted with Cybex cardiovascular and resistance training equipment. But with Chelsea at your doorstep, and other neighborhoods like the Meatpacking District, the West Village and SoHo just a short cab or subway ride away, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, dining, entertaining or just strolling the city nearby.
VERDICT Wyndham’s Fashion 26 Hotel is a sprightly addition to Chelsea’s burgeoning hotel arena and well-placed for business or leisure in both Downtown and Midtown. Attention to detail is a hallmark of both service and design.
PRICE Rates start at $289 for a Deluxe King room.
CONTACT Fashion 26–A Wyndham Hotel, 152 W. 26th St., New York, N.Y.; tel. 212-858-5888;
www.F26NYC.com.
