Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC

When it first opened, Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC was one of a select few hotels that helped turn this downtown Manhattan neighborhood from a niche nightlife district into a viable mainstream destination. And now that the surrounding streets have filled in with upscale retailers and cultural fixtures like the Whitney Museum of American Art, Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC is back with a luxe new look, an impressive contemporary art collection, and an atmosphere that’s a little less frenetic and a little more laid-back.

The rooms are understated in their stylishness, clean-lined but richly textured, inspired by classic Downtown loft living, with furniture inspired by mid-century Modernism and swanky, modern tiled bathrooms. Lululemon Studio Mirrors allow for in-room virtual exercise classes, and the hotel’s gym includes Peloton bikes among its equipment. And that heated rooftop pool, long the Gansevoort’s calling card, is open year-round.

That pool is also the anchor of the social scene, thanks to the adjacent rooftop restaurant, a Japanese omakase concept called Saishin. And it’s joined by a couple of other worthy venues: The Chester, an American bistro that opens onto the patio; and an open-air lounge, the straightforwardly named Coffee + Cocktails.