NYC’s boutique hotels embrace homier atmosphere, as scenesters get older

There’s been a transition in the boutique hotel industry, according to the Wall Street Journal. Whereas in the ’80s these sparsely decorated properties were known for their nightlife scenes, the latest boutique hotels in New York City — including the NoMad, the Jade Hotel and the Refinery — are offering luxe décor with more of a home-like feeling.

“When Ian Schrager pioneered the lifestyle hotel the model was hotel as nightclub; today it’s all about day,” NoMad hotel owner Andrew Zobler told the Journal.

The reason for this change, according to the Journal, is that former scenesters are hitting an age when a good night’s rest trumps staying out until the wee hours.

The Flatiron District’s NoMad, which opened last year, boasts Beaux-Arts design inspiration, as well as a lobby with furniture that’s remodeled after the French originals. Instead of a club, there’s a restaurant at lobby level.

Another example is the Jade Hotel in Greenwich Village, which opened in February and comes replete with vintage design finishes: Art Deco lamps and rotary phones.

Even the Refinery in the Garment District channels 1920s factory flair with room features such as concrete ceilings, hardwood flooring and desks that resemble sewing machines, as previously reported.

But not all new hotel developments have followed this trend. The Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, for example, has a raw design element and an active list of social happenings. [WSJ] —Zachary Kussin