11 Howard Opens on the Most Interesting Street in Soho

11 Howard is a New York hotel experience driven by fashion, furniture and craftsmanship where guests experience the energy of New York City in every corner and space through the hotel's innovative design, art, fashion and cuisine.

11 Howard's Creative Director, Anda Andrei of Anda Andrei Design, in partnership with interior designers Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou – the team behind the Danish architecture and design studio SPACE Copenhagen - created an environment that is incredibly warm, light and open, and transforms the essence of how a hotel should look and feel. Guests at 11 Howard are greeted by meticulously curated objects as if walking through a gallery. Every area of the hotel displays a bespoke piece of furniture, a painting, sculpture or a digital art-piece chosen specifically to frame the guest experience.

The architectural design behind 11 Howard is enhanced by the historic and cultural-focused architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle. The hotel's street arrival was moved from its original position on Lafayette Street to be an extension of the vibrancy and energy of Howard Street, which is one of the few remaining streets in SoHo that maintains the original essence of what it was in the early 1800s.

As guests approach the hotel, they are greeted by majestic trees and marquee lights forming a gateway to the hotel reception and offering a breathtaking view of the custom-made blackened steel cylindrical staircase linking to the second floor amenity spaces. The top of the stair neon art piece by Dan Attoe, visible from the street, is the first signal of the blending of the old and the new.

On the South-facing wall of the hotel sits a 150 foot-by-50-foot mural designed by a group of inspiring young artists from Groundswell with mentorship from Jeff Koons. The design of the mural celebrates the history and culture of SoHo – the music, food, fashion and the industries of yesteryear. Each artist developed their own design concepts for the mural and then came together to develop a final design that drew on all of their ideas. Misha Tyutyunik – Groundswell's lead artist for the project – refined these concepts to produce a single comprehensive design. The team brought this final design into Koons' studio for his personal feedback and a creative discussion about what inspires his art, the historical references in the piece, the creative process and use of color. He challenged them to think of ways to add further richness and depth to the mural by layering and varying color, highlighting specific content elements and considering different mediums that could be applied to the brick wall to create variety. Groundswell is a New York community mural organization that uses creativity as a tool for change.

The 15-foot high ceilings accent 11 Howard's lobby, lined with bleached oak wood paneling and polished concrete floors. The lobby is furnished with unique and sculptural furniture that melds effortlessly with Alexander Calder's Untitled, 1976 mobile as its centerpiece. The spiral staircase stands to the lobby's left, and on the right stands an artisanal shop curated by creative consultant and interior designer, Oliver Gustav, with beautiful objects consistent with the shops on Howard and Crosby Streets. Studio Oliver Gustav offers for the first time in the States a unique and distinct collection of home-furnishings, art and antiques that was only available to a few collectors before this shop at 11 Howard opened.

As part of the seamless service goal, guests will have the opportunity to choose the way they want to interact with the building and its services. From checking in, luggage assistance, room service or concierge requests, guests have the option to interact one-on-one with the 11 Howard team or choose the current technology personal platform that uses the guest's own cell phone or convenient in-room tablets.

Every space in 11 Howard is intimate and specific in mood and atmosphere. Guests feel like they are in their home rather than in a hotel. There is always a nook to explore, whether guests want to read a book, grab a drink, have an intimate conversation with a friend or celebrate with a large group.

The Library – an open, sun-drenched space on the second floor of the hotel – features a wide wood-board floor, plaster walls, plush area rugs and a collection of furniture curated from different parts of the world and many one-of-a-kind designed pieces by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard of SPACE Copenhagen, Rick Owens, Gio Ponti, Tobia Scarpa, Vincenzo De Cottis, Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson. The room's elements are accented by two distinct photographs of the Seagram Building and breathtaking ocean views by Hiroshi Sugimoto, who has spoken of his own work as an expression of ‘time exposed' or photographs serving as a time capsule for a series of events in time.

Echoing the hotel's meticulous, modernist and timeless ethos, 11 Howard Hosts are dressed in designs to stimulate your senses by fashion designer Serkan Sarier. Maintaining a traditional approach to hotel uniforms but respecting how fashion is influenced by the streets of New York City, Sarier fused an urban, relaxed attitude with a traditional bespoke look for the 11 Howard uniforms that is appealing and comforting to guests visiting from down the street or across the globe.

The Blond, SoHo's hottest new bar, adds to the hotel's unique aesthetic and fluid design. The Blond welcomes guests throughout the day and evening to enjoy themselves, work, meet friends, network or just relax. Open and warmly-lit, once the sun goes down, The Blond transforms into an elegant bar space making it the perfect spot to savor the bars signature cocktails or snacks before venturing into the New York City night. If guests get comfortable, they can get a taste of the city's nightlife without making a move when The Blond morphs into a fun, high-energy nightclub after midnight with a new DJ spinning every night.

Near The Blond and The Library is The Creative Studio, a room for up to 14 people that is perfectly fitted for a meeting and breakout session, intimate dinner party or private wellness class. Like all the other spaces of the hotel, Aby Rosen commissioned a one-of-a-kind piece by English painter and fashion designer Holly Fowler, to create a hand-painted silk mural unique to the hotel.

Upstairs, 11 Howard's 221 guest rooms boast 11-foot-high ceilings and oversized windows for abundant natural light and unique views of the city's streetscapes thanks to low surrounding buildings, from unexpected views of the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge to lower Manhattan's hidden architectural gems. The hotel's celebrated 11H Suite extends these incredible city sights with a wrap-around landscaped terrace for entertaining or a private outdoor oasis, flaunting a 270-degree view of downtown Manhattan to the North, East and South.

Each guest room is furnished with bed and chairs, desk, credenzas, tables and light, all designed to be functional with grace and humanity by SPACE Copenhagen and handcrafted by Danish carpenters in a variety of luminous woods and fabrics. A single art object designed by ceramist Katie Yang decorates each room, and each piece was positioned in each room by Yang herself. Beautiful materials of porcelain tile, marble countertops and brass trimmings line the in-room bathrooms, along with organic Grown Alchemist and Glossier products. Guests are able to personalize their mini bar experience through tablets in each room offering a menu of healthy munchies, supplied by Thrive Market and Conscious Commerce.

Famed restaurateur Stephen Starr, owner of such notable eateries as Morimoto, Upland, Buddakan, and El Vez, has conceptualized Le Coucou, the restaurant at 11 Howard with Chef Daniel Rose of Spring and La Bourse et La Vie bistro in Paris. In keeping with the hotel's timeless sensibility, the restaurant will serve classic French dishes with a modern twist in a dining environment only Stephen Starr can deliver. Slated for opening later this Spring, guests can experience Chef Rose's personal vision of classic French cuisine in the most charming of settings, designed by Roman and Williams.

The first of its kind, 11 Howard is defining “conscious hospitality.” Each aspect of the hotel – from design to location to amenities to their ultramodern brand of service – is operated with awareness, purpose and thoughtful consideration. The hotel has partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations and businesses in an effort to give back to the community and to the world, including Global Poverty Project, Barbara Burchfield and Olivia Wilde's Conscious Commerce, Lauren Bush Lauren's FEED and Thrive Market, whose goal is to make healthy living affordable to everyone.

11 Howard has mixed technology with the quintessential NYC method of transportation – the skateboard. Through a partnership with Boosted boards, guests can explore the neighborhood on 11 Howard Boosted longboards to commute in true NYC style.

For more information and to book a reservation, visit https://www.11howard.com/. 11 Howard is part of Design Hotels