In Residence: Nine Orchard

Some thoughts on a really lovely stay

Lately I’ve been thinking about hotels.

There are not many trusted resources out there to discern what’s good versus what’s crap. I really enjoyed the early days of A Hotel Life (and was an early contributor), but for whatever reason I stopped using it as a resource several years ago.

I have a few trusted hotels in New York City (where I’m traveling often), but I also like to try new neighborhoods and have new experiences. My go-to New York hotel is The Bowery, as I love the old school luxe quality of the rooms, the great bathrooms, and the location that triangulates me between some favorite downtown neighborhoods.

But I also have a price threshold, a holdover from my frugal upbringing. My mom is still shocked (and perhaps a bit disappointed) when I pay over $300 for a hotel room. But in the New York hotel world, $300 doesn’t get you much, and I view many of these experiences through a professional lens.

A great hotel provides inspiration and ideas that I often carry with me for years to come. Not only am I putting bits to work in my businesses, but my own home is a fertile testing ground for different ideas culled from some of my favorite hotels in the world.

A recent trip gave me a one night opportunity to check out a hotel that has been top of mind: Nine Orchard. The building, a former bank on the corner of Orchard and Canal in the Lower East Side, sits right on the edge of Dimes Square and Chinatown, a tall, elegant building situated among diminutive neighbors. It was years ago rumored to be a future ACE Hotel. That plan never materialized.

It opened several months ago with a big boost from Ignacio Mattos, a truly talented and humble chef whose NYC credibility in the food universe is cemented. He is operating Corner Bar with another restaurant, Amado Grill, on the way. His involvement first brought it to my attention, and a brief visit to the lobby (and a walk through the restaurant) confirmed it was a place requiring a return visit and a proper overnight stay.

The design is impressive. It feels old world luxe in a way that many downtown hotels do not, but it also feels incredibly cool and current. I think they nailed it. The hotel and rooms are sumptuous, elegant, and grand without being grandiose. The rooms are sort of plain (in a calm way) but there is an inherent quality you can feel - perhaps because so much of the furniture is BDDW.

I took my breakfast in the lobby bar (called Swan Room) in the morning, where coffee and croissants are provided for overnight guests. (Breakfast was available in Corner Bar.) The bar is the site of the former bank teller room, and the incredible Beaux Arts details have been well preserved.

I paid $550 for my room - not cheap - but I’d return. The turn down service included cookies from the nearby Mel the Bakery, and the simple croissant and coffee service in the bar was a nice way to start the day. I love the proximity to some of my favorite NYC spots (Cervo’s, Scarr’s Pizza, Metrograph, among others) and I’m looking forward to my next slumber.