The Standard

Manhattan/Meatpacking District

848 Washington Street
(between 13th St & Little W 12th St)
New York, NY 10014

(212) 645-4646

Dark, masculine, imposing and sexy are the four words that come to mind when describing the Standard hotel, recently completed and located in NYC's Meatpacking District. The monolithic exterior, that seemingly floats over the almost completed Highline Park, is the work of Polshek Partnership who is also behind the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue in DC.

To back up the promise of the exterior, the Standard's interiors had to be good. Luckily developer Andre Balazs chose one of my favorite design teams: Roman & Williams. The interior is just as sexy as the exterior is imposing. Of course some of the sexy concessions of the interior end up being a bit of an ergonomic compromise. The black terracotta tile bathrooms are not exactly well lit. And the open showers inevitably make the entire bathroom wet. But these and a few more nitpicks are inconsequential if you allow yourself to soak up the atmosphere. Plus, the beds are wonderfully comfortable, even if you don't plan on sleeping.

Here are some pictures I took during my stay:

Something evil has landed in the Meatpacking District