The Beat Goes On

Inspired by the small, elegant hotels of the Left Bank of Paris, such as the Hotel des Saints-Peres, Sean MacPherson- the coolest hotelier in Downtown Manhattan- has created a world that’s more urbane than urban with his latest, The Marlton Hotel. Like a younger version of his other property- The Bowery Hotel- The Marlton is a stylish, yet affordable boutique hotel inspired by postwar Paris and the bohemian heydays of Greenwich Village. Built in 1900 as the Marlton House and later a haven for Jack Kerouac and his crew, the nine-story, 107 room hotel is located just off Washington Square Park in the heart of the Village. MacPherson designs, builds and decorates his hotels the old-fashioned way…by using his own funds, along with partner hoteliers Richard Born and Ira Drukier.

In planning, he stayed at the iconic Ritz in Paris before it closed for renovation- it is scheduled to reopen at the end of 2014. The Marlton’s cool, casual elegance is the perfect retreat for creatives where original herringbone floors, regal wainscoting, crown molding, private marble bathrooms, chicken-wire closets, brass fixtures, and two penthouses on the 11th floor evoke an old-world Parisian vibe. There’s an espresso bar in the lobby that makes raw almond cappuccinos and gluten-free vegan breakfasts cookies, and then there’s Margaux, one of New York’s newest hot spots for dining, where they’re serving up dishes with sunny, dynamic flavors, influenced by the cultures and cuisines of the southern and eastern Mediterranean, France and California. Forget Williamsburg…MacPherson keeps lower Manhattan tres hip. www.marltonhotel.com