The Mercer Hotel Explained

The Mercer Hotel
Location:147 Mercer Street, SoHo, New York City
Coordinates:40.7247°N -73.9983°W
Completion Date:1890
Owner:BD Hotels Properties
Architect:William Schickel
Architectural Style:Romanesque Revival
Governing Body:private

The Mercer Hotel, located at the corner of Mercer and Prince Streets in SoHo, Manhattan, New York City. It offers 73 guest rooms on six floors of a Romanesque revival building.

Opening in 1997, The Mercer is the sister hotel to The Greenwich Hotel.

History

Built in 1890 for John Jacob Astor III, the six-story, 84,000 square foot brick building has been cited by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as an example of the Romanesque Revival period.[1] Architect William Schickel, known for his extensive work on behalf of the Archdiocese of New York, designed the building as offices for the vast Astor family holdings, resulting in a façade considerably more ornate than its industrial neighbors.[2] [3] [4] Prior to its conversion, the building served as artists' lofts and studios, for which the hotel has now become known.[5]

Design

The overall aesthetic allows The Mercer to be "the first hotel to offer an authentic taste of loft living", an urban signature that is completely original to New York.[6]

Parisian designer Christian Liaigre ensured all furnishings were kept original and exclusive to the hotel. Liaigre created a modernist interior with an emphasis on harmonized proportions and subtle color palettes.

The Mercer Kitchen

In 1998, The Mercer Kitchen opened as a 170-seat restaurant located over two levels of The Mercer hotel.[7] Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten was recruited by André Balazs as the head of restaurant and food service for the property.

The Mercer Kitchen, adjacent to the hotel lobby, has a 40-seat street-level café. The lower level features a 160-seat main dining room that lies beneath the streets of SoHo.[8] The restaurant features an open kitchen for guests to watch the preparation of their meals. Upstairs, the casual café serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

The Mercer Kitchen provides room service throughout the hotel while the upper level café serves breakfast and lunch daily.

Notes and References

  1. News: Menkes. Suzy. Zen and the art of hotel serenity: loft life at SoHo's Mercer. December 17, 2012. International Herald Tribune. March 31, 1998.
  2. Web site: Angelica. Taschen. The Mercer. December 18, 2012.
  3. Book: AIA Guide to New York City . White . Norval . Willensky . Elliot . Leadon . Fran . 2010 . 5th . Oxford/New York . Oxford University Press . 117 . 978-0-19-538385-0.
  4. Book: In Search of ModernArchitecture: A Tribute to Henry-Russell Hitchcock . Searing . Helen . 1982 . MIT Press . Cambridge, Massachusetts . Architectural History Foundation/MIT Press series . 6 . 155–56 . 978-0-262-19209-5 .
  5. Ypma. Herbert. The Mercer. Hip Hotels New York.
  6. Web site: The Mercer. June 6, 2014.
  7. Web site: (The Mercer) Kitchen. December 17, 2012.
  8. Web site: (The Mercer) Kitchen. Jean-Georges Management. December 17, 2012.