One of the best parts about visiting New York is staying in a great hotel. Places like New York are full of fascinating history and lush accommodations, and The High Line Hotel is one that stands from the rest. This hotel has a rich history that adds to the allure of the experience. The building was built in the mid-1800’s by famed architect Charles Haight. It was once the General Theological Seminary and stands as a Federal Historic Landmark. It doubled as Clement Clarke Moore’s 17th-century apple orchard and boasts a glorified cathedral that New Yorker’s adore. Located in Chelsea Manhattan’s gallery district, this hotel is in a prime location to the buzz of the city but is nestled away just enough to offer a feeling of privacy and exclusivity. Gas lamps and a lush garden remind you that this hotel is from an entirely different era, with generations of memories and hundreds of stories to tell “if the walls could talk”.
Every inch of this hotel has been beautifully preserved, from the stunning gothic architecture in the exterior to the originally built fireplaces and accents in the common areas. Each room has been furnished with hand-selected antiques from antique fairs, vintage markets, and local New York artifacts. Each suite feels homey, warm and comforting. It truly feels like a home away from home. The staff is so friendly and helpful. I noticed they knew more than half the guests and locals’ names that frequent the lobby coffee shop serving delicious Intelligentsia coffee. Coming from a hospitality background, that to me stands out because the hotel industry is a transient business and names and faces can often blur together if you donbt pay attention.
I was there a couple times, but the last was during this season’s New York Fashion Week. As crazy and hectic as that week was, the hotel did everything in its power to make my stay there so pleasant and wonderful and for that, I am eternally grateful! Normally, fashion weeks are filled with meetings, fittings, running from backstage recaps to the front of the house fashion shows all up and down Soho and the last thing you need to worry about is your hotel going wrong. To my surprise, I had a couple clothing racks in my room to help me stay organized with my outfits for the week and more than enough hangers to keep everything neat and wrinkle-free. I was so grateful to be given such a lovely and inspiring room. It had a very comfy king size bed, massive (by new york standards) living room complete with an old-school writing desk, vintage-looking sattee and a cozy fireplace complete with a book filled mantel.
Staying at this hotel is like going back in time to experience a piece of history while making your own new memories. From sitting at the desk to do your work next to the unique vintage custom embossers to making a quick call on the Western Electric 202 rotary dial phones…you feel as if you are living in a different time where people don’t know about cell phones and my career as a social media influencer could not even be comprehended. Then you look around at the vintage and expertly sourced furniture and heirloom rugs and you can’t believe you are actually in a hotel room. The whole time I felt more at home than I actually feel in my less than lived-in LA apartment ( I really need to relax on the travel schedule and actually live there for longer than two weeks at a time lol). I can’t even begin to explain the event space seen here which actually left me speechless. It’s this turn-of-the-century Collegiate Gothic architectural space that really reminds you that this place used to be a seminary. The event space is spectacular and perfect for just about any event. They even held a fashion show there during fashion week. I sadly didn’t get a chance to have a proper shoot there but you better believe it’s happening when I go back. Until then, I snapped a few pics as I was touring the property and I still don’t think they do the vibe of this place justice. I frankly can’t wait to go back again.
What do you think?