It's hard to believe that a former hat factory could morph into chic luxury accommodation, but that’s the story of the Refinery Hotel in New York’s Midtown. A rug at the front entrance adorned with scissors (as well as other tools of the millinery trade) hanging behind the concierge desk allude to this intriguing transformation. This 12-floor, 197-room hotel occupies the original Colony Arcade Building near Bryant Park, seven blocks from Central Station, which a century ago was a hub of America’s clothing trade.
In the early 1900s, due to exorbitant prices in Paris and the shopping mecca of the "Ladies’ Mile" moving to Midtown, business in this New York neighborhood exploded. As couture houses and garment factories set up shop to take advantage of the boom, so too did enterprising brothers, Frederick and Robert Zobol, who in 1913 promptly cut the ribbon on this neo-Gothic style building.
Positive impressions begin with the hotel’s façade. The building is based on the 19th-century base-shaft capital design, meaning it has the proportions and aesthetics of a classical Greek column. Sculptural quatrefoils, original window shields and eagles enhance the neo-Gothic effect. The interior has a post-modern, yet industrial sense about it and its retro rooms feature 12-foot ceilings, windows that open, dark, brushed-oak hardwood floors, mosaic tile bathrooms and original art.
Highlights of our room included a lampshade in the corner posing as a 20th-century photographer’s flash-bulb with print that replicates the quatrefoils on the building’s exterior, as well as a writing desk crafted in homage to the Singer sewing machine once used by workers and artisans in the area years ago. Even the coffee-table reflected more than a hint of nostalgia, designed after old factory carts. Our bathroom featured a walk-in shower and Beekman 1802 toiletries from upstate New York. All rooms are loft-like, atelier style.
In terms of location, convenience doesn’t get much better. The hotel is a five minute walk from Times Square and 10 minutes from Broadway theaters. Attractions such as the Beaux-Arts styled New York Public Library, the Highline, the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center and Observation Deck are all within a leisurely stroll. If you want to follow the fashion theme of the Refinery, visit the nearby Fashion Institute of Technology Museum and the Fashion Walk of Fame.
