I can hear the groans from here, behind my laptop: ‘Christ, she’s writing about New York again — doesn’t she have anything better to do; somewhere else to be?’ Well, no, I don’t, because I’ve said it before and I will say it again, New York is my miracle cure, the city I run to when I’m low on energy and low on ideas. It’s like a therapist, sugary snack and party soundtrack all rolled into one.
Besides energy and ideas, the other thing New York isn’t lacking is hotels and among the newest is The Manner, in Manhattan’s SoHo district. A quick backstory: it is part of Standard International — the parent company of The Standard and Bunhouse Hotels brands — which was acquired by Hyatt Hotels in the Autumn of 2024 (at roughly the same time that The Manner first opened its doors to guests).
The name refers to the ‘manner’ of hospitality that Standard International’s executive chairman, Amar Lalvani, favours on his own travels. ‘At any time of day, you can help yourself to everything,’ he has said in previous interviews about the property, ‘from a cappuccino to a newspaper to a window seat on all the city views. It’s for the global traveller who appreciates art, architecture and design.’
The rooms
There are 97 rooms and suites that range in size from ‘King’ to ‘Duplex Penthouse’ whose dramatic crimson-colour carpets and upholstery were inspired by American fashion designer Halston’s Olympic Tower offices (above, located in Midtown).
I stayed in a ‘Deluxe King Studio Suite’, with king size bed, two bathrooms, a dining table and bijou sitting room, resplendent in shades of ochre, emerald green and lapis lazuli. There’s a chandelier designed by Milan-based Hannes Peer, but no TV. ‘We didn’t want to ruin the aesthetic with a wall-mounted TV,’ Lalvani told the Financial Times last year, adding that the majority of guests stream shows and films on their own iPads and laptops (and come to think of it, has anyone ever successfully managed to watch anything on a hotel TV?).
The colour scheme is so all consuming — like being cocooned inside a richly-decorated jewellery box — that I didn’t step out onto the Juliet balcony until the second day — only to discover that to the left I could see One World Trade Center and to the right, the Empire State Building.
That said it never feels like too much. I’ve written before about my preference for more traditional, erring on the edge of chintzy, hotels, but I relished coming back to The Manner so much at the end of each busy day that I can only conclude that the more design-led hotels I’ve previously frequented — and dismissed — just didn’t get it quite right. It feels fun (see the more than 5,000 bubble-like tiles that stud the lift wall in the entrance hall) and grown-up all at the same time — a tricky balance to get right.
On a mezzanine-style floor, floating atop the entrance-way, you’ll find The Apartment, a guests-only living room that’s open 24 hours a day. You can choose to eat breakfast here, read the papers, work or welcome friends for an aperitivo and snack. It’s a splendidly clever — and seemingly so obvious — idea that feels a world away from your identikit hotel lobby and was popular with nearly everyone staying at the same time I was.
Eating and drinking
There is The Otter, an all-day restaurant whose space is dominated by a wraparound mural, painted by Elvira Solana. And Sloane’s, a decadent cocktail bar with double height ceilings which hosted a Marc Jacobs post-fashion show extravaganza back in February.
In Spring 2025, a coffee spot and bar opened on the rooftop, open exclusively to guests before 5pm.
The food is overseen by James Beard Award-nominee Alex Stupak; coincidentally, James Beard (1903–85) pioneered television cooking shows and mentored generations of chefs. His home in Greenwich Village is now the heart of the foundation set up in his name, where people can come to appreciate the talents of emerging and established cooks — and it’s where Country Life hosted its inaugural New York event earlier this year.
Stupak might not be a glossy name in the same league as someone such as Jean-Georges at The Mark hotel, but his seafood-heavy menu at The Otter was well-reviewed in The New Yorker magazine.
Who is it for?
Well-travelled couples who appreciate art, design and colour — and anyone who wants to make the most of their time in the city and not faff around with typical hotel check-in and check-out procedures (instead, your credit card details are taken at the time of booking and the card charged at the end of your stay without you ever being handed a bill).
It’s worth noting that the hotel is not open to any children under the age of 16.
What gives it the ‘wow’ factor
The attention to detail, from the mustard-velvet Lenys World slippers in the rooms, to the bespoke furniture.
The one thing we’d change
There are no coffee and tea-making facilities in the room which will likely alarm British travellers.
Rooms at The Manner start from $899 a night. Click here for more information and to book
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