NEW YORK
JW Marriott Essex House New York, the iconic hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan, announced the completion of a $38 million transformation of its 426 guest rooms, 101 suites, and corridors. The hotel's structure and strong lines of its art deco heritage have been softened and expressed in a redefined way. This is a design that celebrates the many decades of the Essex House, with a subtle nod to the 1930s.
The hotel has 527 luxury rooms and suites, an Executive Lounge, a 24-hour Fitness Center, and Southgate, an American restaurant and bar. It features 16 meeting rooms and executive boardrooms, a Beaux Arts-inspired Grand Salon (at 3,800 square feet) and an intimate Art Deco Suite for up to 125.
The hotel's new design evokes a strong historical rooting but with a fresh twist. A bold but neutral color palette plays to fashion's own rebirth of the period. Carpet patterns are geometric, based on art deco but simplified in modern charcoal and cream colors. Furniture finishes are simple and clean in dark oak, white lacquer, polished chrome and bronze. The entire feeling of the new rooms is that of a personal pied-a-terre (French term referencing a small living unit or apartment, usually located in a larger city, a way from one's home).
"For over 80 years, guests have enjoyed the hotel's unique and beautiful architecture, warm luxury and personal service," said John Rieman, the hotel’s general manager. "Our newly designed guest rooms and suites reflect our long history on Central Park South, with a transformation to a fresh modern style."
The hotel sits prominently on one of the world's most famous streets, with views of the park's lush greenery, lakes and historic stone bridges. From the central Sheep Meadow and The Lake to the north, all of Central Park unfolds from the park-facing guest room windows. Several suites boast private, outdoor furnished terraces, where the view captures the surrounding city from a bird's-eye perspective.
Wimberly Interiors, a design studio of WATG, was responsible for the overall interior design. Their projects include the JW Marriott Muscat, the St. Regis Dubai, and the Ritz – Carlton Tamuda Bay.
