In the Center of Midtown Manhattan stands a hotel that is situated on the crossroads of the world and has opened its doors in Times Square. The Times Square Edition is the place to be and there are so many reasons why you should book a stay in one of these minimalist guest-rooms, or grab a drink with friends at one of the bars on premises. This post will be walking you through the Times Square Edition and shed some light on the opening press conference with President and CEO Arne Sorenson and legendary hotelier Ian Schrager (My Two Idols!)
CEO ARNE SORENSON 
HOTELIER IAN SCHRAGER
In The Center Of It All
Located on the corner of West 47th Street and Seventh Avenue the Times Square Edition occupies prime real estate. Edition is one of Marriott’s multiple brands and its neighbors include the Marriott Marquis and W Hotel, as-well as multiple theaters and attractions. The surrounding area is as one would expect, loud, busy, and full of tourists. As I exited the train station a block away on Sixth Avenue, I saw the building’s neon banner with the hotel logo shimmering in all directions. Once I walked under the dark scaffolding and past a loud construction site I was welcomed by the doorman with a smile.
“This is the first luxury hotel in Times Square”
Ian Schrager
Latest Property
The Edition property houses just the hotel and nothing else. Once you enter on West 47th Street you are greeted with a calming effect. The first level of the hotel was a empty hallway with white walls and a green Orb at the end next to the three elevators that only go to the public areas of the hotel. You will notice Editions Custom Scent as you walk towards the elevators.
The Lobby which is situated on the 10th floor the lobby is small for a hotel of its size. The lobby is covered in walls of plants from in back of the check-in desk to the black scissor staircase. At the top of the staircase is the cocktail lounge of the hotelās vegetable-driven main restaurant 701 West, which is helmed by chef John Fraser, a Michelin star chef. Back down stairs I noticed that some of the decor had a floating effect where the desks or seats give the appearance of floating in the air, it’s all in the Schrager’s design of course. The lobby has two spaces that make you feel like you are not in Times Square. The Black Room and White Room. The Black Room is literally a black room with low black chairs with a circular table in the middle. The room is decorated with a array of books and a steel fireplace. The room is small but very cozy. The white room is made up of multiple white and light beige furniture and its centerpiece is the lobby bar. The back of the bar displays all the different crystal decanters. The room is supposed to encourage relaxation. When I was given the tour by the lovely woman she said that the point of the Black and White Rooms was to have immense contrasts. All of this is representation of Schragerās design.
Downstairs on the ninth floor travelers will find more exciting public spaces. The floor is split up into The Terrace which is a amazing bar with a vaulted ceiling, an antique mirror and red-velvet bar stools. Another room has an indoor garden space adorned with large amounts of greenery. The other space is the outdoor covered terrace with different picnic tables. My favorite area of the ninth floor was the indoor garden, a room draped in green with plants and lanterns suspended from the ceiling and surrounding the room. I felt like I was on a secluded island not in the heart of New York City. The press conference for the opening of the hotel was held in that room (I will discuss that in more detail soon). When I walked out on the terrace I then remembered that I was right in the middle of the city. From above, the view impressed even this native New Yorker, I was in awe with the scene of Times Square below.
The hotel features a large fitness center with state of the art fitness equipment, you will not be disappointed. The fitness center has large ceilings and windows and even a terrace where you could do some yoga in the summer. If you decide to use the bike or treadmill you will enjoy fantastic views of Times Square from above.
“What hotel in Times Square has a palm tree in it”
Ian Schrager.
A Minimalistic Aesthetic
Once we exited the high speed elevator I noticed that the hallways appeared smaller than other hotels. With only the light fixtures on the wall, the hallways felt luxurious and funky with the dimmed lighting effect. The Elevator area was all black also with dimmed lighting and a circle mirror on the wall with a small table. The woman who gave me the tour told me that even the carpet is high quality and not the generic carpet that hotels put in just to last longer, she said you feel at home here you don’t feel like your in any random hotel.
I was able to view two rooms in the hotel, one was a classic king and the other was a premium balcony suite. The sweet woman who was giving me the private tour wanted to show me the presidential suites but due to the opening press conference they were being occupied by Ian Schrager and Arne Sorenson. The classic king room was small, it measured about 210 square feet. The room has an open layout so there is no door that is separating the bathroom from the rest of the room, instead there is a thick curtain that covers the area. The toilet and shower was designed with a fogged glass door so that you have privacy. The standard rooms are equipped with a stand up shower and no tub. The sink and mirror area has very nice lighting and a simple design. The room was designed like every other Edition property with bleached-oak floors, a faux-fur throw on the bed, and white linen. The bed was in the center of the room and a chair and lamp was in the corner near the big window. Unlike other hotels where the TV is mounted on the wall, the TV was in a perfectly fitted cut out in the wall so it did not take up any room. The closet and mini bar was also blended into the wall and you would not even notice it unless you look for the handle indent. It is like looking for the book in the book shelf that opens the secret door. The mini bar was packed with all healthy and low calorie snacks and the closet housed a safe, robe, and a steamer. Edition eliminated the traditional iron and ironing board and replaced it was a steamer which is a faster and more efficient way to get those creases out.
Like all Edition Hotels, the rooms were very minimalist and modern with a bright decor it really makes the hotel feel luxurious. I forgot to mention that Edition uses one of my favorite fragrance brands LeLabo as their bath amenities, LeLabo made a custom scent for the Edition hotel brand. You can only experience the scent at a Edition hotel or for purchase at shopedition.com.
The suite was on the same floor just down the hall. The suite was double the size of the regular room. The bed was in a corner with its crisp white sheets and fur throw. Unlike the regular room there was a separate bathroom with a regular door, the bathroom had a tub and a walk in shower and a full window. In the room there was a long table, part of which was the desk and a nice chair. The TV was on the table not in the wall. In my opinion the TV was too far from the bed and if you don’t have good eye sight then you will not be able to see the screen clearly. In the middle of the room was a table with a vase with a flower and some books. There was also a white couch and white chaise lounge chair. The room had windows that wrapped around the suite, you controlled the window shades with just the click of a bottom to open or close them. The suite offers a terrace where I had amazing views of Times Square whichever way I looked. The best view in my opinion was looking straight down. Both rooms were on the one of the top floors so the view was terrific. Both rooms were truly luxurious.
Night Life
This would not be a Ian Schrager hotel if it did not have a nightlife experience. The Paradise Club is Schrager’s come back to Midtown after the closing of his famous night club Studio 54. Schrager does not want you to call it a nightclub. Sadly I was not able to get a look into the area since the hotel had a slate of events for the opening week. But what I do know about the area is that the hotel teamed up with House of Yes, from Brooklyn, for the entertainment. I will be back soon to review the scene
The Times Square Edition is the new Jewel in Midtown and it holds up the luxury flag. There will be no problem filling all its guest-rooms. The decor and design of the hotel shows that this is no random hotel but a true masterpiece, anything Ian Schrager and Arne Sorenson create never fails to impress me or the the world. Even though I was unable to see every part of the hotel, I will definitely be back so that I can write a full review and maybe experience that faux fur throw for myself, oh and I still want to see that presidential suite š
The Opening Press Conference
Wednesday March 13th was a special day for me as a blogger. I was privileged to be able to attend the Times Square Edition Opening Press Conference with President and CEO Arne Sorenson and Legendary Hotelier Ian Schrager. I did not know what to expect and I did not know what to wear either. When I arrived I was greeted by the PR agent and she took me to the ninth floor into the indoor garden. The room was draped with different plants and even some palm trees. The room was lit by natural light and the lanterns that are suspended from ceiling added to the effect. I felt like I was outdoors but i was actually in a heated room. There was a bar on one of the walls with different liquors and wines. Tables and chairs were spread around the room and one long wooden table was in the middle of the room with comfortable seating.
When I entered I was told that I could sit anywhere, the PR Agent brought me a press kit and a Edition Branded Pen and Note Pad to take notes of the conference. Directly in front of me was three chairs that were set for Arne Sorenson, Ian Schrager, and Matt Turner. Beverages were provided and the staff was very kind. While waiting for the press conference to begin I met with other bloggers and publishers from different companies. I did not expect such a relaxed environment for a press conference. I immediately noticed when Arne Sorenson entered the room, he did not draw any attention and just started mingling with other people. I went over to Arne and introduced myself and of course took a picture with him, I did the same with Ian Schrager. Finally it was time for the press conference to begin.
During the press conference Arne and Ian spoke about the hotel and location, how they met, and the future of the luxury hotel business and more. The conference was great and it was so inspiring. Once it was over I met with the people who invited me and I walked out with a gift bag which included an Edition candle as well as a metal reusable water bottle. I am so happy that I attended this event and meeting the different people. It was truly a day to remember.
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