New York is about to discover whether a hotel aimed squarely at the gay market can succeed in one of the toughest markets in the world: The Out NYC, a boutique accommodation in Hell’s Kitchen, just held its official ribbon-cutting on Thursday.
Located on 42nd Street between 10th and 11th Avenues on Manhattan’s West Side, the 105-room hotel is part of what its owners call an “urban resort”—with an adjacent mega-club, XL, already doing major business and a 24-hour restaurant, Kitchin, opening in May.
“The Out NYC was built to be the city’s, the country’s and maybe the world’s first straight-friendly, gay-oriented urban resort,” where LGBT guests “can feel at home,” says Ian Simpson Reisner, a partner at Parkview Developers, which owns the venue. He’s quick to add, though, that “our straight friends and family are welcome to stay here, play here, eat here and enjoy themselves, too.”
After all, you don’t want to alienate a potential guest in this economy.
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At yesterday’s unveiling, workmen were still putting finishing touches on various areas—including one of three outdoor courtyards—but there was definitely a feeling of excitement in the air. (Many were just happy the hotel finally opened, after redesigns and financial issues delayed its debut.)
Strolling through the three floors of The Out NYC, its easy to see how Reisner and his partners were influenced by boutique hoteliers like Ian Schrager and André Balazs. The look is sleek, crisp and European minimalist, with light woods and dark colors—and branding everywhere: Even the shampoo bottles say “The Out NYC.”
Standard rooms begin at $250 per night, although several shared hostel-type spaces are being planned. Those group rooms will offer four beds, personal TVs, privacy curtains and a communal bathroom. The idea is “to help make the property affordable to a younger demographic,” says Reisner.
Our favorite part (besides the totally adorbs staff) is definitely the courtyards: the “Great Lawn” (right) sports plush seating and wall-to-wall Astroturf; a more meditative space includes a black-bamboo garden; and a Fire Island-style retreat will offer a sundeck, two hot tubs, cabanas and a “cascading curtain of rain.”
We’re actually kind of sad we live three blocks away and have no reason to check in. Oh well, maybe we’ll have to get fumigated some day!
ReSource Marketing
Kudo’s to you Out NYC.. and Happy Opening! Wouldn’t it be nice to have lots of businesses that were “straight Friendly”. We need to support one another.
I’ve found that people today are looking for more than the physical and need to find inner peace and contentment and then Go enjoy all the good things there are in the world.
Just wanna pass this on so people looking for that joy inside can find some answers.
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Get centered and pass it on so others can get grounded too and don’t forget to enjoy the good things in life. Visit Out NYC and Thank them for making such a beautiful place and being inclusive. Lets all join together and make the world a better place.
Wow
Why are they putting gays at the back of the bus? We aren’t different from everyone else so why the segregation?
GreatGatsby2011
@Wow: It’s a pretty big stretch to compare enforced segregation with a business catering to (but not limiting themselves to) a specific subset of customer. Choosing to be around people like yourself isn’t the bad kind of segregation. It’s a natural proclivity of the human species to gravitate toward those who share common traits (“birds of a feather” and all that). The problem comes when the powers-that-be say “Group A cannot intermingle with Group B”. Choice has been removed from the equation and at that point it becomes the bad kind of segregation.
Example: A group of locksmiths getting together and making a Locksmith Bowling League (not strictly limited to locksmiths but predominantly made up of locksmiths) is not enforced segregation. A bowling alley creating a rule that locksmiths can only bowl on Wednesdays and weren’t allowed in the bowling alley on non-locksmith nights would be enforced (bad) segregation.
Mr. Robertson
@GreatGatsby2011: I agree that the segregation analogy is totally uncalled for.
What this is *really* like is like the Final Solution. First step, gay hotels; second step, gay Auschwitz? You decide …
v
Over reaction. There is a large demographic for this type of venue in NYC, between the number of residents and visitors with the cash to enjoy such. There are so many “gay destination” spas and resorts all over, none of which resemble segregation or holocaust. Besides, must everything be about assimilation?
pinluui
Yep, you’ll stick to everything in that room.
hee hee
Tyler
Pointless. They might as well just call it what it is, a sex club/public sex venue and stop claiming that it’s an “All gay hotel”.
Jonathan
@Tyler: Absolutely!
Timmeeeyyy!!!
Trendy design hotels, business hotels with women-only floors, youth hostels, The Four Seasons, The Waldorf. They all cater to a specific clientele. This is another.
And at $250/night starting, that’s hardly the bad seats on the bus.
Regarding the sex club comments, I’m sure people will have sex there, just like in EVERY OTHER HOTEL in NYC. I’m sure there will also be lots of tourist couples who may not feel as comfortable checking in as a romantic couple in other hotels. It’s in a great location with lots of activities surrounding it. And again, for $250+/night there are far cheaper places to go have sex.
I really don’t understand everyone’s negativity. If they offer a great service and there’s a market for this hotel, then good for them. It’s another choice for NYC travelers, and that’s a good thing.
Sean
At high room rates only rich, “older” gays could afford, the management has the brillant idea of dormitories for the cute, younger ones. They should be reserved for students and youth. Without the appeal of mingling with cuteguys, I wouldn’t find any appeal in a “gay” hotel. However, the name of “Out NY” is unfortunate.
Pygar
NYC, what took you so long, girl? Oklahoma City’s had one for over 20 years.
han
@Sean:
exactly!!
the only gays in those hotels would be the old trolls that couldn’t get laid anywhere even if they tried. ewwww
MikeE
@han: wow, ageism… we don’t get to see enough of THAT in the gay community, do we.
don’t worry honey, you’re going to be an ugly old troll soon enough.
you’ll regret your words, when you get blown off for being an old troll.
Mr. Robertson
@han: You better pray you never get old. Looks fade with age, but being an asshole is forever.
Drew
Timey-Because it’s not needed. If you really need to go to a “Gay” hotel/resort just to get laid in NYC then you have issues and can’t do something simple like everyone else does when they want to hook up like go online to various sites, go on Grindr, go to a bath house or sex party, or go into a bar or club and actually talk to someone in person.
Secondly at $250 a night I don’t know many people who could afford it? It’s not like it’s a 5 star hotel either.
You can argue that it’s for the Tourists but even tourists in NYC will just go for a cheap hotel to cut down on expenses and go to bars or other areas of NYC’s LGBT ghettos rather than pay $250 per night just to stay here. I don’t see this place getting a lot of business or staying open.
Pygar is correct many other cities even small towns have had places like this open and they’ve been open for decades NYC is now just finally catching up to them.
BlogShag
What’s supposed to be the big whoop?? Palm Springs, California, USA has been doing this for decades.
BlogShag
Drew-
I don’t think that gay people would go to this hotel just to get laid, although obviously that is a fringe benefit at an establishment like this. This hotel looks like it combines all the luxury amenities of the Waldorf Astoria or W Hotel without making a gay customer feel like an outsider. It’s for the classy gay business professional, rock star or otherwise.
I for one, really don’t like going to bars to meet a bunch of drunks. It’s not my cup of tea. And a bath house is an opportunistic infection sleaze fest waiting to happen.
I think you are being very narrow when it comes to why a business establishment like his is a good idea in NYC. Look at the big picture and step outside the box.
BlogShag
Tyler-
Small minds like yours never cease to amaze me at how pathetic they are.
Starting at $250.00 a night, I would hardly call this hotel a sex club. Trust me, New York has plenty of those.
This is an upscale hotel like some hotels that you see parked on the beach in Santa Monica, California or Palm Beach, Florida, and it gives the comfort to the wealthy gay customer by making him feel comfortable and not feeling like an outsider.
The concierge probably caters to the gay interest bourgeoisie, etc.
I think it’s a wonderful idea. All you idiots talking negative smack about it, are just small minded. Stay in your parents basement where you belong
Chadboy
$250 a night for a hotel room in NYC isn’t the upscale price range. It’s actually quite moderate. Most hotels go for $299 or higher.
joey
I bet it smells like ass and hotdogs in that room
nasty
jason
This just seems like a marketing ploy more than anything. I always get wary when businessmen market towards the “gay” concept. More often than not, they’re simply interested in money rather than gay rights.
B
No. 21 · jason wrote, “This just seems like a marketing ploy more than anything. I always get wary when businessmen market towards the “gay” concept. More often than not, they’re simply interested in money rather than gay rights.”
You mean like this store?
http://www.google.com/maps?layer=c&z=17&sll=37.761992,-122.43522299999998&cid=1628337369260440612&panoid=9g8ursn-u17ETtpVhewpzA&cbp=13,46.63728091936585,,0,0&q=injeanious&ei=rNlST_PRK8GTiQLiuuCzBg&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=interior-innerspace-image-link&cd=1&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CAkQ2hQoADAA
Hint: it is a business catering to gay men. Its motto is something like “we get you laid for less.” It doesn’t pretend to be a gay rights organization. But, if you want the owners to make a donation, they first have to make some money to donate.
Abel
@joey: Now see what you’ve done! You mention “ass and hot dogs” and now that’s what I want for lunch!
Drew
Jason is correct this has nothing to do with LGBT rights but it’s all about making tons of money off of rich queens who will go here and pay $250 a night for a hotel room which makes them an idiot.
Mr. Robertson
@Drew: Paying $250 a night for a hotel room in New York City doesn’t make you an idiot, it makes you thrifty.
Sam
@ Gatsby.
Well said!