Blogging For a Flogging: Greenwich Hotel

Looky what's back? The Flogging. Its been a while since we've been naughty, but when we are bad, we need to be punished. Now that the Greenwich Hotel and Ago are open to the (paying) public, David Rockwell and his firm have gotten a lot of credit and praise for the design. Undeserved credit, as Rockwell really had nothing to do with the exceptional work. It's time to set the record straight.

We’d like to set the record straight on the proper design credits for Robert De Niro’s new Greenwich Hotel and Ago restaurant. While Rockwell Group originally developed a proposal for the site, those plans were abandoned over 4 years ago. Our firm, Grayling, designed the new building’s exterior, Ago restaurant, all of the Greenwich Hotel’s public spaces and guest corridors and one of the duplex suites (the other duplex suite was done by Rockwell Group).

The building has a rich and detailed creative story that unfolded over several years and involved many talented people (Samantha Crasco, Mikio Shinegawa, Paul Alter of Skolnick Architects, Matt Markowitz). It would be a shame not to give proper credit where it belongs.

We couldn't agree more and apologize for the mistake. In fact we had already discussed this way back when. But let the world know, Grayling did the work, and they did a heck of a job.

Pumping Up the Greenwich Hotel

Celebrity owners, celebrity fueled Italian restaurants, starchitects, and hand crafted bricks, it seems that Robert De Niro and Co. newly opened Greenwich Hotel had just about everything going for it. So as opening day approached, those of us who had been closely tracking the project were anxiously awaiting a chance to get inside and see what the fuss was about. But we (and every other website) was basically denied, with PR and staff saying the first look had been promised to an international publication. Turns out it was just a page in this month's Vanity Fair which spouts what all of you already know, hand-cut bricks, the corked ceiling Ago, pricey suites and all that jazz. One interesting point - all of the lobby art you see behind Bobby D. was painted by his late father. From what you can see, the place does look pretty sweet. David Rockwell and his team certainly delivered the goods, but it seems that we won't be getting inside to see for ourselves any time soon.

For more frustrating fun, check out their revamped website which offers a few glimpses of what up to $1300 will get you.

All images courtesy of Vanity Fair.

DeNiro's Hotel Hits the Web

Newyorkology (via Eater) comes through with the recently launched website for Robert De Niro and friends Greenwich Hotel. Ressies are being accepted for the first 3 weeks of April, when the hotel will then become the de facto home of out of town stars during the Tribeca Film Festival. Glamorous. Metro Travel Guide supplies the rest of the gory details about the rooms and property, including the Shibui Spa that "features a lantern-lit swimming pool and a lounge area". Best news - Ago will be delvireing room service to guests 24/7. Osso bucco all night. That's worth the $725 per night intro rate, right? Right.

A Long Time AGO

Date: February 18, 2007
Location: Downtown

It was at that time and place where DBTH first made it's entrance to the world of rocking your face off. We announced that Robert De Niro had lured his good buddy and business partner Agostino Sciandri from SoCal to open a branch of Ago in his new Greenwich Hotel. We also told you some poor sap would be jamming a bunch of wine corks into a ceiling panel to accentuate the design. Fun stuff right? We think so too. The world picked up on it and the rest is DBTHistory.

Well, the whole shebang is getting close to opening, and we are proud to unveil some quality shots from inside the space. Please pay special notice to the arched ceiling and old world masonry work in the top image, as well as those corks both in the panels and then installed high above in the proceeding frames. Those hand crafted bricks look real good. And for the panels, a Little Birdy has an update, telling us "there are only 100,000 corks and they were gotten from a branch of the Canadian girls scouts that collected and sold them for charity." Naturally.

The Daily Hipster

We are stepping into the way back machine on this one. Almost four months after we announced that Bobby D et al would be installing Ago in the Greenwich Hotel, along with some other choice details, Mr. and Mrs. Rush and Molloy have decided to break the same exact story. Good effort all around. Our original little birdy also notes, "They not only rip you off, but they got it wrong. David Rockwell really didn't design it. The folks at Greyling did." Thanks LB. We can always count on you.

How to Name A Hotel

It's time to check in on the hotel scene once again. We head down to Tribeca, where Robert De Niro et al are preparing to open their first hotel. After breaking the Ago news, we have some additional details on the hotel, including the official name. Let's begin.

1. In a genius act of branding, the Greenwich Street property has officially been named the Greenwich Hotel. Again, genius.
2. According to a little birdy who has taken a tour, the hotel rooms are mostly on the small side. There are "a few really sweet duplex suites." Sweet.
3. The designers used hand crafted bricks from a special Pennsylvania brick foundry. Apparently they use some ancient brick making formula so each brick is unique.
4. There are some really cool arches in the building made from said bricks.
5. "It will make the Bowery Hotel look like a Red Roof Inn." - Little Birdy

We assume more details and hopefully some images will appear in the coming weeks. Expected opening is sometime post summer.