Downtown New York City has become a destination in itself. The revived South Street Seaport is at the centre of all the hype, a 400-year-old emblem of the city’s past as a strategic port. With this, a number of concept places to stay have opened up, including the lauded hotel, Mr. C Seaport.
The Cipriani family decided to open a wow-factor 66-roomer downtown in Lower Manhattan and just by Pier 17. The hotel is set in an old brick warehouse building surrounded by historic cobblestone streets. Mr. C Seaport is a luxurious, minimalist hotel, perfectly placed for OutThere urban adventurers looking to discover a different side to this infamous city. Considering it was once a Best Western, the hotel’s designers have done a sterling job in bringing it up to date and upgraded, considering they didn’t get to build it from scratch. Still, certain “template chain hotel” features remain … unavoidable, but at times glaringly obvious, especially to seasoned hotel hounds. For us, the cachet of this place lies much more about brand and service, rather than space.
Welcomed with a pink Bellini in hand, we headed up to a well-appointed suite, with a view of the water and Brooklyn Bridge – a big win in our opinion, especially when dusk arrived and the landmark lit up. The decor is calm, clean and masculine, with lots of teakwood and Italian soft touches, including the luxurious linen. The Ciprianis’ food and beverage heritage is dominant even in the room, we adored (and racked up quite a bill) our high-end minibar.
For more elaborate cocktails, we headed down to the in-house outpost of the famous Venetian restaurants that bear the family’s name. Don’t forget to try their espresso martini at the end of the meal to prepare you for a night out on the town, an NYC special. Partygoers can head uptown for its delights, but we opted for the edgier scene of Brooklyn instead.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Insider | JFK / EWR | GMT -5 |
| While you’re Out There |
| To explore downtown, we opted for the hotel’s fleet of cars on standby ready to shuttle guests for free within a 20-block radius. For shopaholics, this complimentary ride includes Brookfield Place, the self-billed “best destination” for shopping, dining as well as art and culture events. |
Photography courtesy of Mr. C Seaport
