If someone applied Marie Kondo's decluttering method to hotel design, the result might be very similar to Sister City, a 200-room property on Manhattan's Lower East Side.
The hotel's founding ethos (Less, But Better) certainly dovetails with Kondo's KonMari philosophy, which centers on the idea that people should only own things that truly "spark joy." At Sister City, everything from the property's self-serve check-in area to each room's built-in bed storage is boiled down to the essential.
Sister City marks the latest offshoot from Atelier Ace, the independent hospitality group behind the Ace Hotel brand. Unlike the upper-upscale Ace, however, Sister City is a more moderately priced proposition, with rates starting at around $183 a night.
I was invited to tour the property during its soft opening and came to the conclusion that Sister City is tailor-made for the budget-conscious millennial who values a prime location and has an affinity for sleek, modern spaces.
Sister City’s appropriately minimalist entrance on the Bowery. Photo Credit: TW photo by Christina Jelski
Quite a few of these spaces happen to be notably small. Sister City's guestrooms start at just around 120 to 130 square feet for a single room with a double bed and top out at up to 260 square feet for a corner queen or king room.
Most rooms are outfitted with one double, queen or king bed, with a selection of bunk bed accommodations featuring a double bed stacked atop another double and a room capacity of four. All rooms have private bathrooms with showers and bulk bath-product dispensers, a small TV, a Bluetooth speaker and small desk area. Self-serve stations stocked with extra carafes, towels and toilet paper as well as an iron, ironing board and steamer are available on each floor's hallway.
But despite the pared down room amenities, Sister City still showcases plenty of interesting design touches. Unique lighting fixtures, vintage furniture and Finnish sauna-inspired wood paneling throughout the property all help infuse the hotel's austere aesthetic with warmth and charm.
Meanwhile, given the Ace Hotel's proven success in turning its public spaces into popular local hangouts, it seems likely Floret, Sister City's ground-floor restaurant, will attract plenty of neighborhood interest when it opens this summer. Helmed by chef Joe Ogrodnek, the all-day eatery will serve a "vegetable-forward" menu that draws influences from the Mediterranean, North Africa and East Asia, while the restaurant's drink menu, crafted by Sister City beverage director Josh Hanover, promises to highlight farm-fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.
Sister City's biggest draw, however, is likely to be its indoor-outdoor bar, Last Light. Already open to the public, the space is perched on the 11th floor, with oversize windows and a wraparound patio offering expansive views of the Lower East Side, One World Trade Center and the Empire State Building. Last Light's drinks menu is cocktail-focused, featuring concoctions like the Tiki Torch, made with gin, Aperol and coconut, and the Glow Stick, a blend of cachaca, sherry and berries. Drinks can be paired with a selection of small plates like ricotta toast, black bass ceviche and razor clams casino, among others.
While there are no concrete plans in place for additional Sister City locations, an Atelier Ace spokesperson said the concept is well-suited for expansion into urban markets like Tokyo and Copenhagen, where a smaller guestroom footprint and design-forward approach makes sense.
Maison de la Luz set to debut
Meanwhile, Atelier Ace is also making a play at the higher end with Maison de la Luz, another spinoff concept. Opened across the street from the Ace Hotel New Orleans earlier this year, the 67-room luxury property is housed in a historical building. In addition to its Breakfast Room and Living Room restaurant and bar outlets, Maison de la Luz offers guests "priority access" to nearby New Orleans venues like Bar Marilou, Three Keys and Alto, the rooftop bar and garden terrace at the Ace Hotel New Orleans.
Even with all the new brand activity, Atelier Ace isn't done growing its core flag. The Ace Hotel portfolio, which now spans nine locations in New York; Chicago; Los Angeles; New Orleans; Palm Springs, Calif.; Pittsburgh; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and London, will open an outpost in Kyoto near the end of the year.