Hyatt announced official opening dates for two new hotels in its Andaz brand in New York City and San Diego. Andaz Wall Street, which Hyatt is touting as the only hotel situated on New York's Wall Street, will officially open January 18, and Andaz San Diego is set to open Feb. 1 in a property currently known as the Ivy Hotel.
Andaz, Hyatt's newest brand, is devoted to providing simplified, spot-on service and indulgent amenities for its guests. Following the opening of the Andaz Liverpool Street in London and Andaz West Hollywood in California, opening Andaz Wall Street is the first step in the brand's expansion into New York. A second New York hotel, Andaz 5th Avenue, is slated to open later this year.
Designed by David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, Andaz Wall Street features warm saturated color, natural materials, and open spaces throughout the 13 floors of the hotel. At Andaz Wall Street, a sculptural pearlescent steel and stone staircase is the central experience of the public spaces linking the Andaz Studio level to the lounge, bar, and then to the restaurant. The lounge is paneled in two-tone bamboo, and the tabletops are made of veined marble. A tree design is hand-stenciled on the wall by the elevator bank.
The 253 guestrooms start at 345 square feet, making them some of the largest hotel rooms in New York City. They feature loft-like ceilings and seven-foot windows. The rooms have a simple aesthetic of contemporary luxury, boasting dark stained oak floors, buttery brown leather headboards and benches, and lavender and camel sitting chairs. Other modern details include textured walls, bleached wood accents, and locally crafted, stenciled metal artwork designed by a Brussels-based artist. The s bathrooms are covered in black marble, and all feature rainfall showerheads, while some have deep soaking tubs. Additionally, many rooms have a customized personal valet, a rotating closet that can open either into the bathroom or the bed chamber, and innovatively incorporates a hanging area, full-length mirror, minibar and other storage elements.
Set in a room that stretches the full-length of the hotel, the restaurant, Wall & Water, which opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner on Jan. 25, features seasonal cuisine with ingredients sourced from the Hudson Valley. Large windows open on to views of the East River. The main dining area is furnished with live-edge wooden tables and beautiful glass and iron lighting fixtures. At one end, a 12-guest chef's table is sheltered behind the open kitchen, and at the opposite end a private dining and meeting room, with views of the garden below, is ideal for entertaining. Bar Seven Five, named for its 75 Wall Street address, will serve classic American cocktails and artisanal appetizers prepared and served in glass jars. Bar Seven Five will open each day at 4 p.m. (weekdays just before the market closes) and will close at midnight.
At all Andaz properties, the check-in and service are simplified. Without the doorman, bellhop, and concierge staff at the desk, there is one "host" for each incoming guest. Hosts are trained in traditional hospitality as well as less conventional approaches. Andaz understands that the staff at a hotel must be able to field questions and scenarios that one cannot always anticipate, and improvisational skills come in handy.
The Andaz Wall Street is currently taking reservations for stays beginning Jan. 18, 2010, with rates starting at $275. The hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks in the minibars, and all local calls. Hotel guests will have access to a park next to the building designed by a local landscape architect as a retreat from the sometimes-breakneck pace of today's Financial District.
The hotel features a gym, The SPA, and the Andaz Studio - a meeting space that is unique to Andaz hotels. The five different Studio spaces at Andaz Wall Street encompass all the characteristics of an Andaz experience in a home-like ambiance with comfortable, residential style furniture. The Andaz Studio's highlight is a communal kitchen where chefs create fresh, cooked-to-order fare while interacting with guests during meeting breaks or meals.
Meanwhile, Hyatt said the Andaz San Diego will debut in the property currently known as Ivy Hotel. Hyatt will operate the hotel under a management agreement with Kelly Capital, the property's owner. The property originally opened as the Maryland Hotel in 1914 to host dignitaries for the Panama-California Exposition. Following extensive renovations and upgrades, it was re-opened in May 2007 and transformed into an urban escape in San Diego by owner Michael Kelly of Kelly Capital. The new Andaz San Diego will offer a different take on the boutique-style hotel.
Located in the Gaslamp Quarter at 6th Avenue and F Street, the cornerstone of Andaz San Diego is a 159-room hotel featuring 13 deluxe suites and four specialty suites, one of which provides access to a private poolside cabana. The interiors exude a contemporary, residential comfort with a balance of modern and classic. Guest rooms feature custom fixtures and amenities, flat panel televisions, and large glass-enclosed bathrooms.
The Ivy Rooftop will offer views of San Diego's downtown skyline complete with a pool, cushioned beds, private cabanas, and one of the largest rooftop entertaining spaces in downtown San Diego. The Ivy Ultra Lounge and Wine Bar at Andaz San Diego serves 88 wines by-the-glass from its intelligent wine dispensing technology. Post-dining, the Ivy Nightclub, a multi-level nightclub and lounge is positioned as a destination for trend-setters. Additional amenities include the Quarter Kitchen restaurant and 10,000 square feet of flexible meeting and function space.
Andaz San Diego will be a part of the Hyatt Gold Passport program, which recognizes Hyatt's loyal guests with exclusive benefits. Guests of Andaz San Diego may register for the program in the hotel or online and all Hyatt Gold Passport members will earn points for stays at this new Hyatt property. For more information on both the Andaz Wall Street and Andaz San Diego hotels, visit www.andaz.com.
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