The entrance to RH Guesthouse New York at 55 Gansevoort Street leads to a Dining Room centered on a live-fire cooking hearth.
Don’t Call RH Guesthouse A Hotel; It’s A Home Away From Home
RH Guesthouse New York, a luxury lodging experience, debuts September 7 in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.
Amassing nearly 100 locations in two countries, RH has built an empire since its founding in 1979. Until recently, however, there was one piece of the puzzle yet unrealized: a residential-style boutique stay offering the ultimate in privacy, luxury and discretion. Enter RH Guesthouse New York, debuting September 7 in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.
Ensconced within an immaculately restored 19th-century flatiron building just steps away from RH’s Ninth Avenue gallery, the unprecedented lodging experience has been singularly appointed under the direction of CEO and chairman Gary Friedman, who sought to combine the best of A-list destinations worldwide. His vision transformed the building via opulent materials like rift-sawn European white oak and vein-cut Italian travertine complemented by coffered ceilings and Italian merino wool upholstery.
Checking in via a private lobby is a seamless experience for guests, who gain the personalized attention of a 24-hour concierge, setting the tone for round-the-clock room service to match. While one won’t find RH furnishings in the building, Friedman has taken care to specify bespoke pieces throughout its six guest rooms and three suites—all boasting smart-home technology, fully stocked gourmet pantries, architectural armoires housing personal gyms, wraparound platform seating and two full-size bathrooms.
But the fifth floor is where you’ll find the pièce de résistance: a 2,600-square-foot residence—available intermittently for the rarest of reservations—extending the entire floor. Here, elite travelers will find opulent boiserie paneling, Corinthian columns and herringbone parquet floors to complement a modern monolithic fireplace and minimalist kitchen. Completing this luxury lodging are Loro Piana cashmere seating, epicurean fare prepared by a personal chef, plus every trapping necessary to achieve effortless entertaining.
Guests booking overnight accommodations gain priority access to the two downstairs culinary concepts, both accessible by a separate, public entrance on Gansevoort Street. Begin with the star-worthy signature Dining Room featuring caramel wool velvet banquettes, glass-encased outdoor seating and a travertine-framed live-fire cooking hearth equipped with custom Molteni rotisseries from France. The accompanying 10-table Champagne & Caviar Bar is set to be a glittering statement of hand-blown amber glass chandeliers, Italian marble floors, camel mohair, iridescent champagne lacquer and stainless steel accents.
The rooftop dining terrace, meanwhile, brings lodgers the benefit of the kitchen’s full menu amid a scene of trellised London plane trees, sculptural hedges, a 40-foot infinity pool and spa, TUUCI® umbrella-shaded lounge areas and dining space contained within retractible glass. Here, the lucky few are granted the distinct privilege of dining and imbibing privately before a panoramic skyline of One World Trade Center and Hudson River views.
For sophisticated travelers, RH Guesthouse bestows a kind of residential-style comfort and hospitality perhaps too precious to imagine. But like many of Friedman’s lofty dreams, it was just the sort of thing he knew how to realize.
PHOTOS COURTESY RH
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify The Champagne & Caviar Bar did not open upon the unveiling of RH Guesthouse New York; it officially debuted in November 2023. Read more about The Champagne & Caviar Bar design and menu here.
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