by Sarah Royce-Greensill, The Telegraph, May 5, 2017
A Manhattan loft apartment-style suite spread over three floors, with a vast rooftop terrace. Stylishly furnished and filled with contemporary art, the penthouse is made for entertaining, while a serene master suite offers luxurious respite from the action.
The Suite
The Quin hotel opened in late 2013 but its crowning glory, the three-bedroom penthouse, was completed in 2015. Comprising 3,400 sq ft (315 sq m) over three floors, it’s far from a traditionally opulent hotel suite, feeling more like the enviable apartment of a stylish Manhattanite with a penchant for designer furnishings and contemporary art.
Entering on the hotel’s 17th floor to a private lobby furnished with a mid-century-style Sputnik light fitting, guests ascend a staircase into the open-plan living and dining area whose palette of ‘expensive neutrals’ (white walls, ash-coloured parquet floor, plush grey sofa and cowhide rug) allows the vibrant art to sing.
The pieces rotate regularly, chosen from the Quin's permanent collection by curator DK Johnston, and most are by former "artists in residence". On our stay a diptych by the Brooklyn-based street art duo ASVP greeted visitors at the top of the stairs, a black-and-white photograph by Robert Malmberg hung near the glossy 10-seater dining table, and a lacquered wood arrow by Tavar Zawacki aka Above pointed to the compact but professionally equipped kitchen.
The interior is styled to a tee by New York "tastemaker" Jung Lee, but still your eyes can’t help but wander onto the terrace beyond. A 1,300 sq ft slice of rooftop real estate in the heart of Manhattan, it affords views over Central Park in one direction and across Midtown in the other. Guests can lounge on vast outdoor sofas, sip sundowners at the bar, or enjoy a sit-down dinner at a more formal dining area, which seats 14.
Back indoors, there are two double bedrooms on the first floor, one of which can be converted into an office and comes with its own small terrace. While smartly furnished and with sleek marble ensuites, these are small - designed for nannies or occasional guests - and pale in comparison to the master suite upstairs.
A penthouse within a penthouse, it’s here guests will feel most at home: decorated in calming neutral tones and furnished with an absurdly comfortable Duxiana king-sized bed (as are all rooms at The Quin). It boasts a walk-in-wardrobe and lavish marble en-suite complete with freestanding bathtub with city views, and a multi-jet rainfall shower that’s more like an entire wet-room. The suite also features its own private terrace from which guests can survey the action going on below.
The Hotel
Rather than try to compete with New York’s grandest dames, The Quin has carved itself a modern niche via slick styling and a contemporary arts programme, in which an ever-changing roster of artists host exhibitions in the hotel’s common areas. While those areas are limited to the lobby and a small lounge, efforts are made to encourage a community vibe, with regular cultural events and opportunities to meet the artists.
Adjoining restaurant The Wayfarer is a destination in its own right; a buzzy, glamorous New York diner serving fantastic fish, steaks and sides (you will never regret ordering the gruyere whipped potatoes). Breakfast here is also a treat, and the hotel has a compact but well-equipped gym in which to work off those American portions.
What to Expect
Penthouse guests enjoy superlative turndown treats and the services of a private concierge, on hand 24/7 via a smartphone. Every room in The Quin has the personal shopping teams at Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co on speed-dial; the penthouse ups the ante by offering guests the opportunity to have breakfast at Tiffany’s and tour the jewellery workshop - an experience not available to the public.
With Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound speakers and that cocktail bar on the terrace, the penthouse is designed for entertaining and The Quin can arrange an in-room mixologist or even a full-blown catered bash for 30 guests.
We can’t vouch for the team’s party-planning prowess, but can attest that the charismatic concierge’s recommendations were consistently spot-on. Elsewhere, however, service was hit-and-miss; reception offered a perfunctory welcome and housekeeping were occasionally slow to respond, with one cheese-and-meat platter left uncleared well past its prime.
Standout feature: That rooftop terrace. Even the vertigo-inclined will be hooked.
Not so keen: The high-tech tablet system for operating lights and blinds wasn’t as foolproof as it first seemed.
Location: In the heart of Midtown, just two blocks from Central Park, The Quin is well-placed for shopping, a short walk from Fifth and Madison Avenues, and sightseeing, with Carnegie Hall and the Museum of Modern Art almost on its doorstep.
The details: The Penthouse suite starts from $10,000 (£7,700) per night; double rooms at The Quin start from $549 (£420).
The Quin, 101 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019; thequinhotel.com
The world's best penthouse suites If you would like to add a comment, please register or log in RegisterLog inPlease review our commenting policy
This article was written by Sarah Royce-Greensill from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].