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otels are the new nightclubs. Just ask Studio 54 co-creator Ian Schrager, the Pied Piper of the pretty people, who recently debuted The New York Edition on once-desolate

and semi-sketchy Madison Square Park. Now, I’ve practically moved into The Edition’s lobby. Where else can I double kiss fashion VIPs such as Iman, Linda Fargo, Adam Lippes, Fern Mallis, Max Osterweis of SUNO, Mazdack and Zanna Rassi and Jenne Lombardo? Not to mention Rosario Dawson, Stefano Tonchi, Marilyn Minter, Curtis Kulig and more willowy models VJCP� [QWũF� ƓPF� CV� C�/CTE� ,CEQDU� ECVVNG� ECNN�� I’m also buddies with Ben Pundole, who makes

UWTG�6JG�'FKVKQP�KU�ƓNNGF�YKVJ�CNN�the right faces. Tip: Befriend Ben. Right now.

How cool Manhattanites have taken over the city’s chicest hotels

B Y P E T E R D AV I S

P h o t o g r a p h b y M y r n a S u á r e z e x c l u s i v l e y f o r e l e v a t e

ace is the place “After I get a trendy trim at Rudy’s Barbershop next door, I fight for my right to party in The Ace’s massive, perfectly antiqued lobby,” the author says.

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The Edition is just one stop on Manhattan’s hot, hot haute hotel social circuit. When I want to hobknob with the hipoisie, I camp out at The Ace.

And when my movie star friends are in town, they’re always chez The Mercer—slipping out the side door to avoid the pesky paparazzi on Prince Street, hungry like wolves for a money shot of Karl Lagerfeld strolling avec Pharrell.

Another chum of mine, Sean MacPherson, has practically cornered the market on hotel chic. Sean owns The Jane, The Maritime, The Bowery, The Ludlow and The Marlton, where the front lobby is like the living room of your most stylish friend. During Fashion Week, the comfy chairs around the fireplace are prime real estate occupied by the likes of Waris Ahluwalia, Parker Posey and assorted Vogue editors, their Birkin bags bursting with invitations.

lobby. Be brutal—kids (meaning under 30) with bushy beards and Pendleton shirts tap on iPads as if they work in mission control (but are really just updating their Tinder profiles). And the mission at The Ace is to look cool while doing absolutely nothing. The long tables, where you can pretend to work, and worn-in couches are never empty. Who needs a job when you can just hang out and look cool?

Near the Ace is The NoMad, which feels like the spoiled-rotten, designer-label-obsessed cousin of The Ace. Designed by the legendary Jacques Garcia, there is a distinctly fancy French feel to The NoMad. Think soaring ceilings, shiny gilt detailing and embroidered raw silk. When my Euro friends want to meet up, the NoMad is my go-to for potently sweet cocktails and great pretty-people-watching. Last time I was there, I sat between Chelsea Clinton and Brad Goreski. Talk about a mix.

During Fashion Week, The Marlton’s comfy chairs are prime real estate

occupied by Vogue editors, their Birkin bags bursting with invitations. The best part of hotel-hopping? You

don’t need to book a room. Just follow my lead and join the club.

The New York Edition is the latest cool kid on the block. The sleek, white-out minimalist chic of the long lobby bar is grand and glam and big and bold, with a ’90s kind of vibe—and I mean that in the best way possible. The ’90s were a blast, right? Like all Ian Schrager projects, The Edition employs a very sexy staff—perfectly matched to the PYTs who lounge around the lobby as if they own it. Just search photographer Billy Farrell’s site to see party pics of all the boldfaced names that party there, from nightlife queen Susanne Bartsch to art star Daniel Arsham.

No, Dorothy, you’re not in Portland anymore. You’re in hipster heaven, a.k.a. The Ace Hotel. After I get a trendy trim at Rudy’s Barbershop next door, I fight for my right to party in The Ace’s massive, perfectly antiqued

I absolutely adore both Standard hotels. The Standard, Highline, is like Disney World for scenesters, replete with multiple attractions, from the Biergarten to the Boom Boom Room, which unquestionably is the best-looking nightclub in New York City. In the winter, I skate on the pop-up rink outside the entrance, then sip spiked hot cocoa under heat lamps outside. And the Standard Grill is reliably yummy and dependably fun. Make sure to get a booth to see and be seen. The man to know is Joey Jalleo. Start by following and flirting with Joey on social media: His handle is @Stan D’Ard. Handsome hotelier André Balazs also runs The Standard, East Village, in Cooper Square. The mood is a teensy more East Village grunge-glam—Purple editor Olivier Zahm, controversial photographer Terry Richardson and model/singer Karen Elson all can be found in the lush garden of the eatery

The ludlow, s’il vous plaÎt The Ludlow—and its sizzlin’ restaurant, Dirty French—reside in the cooler-by-the-millisecond Lower East Side.

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Bushwick), all MacPherson’s spots have very social scenes. I love bumping into rock star friends like Courtney Love at The Bowery when she’s tearing through town like a fabulous tornado.

Speaking of famous friends, The Mercer is the monarch of movie stars—and also the original gangster when it comes to glam hotels. The lobby scene is very private (they sometimes ask people if they’re staying in the hotel when ordering a cappuccino, so act like you live there, which Karl Lagerfeld does when in NYC). Look! There’s Marc Jacobs with Grace Coddington, having high tea. And Tilda Swinton is sipping champagne with fashion designer Maria Cornejo! Does it get chicer than that? Mais non! For a similar scene, stroll down to Tribeca and grab a leather chair at The Greenwich. Robert De Niro owns the joint and the drawing room is like hanging out in a movie mogul’s loft, gargantuan art books and movie stars such as Michelle Williams included. Like The Mercer, The Greenwich is très privée. It’s as if the hotel slipped a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the front door to keep out the riffraff—or anyone who doesn’t have an Oscar on their mantelpiece.

Narcissa, which is naturally picture-perfect for those very important Instagram moments. Honestly, people, if you don’t Instagram your chicness, it’s like it never happened.

Another new joint is The Ludlow, MacPherson’s hotel in the cooler-by-the-millisecond Lower East Side (LES). Like his other properties, The Ludlow has that artfully executed, well-worn patina that tricks your eye into thinking the place has been around for decades, when it actually opened last year. The restaurant Dirty French is delish, and the Moroccan-inspired outdoor patio is ground zero for reed-thin models in Acne jeans chain-smoking. The brand new penthouse bar is the holy grail of the whole building. Always be photo-ready. MacPherson’s wife, Rachelle, runs the party site Guest Of A Guest and no one wants an unflattering photo floating around the Internet. If the LES seems as far away as Seattle (or

Tilda Swinton is sipping champagne with fashion designer Maria Cornejo.

Does it get chicer than that?

the beautiful rooms are empty The New York Edition (TOP); Ace Hotel (ABOVE); The NoMad Hotel (OPPOSITE) all shimmer in wait for Gotham’s coolest.

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