Detailed Review
Located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the Hotel on Rivington is within walking distance to a wide variety of shops, dining options, and entertainment in the East Village, SOHO, Chinatown, and Little Italy. Guestrooms at the Hotel on Rivington offer sweeping and spectacular views of Manhattan, the rivers, and beyond. Each room boasts floor-to-ceiling glass walls, half of which also include a balcony. The larger-than-average rooms feature tempur-pedic mattresses, luxury Italian linens and robes, an oversized mini-bar, complimentary WiFi and high-speed internet, flat screen TVs with on-demand movies and music, and heated Italian Bisazza tile floors in the bathrooms. Many rooms also feature sexy showers-with-a-view, two-person Japanese style soaking tubs, or steam showers. Behind a striking ground floor entrance, THOR, the hotel’s restaurant, bar, and lounge by acclaimed chef Kurt Guttenbrunner is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
Press Quotes
"Thor is the tongue-in-cheek acronym for this 21-storey glass tower...." Times 07 "Floor-to-ceiling windows provide almost cliched images of the city: you can lie in bed and watch the sun set behind the Brooklyn Bridge while, uptown, the Empire State’s spire gleams. Private terraces add to the feeling of being suspended in the skyline" Conde Nast Traveler 05
Independent Reviews
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"The up-and-coming Lower East Side is home to this edgy designer hotel, with amazing views of Manhattan and a cool, urban vibe."
TI's favourite design hotel in NYC. Floor to ceiling windows provide great Manhattan views from this new Lower east side icon. Spare, functional but elegant decor. Therapeutic mattresses on beds. Book the Rivington Suite for the full-blown experience.
Hotel on Rivington
By Josie van der Schaaf
Hotel on Rivington is a new, 21-storey glass tower, notable for an offbeat location and for stunning views. Location-wise, it’s in the Lower East Side, in what’s meant to be the new Meatpacking District. The hotel calls this “a hip and historic area that has arrived”. Other people might call it plain scary – it does have a vibey, exciting, up-and-coming feel, but it’s not for people who don’t have a head for urban grit.
The views, though, are among the best in New York. It’s the tallest building in the area and you can see Manhattan, the rivers and beyond. All rooms have views and they get better and better further up the hotel (and the room types and rate scale) you go. The restaurant and lounge are on the ground floor. Thor, the restaurant, is very cool in black and white, with a soaring atrium in yet more glass.
Guests report varying levels of service from young, try-hard staff and occasional dips in quality of fittings and furnishings. Overall, though, a good, stylish, alternative getaway in New York, and don’t forget those views!
The rooms
Rooms are bigger than the average and simple and minimalist in style, with white Frette linens and Tempur-pedic mattresses. They vary in layout and features: some rooms have balconies, some have bathrooms with oversized soaking tubs, or glassed-in shower stalls with heady views - all bathrooms have heated floors. Room types are broken down into Regular and Medium (both king bed or two doubles); Large (mainly corner units with king beds) and Unique. These last all have a special feature: perhaps a private terrace, or a corner all-glass bathroom, or a three-person steam shower.
The Owner’s Suite, which extends all along the front of the 17th floor, is loft-style with lots of space. It includes a kitchenette, walk-in closet, super-luxurious bathrooms and separate bedrooms – of the course the owner is sometimes in it, so by request only.
The Penthouse is outrageous: a vast duplex suite, designed by Zaha Hadid, completely glassed in for yet more views. The mezzanine bedroom has a fireplace and there’s also a fireplace, a Jacuzzi and an outdoor shower on the landscaped rooftop. Other luxurious goodies are scattered around – plasma screens, a tub big enough for a couple. You can have 125 people to a cocktail party here, or just two people for a weekend of Jay Mcinerney-style decadence.
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A Travel + Leisure 2006 editor's pick
