The Greenwich Hotel

What do we know about the Greenwich Hotel? It’s got a celebrity owner (none other than Robert DeNiro), a prime Tribeca location, impeccable design credentials courtesy of one of New York’s top firms, Grayling Design, and some truly obsessive construction, having something to do with thousands of very expensive handmade bricks. Now there’s no question that all these things make for great press, but do they mean anything to the guests?

Of course they do. While you might not be literally partying with Bobby (or even really encouraged to refer to him as Bobby, for that matter) there’s no question the Greenwich is an establishment that values privacy and discretion, two values many of today’s publicity-hungry boutique hotels lack. The location, in a neighborhood that’s become indelibly associated with DeNiro, places you roughly where hip and upscale intersect, minutes from more shopping and nightlife than any one neighborhood could reasonably need.

And of course the building isn’t bad either. Grayling may not yet be a household name, but they’re well-known already for downtown hotspots like Schiller’s and Balthazar. Here their incredibly detailed work projects a sense of care and confidence that’s far more satisfying than the shock-and-awe flim-flam that until recently has dominated hotel design.

As for the comforts, they’re far more than adequate as well. Even the humble courtyard rooms are luxurious, and smart-looking as well, eschewing minimalism for a detailed and lived-in look, down to the Moroccan tile in the bathrooms. As you move up the range into the bigger and bigger suites, the sheer luxury of it all becomes almost comical — book well and you might get your own private sauna. Locanda Verde is the Greenwich's cozy, rustic Italian tavern. And if that’s not indulgent enough the Greenwich is home not just to a spa but a pool as well — not exactly common in New York, but then not much about the Greenwich is.