September brings fashion week to New York. The city arrives at its peak. The light off the Hudson justifies everything.
Where to stay has one answer and many variations. The answer is The Mercer. The variations are other hotels that pull in different directions.
The Mercer Hotel lobby, SoHo
But The Mercer first.
The Mercer
The building at 147 Mercer Street opens directly onto the corner of Mercer and Prince. Built in 1890 for John Jacob Astor III, its Romanesque Revival bones reward respect. High ceilings. Wide windows. Proportions that work.
Christian Liaigre, the late Parisian designer, called his approach "romantic minimalism." He brought proportion, comfort, and restraint into balance. The interiors follow his discipline.
Seventy-three rooms spread across six floors. Penthouse lofts have soaring ceilings. Corner suites capture the building's character best. Danby marble bathrooms arrive from Vermont. The attention shows everywhere.
Sartiano's dining room, The Mercer Hotel
The Mercer doesn't pursue fashion week. It has hosted it for twenty-five years.
Isabelle Rowe
Penthouse loft at The Mercer Hotel
Sartiano's
Sartiano's opened in 2023, replacing Mercer Kitchen after its twenty-five-year tenure. Chef Alfred Portale oversees modern Italian. The open kitchen shows the work. The menu reflects what guests have been doing all day and offers corrective nourishment.
Chanel held its 2023 Met Gala after-party here. That detail locates the restaurant in its proper context.
Corner suite at The Mercer Hotel
Six more options
Six other hotels serve different needs across the city.
The Lowell on East 63rd works for those who find SoHo overstimulating. The Mark sits on the Upper East Side; proximity to Central Park is its primary claim. The Bowery Hotel anchors the creative district with downtown grit and uptown finish. Eleven Howard brings Scandinavian minimalism to SoHo. The Baccarat on West 53rd announces itself loudly. The Carlyle carries a hundred years of history; Bemelmans Bar waits at day's end.
The Mercer doesn't pursue fashion week. It has hosted it for twenty-five years. The industry discovered it first. The industry kept returning. The hotel ignored both facts. That indifference is why it works.
The Mercer Hotel rates begin at approximately $650 per night. Book through mercerhotel.com.
Photography courtesy of The Mercer Hotel, New York — © The Mercer Hotel