Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC
Some hotels stir a sense of déjà vu – impossibly familiar, comforting, almost. For us, the Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC is one of these. It was the very first New York City hotel OutThere officially reviewed all those years ago, back when the neighbourhood still smelled faintly of industry and mischief; they say you never forget your first time. Since then, it’s become something of an unofficial pied-à-terre for us – a place we return to not just to sleep but to remember, to rediscover and to revel. To call it our home away from home would be an understatement – it’s more like our Manhattan muse. And while the Meatpacking District has shapeshifted from gritty fringe to glossy cultural powerhouse – all high fashion, higher rooftops and curated cool – the Gansevoort has remained at its centre, pulsing with the kind of downtown charisma that no amount of rebranding can manufacture.
The cobblestone-clad Meatpacking District was once the gritty playground of night owls, misfits and ‘miscreants’, now a chic hotbed of creativity and commerce. And the Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC remains at its heart. Now sporting a decadent refurbishment, it oozes boutique cool. From the outside, it looks every bit the Gansevoort we remember in spirit – proud, punchy and perfectly positioned. Step inside, however, and the aesthetic shifts into something far more design-forward and art-driven. Gone are the neon flourishes and kitsch party vibes. In their place: curated calm, thoughtful elegance and a sense of place that is both cosmopolitan and cutting-edge – and a distinct colourway of Gansevoort blue.
The lobby is the hotel’s soul. An eye-catching Banksy, Flying Copper, greeted us with that unmistakable, signature wink of British satire. Richard Hambleton’s shadowy silhouette stalks a nearby wall like a leather-clad ghost of the district’s queer past. Hassan Hajjaj’s (dubbed ‘the Andy Warhol of Marrakech’) candy-coloured Marques 2013 beams like a stained-glass window to another universe. Olivier Weppe’s photo series, documenting the neighbourhood two decades apart, is like flipping through a visual diary. Observant lovers will note some new additions to the hotel’s already impressive collection. Rotating works from queer and BIPOC artists now join the permanent fixtures. It’s part gallery, part gathering place and entirely in tune with the vibrant creative pulse of the district.
Throughout the year (and throughout the hotel), the Gansevoort hosts artist talks, culinary pop-ups, live music, fashion-forward soirées and wellness weekenders – pulling in a mix of locals and globetrotters. Highlights include rooftop screenings of cult New York films under the stars, immersive wellness residencies and partnerships with downtown galleries and indie fashion labels that pop up in the hotel’s social spaces.
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