Moxy Hotels, Marriott International’s playful, experiential hotel brand, expects to welcome two New York City hotels to its roster this year, bringing the brand to a total of three properties in the city by the end of 2018.

Designed for both the young and the young-at-heart, Moxy made its Big Apple debut in September 2017 with the much-anticipated opening of Moxy Times Square. Moxy Downtown and Moxy Chelsea will fully embrace modern fun-hunting travellers with their spirit, style and affordable price points.

“These two new hotels will both have a distinct style and personality, reflective of the culturally-rich neighbourhoods they are located in, giving locals and visitors alike more ways to play with us,” said Toni Stoeckl, global brand leader and vice president, Distinctive Select Service Brands, Marriott International.

The new-build, 30-storey, 298-key Moxy Downtown, located just off Broadway and steps away from the World Trade Center, will radiate the neighbourhood’s eclectic vibe and put travellers in the heart of the emerging Downtown scene when it opens in summer 2018. Developed by Mark Gordon of Tribeca Associates and designed by Stone Hill Taylor, travellers will be welcomed by the hotel’s dramatic 22-foot atrium lobby featuring a monumental 12ft x 21ft LED Wall. The LED Wall will illuminate Ann Street and serve as a virtual window into the activity on the hotel’s third floor “play space". Designed to be the ultimate 24/7 neighbourhood hangout spot for both day and night, this space will feature a unique array of work spaces, games and entertainment.

Moxy Downtown’s food and beverage programme will be run by a local F&B partner known for creating some of New York City’s favourite neighbourhood bars and restaurants, and will feature bespoke cocktails, elevated bar fare and a tailored coffee programme. Designed with a focus towards blending upgraded finishes and an efficient use of space, the hotel’s guestrooms will feature the latest in technology, floor-to-ceiling glass windows to highlight great views and thoughtful attention to detail throughout.

Sophisticated yet playful, hand-crafted yet modern, the 349-room Moxy Chelsea reimagines the urban jungle, blending botanically inspired design with Italian romance — welcome to the Flower District’s new secret garden. Rising 37 stories high into the New York City skyline, the micro-room, macro-amenity hotel, developed by Lightstone, marks the second collaboration between Yabu Pushelberg and Rockwell Group, the designers behind Moxy Times Square. The architecture, by Stonehill Taylor, complements the neighbourhood with its raw, industrial façade and soaring, greenhouse-style atrium. Inside, guests are greeted by a lushly overgrown flower shop at the entrance, and a lively trattoria, pasticceria and café that fuse timeless Italian elegance with a modern sensibility. The second floor is devoted to live/work/play spaces, including a bar, meeting studios, co-working lounge, and profusely planted conservatory. Topping off the hotel is a glass-enclosed rooftop bar featuring views of the Empire State Building; at the touch of a button, retractable windows transform the lounge into an alfresco sky veranda. Guest rooms, adorned with floor to ceiling windows, are flooded with natural light and filled with whimsical details, while reflecting a careful consideration of space and functionality. This will be Lightstone’s second Moxy hotel opening in New York City, following the successful launch of Moxy Times Square.

Both hotels will have Moxy’s approachable price point, which allows guests to invest in the experiences they actually want, rather than paying for amenities that they don’t. Each hotel will offer mobile check-in/out, 24/7 grab-and-go F&B offerings, tech-enabled spaces, furiously free and fast wi-fi, stylish bedrooms featuring the brand’s signature open-storage concept for ultimate flexibility, and a spirited Moxy Crew.

“Moxy is designed to facilitate authentic experiences and touchpoints for the modern traveller, which means no two hotels are alike – they take on the personality and vibe of their surrounding neighbourhoods,” added Stoeckl. “New York City encapsulates everything Moxy is about, and we’re really excited now to be able to offer a Moxy in the city for whatever type of experience Moxy’s fun-hunting travellers are looking for.”

Moxy Hotels debuted in 2014 with the opening of Moxy Milan, and has since grown to include 23 hotels across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific. There are nearly 90 signed Moxy deals worldwide; of which 26 are in the US. These hotels are expected to open by the end of 2021. In 2018, the brand is expected to open in locations including Chicago, Washington DC, Memphis, Atlanta, and London. - TradeArabia News Service