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THE KNICKERBOCKER
Design firm Gabellini Sheppard emerged as top talents in view of their recent work at the $250 million renovation of The Knickerbocker Hotel. The dynamic duo designed a number of luxurious suites, rightly titled after Caruso, Cohan, Martini and Parrish, all legends, and major figures in New York’s cultural scenes. The history of The Knickerbocker Hotel reads like a glittering history of New York itself. Originally opened in 1906 by financier John Jacob Astor IV, it quickly became home to art and music royalty including American painter and illustrator Maxfield Parrish and world-famous tenor Enrico Caruso.
“We looked to classic materials like oak, steel, and leather to give each of these suites its own unique personality and each as big as the people that inspired them …. At the same time, we chose finishes, colors, and lighting that very much convey a contemporary sense of what New York luxury means today.” Michael Gabellini, partner at Gabellini Sheppard
WHY WE PICKED IT
All seven hotels were picked for their unique designs. Each one represents what a luxury hotel ought to be: elegant, charming, comfortable, able to exude a sense of contentment, and sooth the occasional, if not constant fastidious guest. The Surrey Hotel, The Mark, The St. Regis in the Upper East Side, The Morgans, The Knickerbocker and The Soho Grand, these hotels have an abundance of charm that embodies “home away from home”. A chic one, that is.