NEW YORK – September 25, 2016 – The historic Lexington New York City, a 725-room Autograph Collection hotel located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, recently unveiled the final phase of its three-year, $50 million renovation, which culminated in a 5,000-square-foot conversion of the S. Dynasty restaurant into a state-of-the-art meetings and events center, including two meeting rooms – The Speakeasy and The Interlude – connected by a foyer area called the Swing Room.
The hotel’s owner, DiamondRock Hospitality Company, tapped renowned interior architecture and design firm dash design – which completed renovations to the hotel’s guestrooms and public areas in 2013 – to complete the build-out. Seamlessly blending past, present and future, the hotel’s meetings and events space combines a technologically advanced media center with design inspired by a time when the likes of Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were regular fixtures within the hotel’s walls.
“Throughout the hotel, we sought to create spaces that perfectly meld the storied building’s jazz age glamour with the technological capabilities and forward-thinking amenities that today’s discerning traveler has come to expect,” said David Ashen, principal of dash design. “The meetings and events space is a natural extension of that design ethos.”
The Speakeasy and The Interlude serve as the two main meeting rooms, boasting a color palette of neutrals and purples intended to evoke the spirit of Art Deco design that defined the Jazz Age, with open floor plans that allow for flexible furniture layouts accommodating as many as 120 people. Both rooms feature walls of windows, which provide abundant natural light overlooking Lexington Avenue. Artworks by artists Mao Kudo, who is based in New York, and Rose Dickson round out the aesthetic, which is inspired by music – specifically jazz rhythm and movement. The Swing Room serves as a pre-function space with a residential feel, offering beverage and buffet stations. Adjacent to the Swing Room, an intimate, art-inspired nook is available for breakout or impromptu meetings.
“Our proximity to Grand Central Terminal, the United Nations, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center and Times Square, makes The Lexington New York City a convenient location for corporate meetings and functions,” said June McDougall, managing director of the Lexington New York City, Autograph Collection. “This renovation has allowed us to transform the space left when S. Dynasty closed last November into a prime corporate destination, offering all the modern technologies that create a seamless event-hosting experience.”
Custom Media Environments designed and installed the tech systems, which include retractable projectors and projection screens that stow away in the ceiling when not in use; ceiling speakers that provide audio conferencing capabilities and connect to wireless or lavaliere microphones; wireless presentation capabilities that are compatible with any laptop, tablet or smartphone, as well as wired backup connections; and wall-mounted touch panels for easy control over the entire audio-visual system, lighting and window shades.
Designed by the celebrated architecture firm Schultze & Weaver, The Lexington New York City first opened in 1929 at the height of New York’s hotel boom and went on to become a well-known hangout for period stars, including Arthur Godfrey, who hosted his radio show from The Hawaiian Room, and Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe, who lived in a suite on the 18th floor during their marriage.
The Lexington New York City, which was the 45th hotel to join Marriott’s upscale, independent Autograph Collection, is managed by Highgate, a real estate investment and hospitality management company whose growing portfolio includes more than 100 properties in gateway cities worldwide.
