Hotel reviews: The Standard

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The Standard is the latest André Balazs property, the man responsible for some of the most eye-catching, trend-setting hotels in the States including three other Standards (Miami, LA and Hollywood) as well as The Mercer. It instantly became the star attraction of the district when it opened in January 2009 and attracts the gaze from those strolling along The Highline, squinting strenuously to catch a cheeky glimpse of the voyeuristic guests through the floor to ceiling windows. The building was designed by Todd Schliemann and the interiors were a joint effort by Hollywood set designer Shawn Hausman and New York firm Roman and Williams. The hotel's young staff is drawn from an arts background (musicians, writers, artists) so as to be able to relate more easily to the target clientele. In fact, so adamant was The Standard to nurture an arts culture that they specifically ask on the application form for no experience in the hotel industry as a pre-requisite. A decision that has resulted in a great little team.

• Location
• TO KNOW
• Overview
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Beach
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Standing proud over the High Line, one giant concrete leg either side of former railway, The Standard is a veritable one-off. Its entrance, at the foot of one of the supporting columns, has a patio dotted with moulded yellow picnic tables to match the revolving door leading to the lobby. Inside you'll find a lobby full of interesting forms and concepts-it's just a shame that it can get quite congested at times. The mirrored ceiling allows the guest waiting to be seen at reception to observe goings on in the lobby from a whole new perspective while the seating is high-backed dark grey leather couches from which it is extremely difficult to get back on your feet, such is the level of comfort. The walls delimiting the lobby, which seem like a sheet of moulded door handles, are at once so simple yet so elaborate. They are a copy of a 1950s work (found in Mexico) by Erwin Hauer, a sculptor who specialised in modular constructivism, and are fascinating to look at. At the back of the hall are the two marble reception desks with the concierge squeezed between them, attended to exclusively by young, beautiful members of staff in savvy uniforms (the girls' dresses are a copy of a sexy Alexander McQueen). The hotel's gym must have the finest view of any fitness centre in the city. Several floors up, it has spectacular views onto the city and the Hudson through the floor to ceiling windows. The machines are top quality and the cardio ones have individual screens. If you cannot get motivated to exercise here, then you should probably give up trying. Throughout the hotel are many unique features such as the 18th floor glass-floored smoking deck which is a take on the expression 'smoking kills', with smokers facing up to a sheer drop. The lift features a brilliantly made video by Marco Brambilla, an Italian artist, who has put together 400 different movie images to create an interactive piece whereby heaven is portrayed when the lift ascends and hell is depicted when it comes back down again. You'll find ice available at several points in the hotel while the corridor lighting sees strip lamps fitted width ways along the corridor rather than the usual length ways. It is only to be expected that the hotel is in a pristine state given its age, but nonetheless it is no mean feat to keep a predominantly white space that colour. The staff are nothing but courteous and full of smiles and seem to have a real invested interest in the hotel; one of the first things we heard upon entering was "We are quite a new hotel. If there's anything you think we can do better, let us know."

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• Overview
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The Standard has some of the most stunning rooms of any hotel we have seen, due largely to the unobstructed views of Manhattan and the Hudson, but also thanks to the top draw design inspired by 1960s/70s Copenhagen featuring clean lines and a perfect ensemble of shapes (lots of rounded edges) and colours (which marry perfectly with the sunlight). The standard room (which starts from an amazing $195), has floor to ceiling windows, wooden slats covering the wall behind the bed and the ceiling, an oval desk with designer's chair and a couch next to the window. Amenities include a flatscreen television framed in a dark wooden box, iPod docking station and a well-stocked minibar with snacks and a pouring bar above. The bathroom, one of whose walls is glass and gives onto the room, is fitted out with burnt red glazed tiles, and has a shower with glass door, hairdryer and Kiss My Face toiletries. The next few categories differ only in their floor number, the size of the bed and/or the presence of a slightly bigger seating area in the form of a wrap around sofa (with a few having a peek-a-boo bathtub). The category before the suites is the corner rooms which offer astounding 180° views and ensure that the room is bathed in light. The suite we saw was an open plan affair and had a standalone bathtub in the room. To give a floating sensation, the room actually juts out from the rest of the building so that from parts of the room you see nothing but the Hudson and the far off city. The Liberty Suite offers almost 600ft² of space with a seven foot round platform bed as well as tea cup bathtub for two and dining space for up to six. The largest suite, the Empire, has all the above plus extra seating space in the bedroom. All rooms featuring the word 'Empire' face the Empire State Building, while all those featuring 'Liberty' face the Hudson.

• Location
• TO KNOW
• Overview
• Accommodation
• Food and drink
• Beach
• Photos

The hotel's restaurant is The Standard Grill. It is divided into two parts with one half inside the hotel and the other with an entrance on the street. The former, the back room, is a more cosy set up with both leather booths and tables and has a more familial feel. The open kitchen adds to the sense of excitement in the room and there are several covers right in front of it, while remarkably the floor is covered with almost half a million old pennies. The front room is a different story, flooded with light and almost exclusively white. A smart bar runs most of the length of the room which has covers right along it with tables and circular booths making up the rest of the seating. The bustling, city ambiance is added to by the tartan clad waiters running around serving up the creations of chef Dan Silverman (formerly of The Lever House). Both parts of the restaurant have the same menu are serve breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. The brunch menu offers, in addition to the breakfast menu, which is fairly standard, dishes including Sunburst Farm rainbow trout and the Standard Ranch Burger. Oysters are also available as are brunch cocktails and other alcohol. Lunch entails appetizers such as haricots verts salad with yoghurt, cinnamon and crispy shallots preceding sandwiches and mains like house made saffron pappardelle, braised rabbit and shiitake mushrooms. At dinner time, start by tucking into something from the counter, such as some jamón Ibérico or sopressata, a sausage with black pepper and spices. Follow this up with a soup or salad before enjoying such fare as charred Spanish octopus with sweet potato and chilies or something sturdier like the Basque lobster stew with fingerling potatoes and white wine sauce.