The Mercer Hotel, located at the corner of

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...

and Prince Streets in

SoHo SoHo, short for "South of Houston Street, Houston Street", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, art installations such as The Wall ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. It offers 73 guest rooms on six floors of a

Romanesque revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

building, and features Sartiano's Italian restaurant and the Submercer lounge. Opened in 1997, The Mercer is the sister hotel to The Greenwich Hotel.

History

Built in 1890 for

John Jacob Astor III John Jacob Astor III (June 10, 1822 – February 22, 1890) was an American financier, philanthropist and a soldier during the American Civil War. He was a prominent member of the Astor family, becoming the wealthiest member in his generation. Ea ...

, the six-story, 84,000 square foot brick building has been cited by the

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the Government of New York City, New York City agency charged with administering the city's Historic preservation, Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting Ne ...

as an example of the

Romanesque Revival Romanesque Revival (or Neo-Romanesque) is a style of building employed beginning in the mid-19th century inspired by the 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque architecture. Unlike the historic Romanesque style, Romanesque Revival buildings tended t ...

period. Architect William Schickel, known for his extensive work on behalf of the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in the New York (state), State of New York. It encompasses the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island in New York ...

, designed the building as offices for the vast Astor family holdings, resulting in a façade considerably more ornate than its industrial neighbors. Prior to its conversion, the building served as artists' lofts and studios, for which the hotel has become known. The long-shuttered property was acquired in 1988;

BD Hotels BD Hotels builds, owns and operates capsule hotels. It owns and operates 24 hotels in New York City, including the Blakely Hotel, the Maritime, the Bowery, and the Jane hotels. The company also control 12 residential and commercial buildings. BD ...

, with

André Balazs André Tomas Balazs (born January 31, 1957) is an American businessman and hotelier. He is president and chief executive officer of André Balazs Properties, a portfolio of hotels across the United States and residences in New York, especially i ...

refurbished the building, then opened as The Mercer in 1997. It was SoHo's first hotel, and was later noted as SoHo's first five-star hotel. They launched The Mercer Kitchen restaurant (1998–2022) the following year. In 2023, Zero Bond founder Scott Sartiano joined as a partner at The Mercer with BD Hotels, and established its contemporary food and beverage services.

Design

The overall aesthetic allows The Mercer to be "the first hotel to offer an authentic taste of loft living", an urban signature that is completely original to New York. Parisian designer

Christian Liaigre Christian Liaigre (10 August 1943 – 4 September 2020) was a French interior designer and architect. Biography Born into a family from Vendée, Liaigre entered the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts and the École nationale supérieure ...

ensured all furnishings were kept original and exclusive to the hotel. Liaigre created a modernist interior with an emphasis on harmonized proportions and subtle color palettes.

Sartiano's

Scott Sartiano opened Sartiano's Italian restaurant at The Mercer in June 2023. Culinary director and

James Beard Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media awar ...

-winning chef

Alfred Portale Alfred Portale (born July 5, 1954), in Buffalo, New York, is an American chef, author, and restaurateur, is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in the New American cuisinemovement. After graduating (first in his class) from the Culinary In ...

oversees the open kitchen's menu. Sartiano's replaced the former Mercer Kitchen, which had closed in 2022, operates the hotel's upper level café, and provides room service throughout the hotel. In 2024, Sartiano reopened the brick-walled Submercer lounge, a storied SoHo bar, below its main dining room.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer Hotel, The Hotels in Manhattan SoHo, Manhattan Romanesque Revival architecture in New York City