New York, USA, May 18, 2016 – Lower Manhattan, confidently jutting out into the harbour under the watchful eye of the Statue of Liberty, is where New York was born, and where, several centuries later, it continues to set a course on the global stage.
“In a city that always surprises, there’s a kind of renaissance happening in its oldest area. No longer simply a business district, Downtown New York is being reborn as a place where people not only work, but they live,” says Peter Humig, General Manager of the soon-to-be-opened Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. “A new layer of community is emerging amid the neighbourhoods we already know so well including Tribeca, Soho and Wall Street. Exciting new architecture has taken shape, cultural institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art have opened alongside the area’s art galleries, new shops and restaurants are launching every week, and businesses are moving back to Lower Manhattan.”
Already home to finance and technology start-ups, advertising innovators, media influencers and growing information industries, Downtown is the new crossroads of creativity and commerce, soon to be joined by an all-new outpost of the world’s leading luxury hospitality company. Opening in late summer 2016 in the heart of the new Lower Manhattan just a block from the World Trade Center, Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown will be the brand’s second location in the city, and will introduce the very first Manhattan restaurant by acclaimed Chef Wolfgang Puck.
The Look of the New Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown In a timeless tribute to the city’s distinctive early 20th century architecture – the iconic Woolworth Building shares the same city block – architect Robert A.M. Stern has created a new, 82 story skyscraper soaring 926 feet (282 metres) above the historic streets of Lower Manhattan. Taking its place in the world’s most famous skyline, Downtown’s tallest residential building is also home to its newest luxury hotel.
Stepping inside the new Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown on Barclay Street, the frenetic pace of life and work in Manhattan transitions to a moment of peace and calm. The two-story lobby layers architectural elements in response to the ever-evolving urban landscape that surrounds it. Feet rest on soft wool carpeting as the eye takes in original artworks displayed against rich wood walls and woven metal screens. Brushed bronze accents and fabrics in muted jewel tones invite casual socialising, while a dramatic suspended staircase hints at the gracious gathering spaces above.
Throughout the interiors designed by Toronto and Soho-based Yabu Pushelberg, the aesthetic combines varying textures to create spaces that are distinctly modern, and yet immediately welcoming.
Wining and Dining The opening of Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown also marks a milestone in the career of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, who is opening his first restaurant in Manhattan within the Hotel. His widely acclaimed and wildly popular steakhouse concept CUT by Wolfgang Puck – first introduced at Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, A Four Seasons Hotel – will be accessed via the Hotel or its own entrance around the corner on Church Street.
With interiors by French architect and designer Jacques Garcia, CUT by Wolfgang Puck will encompass an 86-seat main dining room as well as a 32-seat lounge with 10 seats at the bar. A generously-sized private dining room will host up to 31 guests.
And, in a city known for its very long list of superb dining options, the Hotel’s concierge team is pleased to secure tables at the hottest restaurants, and recommend a few hidden gems as well.
Relaxing Like a mini-resort hidden in the midst of one of the world’s busiest locales, the Spa at Four Seasons is a sanctuary of pampering and results-oriented therapies. Here, Yabu Pushelberg has lightened the palette with white tay wood walls and floors of oak and travertine. Each of seven treatment rooms – including a luxe couple’s suite – is dressed in soothing organic lines.
Two-story windows line the 75 foot (23 metre) lap pool, and guests can choose to relax in loungers inside, or out on the secluded sundeck adjacent to the Spa.
Understanding that staying fit is as important on the road or on vacation as it is at home, the state-of-the-art fitness centre at Four Seasons is open 24/7, with the option to work out on one’s own or with the assistance of a personal coach.
Gathering Business functions and society galas are equally at home at Four Seasons, where comprehensive service begins at the planning stages and continues through each perfectly executed event. With a dedicated floor reached via elevator or grand staircase from the Hotel lobby, event planners, hosts and attendees are assured privacy and security.
The 2,990 square foot (275 square foot) Greenwich Ballroom offers a fabulous view that juxtaposes the 19th century St. Peter’s Church with the just-opened Oculus, the dramatically-formed home of the new World Trade Center transportation hub. Bathed in natural light by day and lit by a luminous sculptured canopy at night, the room is ideal for sit-down events for 180, or receptions for up to 250. Like all meeting spaces at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, the room is divisible, and has a private pre-function area.
Two additional salons – Chambers and Warren – are the choice for executive board meetings, smaller social gatherings, and conference breakouts. In total, 6,848 square feet (636 square metres) of space is available.
In planning a business or social event, the expert conference services team at Four Seasons can assist in devising all manner of group activities, and are pleased to access their Downtown contacts to plan the most memorable off-site events.
Exploring Whether it’s the first or 100th visit to the Big Apple, there’s always something new to discover. A getaway weekend of shopping and gallery hopping, a gourmand’s tour of the best tables in town, a family-friendly few days – guests will find that even a precious few hours stolen amid a packed business trip can be maximised with the help of the imaginative concierge team at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown.
Located at the intersection of where the money moves in the Financial District and the charming, walkable lanes of Tribeca, Four Seasons is also an easy stroll to Soho’s designer shopping and excellent restaurants, and a short cab ride to the Meatpacking District’s bars and nightclubs. With Lower Manhattan surrounded by water, a jog along the promenade offers landmark views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, and the trendy neighbourhoods of Brooklyn are right across the bridge.
Staying In Even in the City That Never Sleeps, sometimes we must. In each of 185 guest rooms – including 28 suites – Yabu Pushlberg has created a residential-style sanctuary that will have guests kicking off their heels and dropping their briefcases as soon as they enter.
Beckoning from the centre of the room is a signature Four Seasons Bed, customisable to individual preferences and dressed in pillowy white linens beneath a pale headboard framed by full height panelling. On either side, evoking an eclectic residential aesthetic, one bedside table is topped by a bronze lamp, while the other is lit by a wall sconce.
At an average 400 square feet (37 square metres) and range up to the 2,400 square foot (223 square metre) Royal Suite, each accommodation is intelligently designed to adapt to individual guest needs. A living space with sofa, leather chair and multi-use table can become a comfortable workspace, a casual dining area, or a cosy spot to curl up with a book or movie. A private pantry and mini-bar is well-stocked with a unique neighbourhood collection of food, beverage and amenities – ready for anytime noshing or in-room entertaining. At-one’s-fingertips-technologies and task lighting are everywhere, from the ergonomic workstation to the bedside tables and even in the bathroom (which is otherwise rather spa-like with its elliptical freestanding tub and separate shower, and the wall-to-wall mirror above an extra-wide vanity).
