February 13, 2018
The Splendid James Hotel Furthers GFI’s Contribution to the Renaissance of NoMad
The week of February 5th saw the unveiling of the completely reimagined James Hotel with 360 guest rooms, 28 suites, two penthouses and 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting space — all designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen. The opening of The James is a key development in the renaissance of the NoMad neighborhood, joining the company of prestigious hotels already calling NoMad home.
It would be hard to imagine the rebirth of NoMad without the key role played by the James Hotel’s developer GFI Development Company. Under the leadership of CEO Allen Gross, GFI took on the development of the Ace Hotel New York in 2006, the first boutique hotel to open in the neighborhood, followed by The NoMad, and now The James.
“It has been a great joy to see the transformative effect that GFI Development’s properties have had on the NoMad neighborhood,” said Allen Gross. “We are proud to introduce The James New York – NoMad to the neighborhood . . . as we continue to lead the way in the revitalization of NoMad.”
The new James offers an array of boutique hotel rooms. Jimmy Suites offer separate living and sleeping rooms, as well as two full bathrooms. James Suites offer customizable layouts with a large living room, a pullout sofa, separate bedrooms and spacious bathrooms. Penthouse suites, feature spacious, residentially designed living rooms separate from the master bedrooms, including space to dine or entertain, as well as luxurious bathrooms with large tubs.
Acclaimed designer Thomas Juul-Hansen designed each room as a private sanctuary featuring locally crafted and custom designed furnishings conveying an eclectic and collected residential feel. In fact, the design of the entire hotel is warm, inviting and relaxing.
The James Hotel has deep roots in the NoMad neighborhood and is the latest manifestation of the Hotel Seville, first opened in 1906 in a beautiful Beaux Arts Building. (Legend has it that Harpo Marx was once a bellhop here.) Recently, the beautiful exterior of the hotel was fast-tracked by the New York City Landmarks Committee for designation as a protected landmark, and the hotel is also on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
Commemorating this history, the James Hotel has named its bar “The Seville” recalling the prohibition speakeasy suite in the former Hotel Seville. The new bar is curated to serve as an intimate, stylish hideaway in the traditions of prohibition-era NoMad, which was home to many famed speakeasies. That’s an interesting throwback in keeping with a trend we just reported on — NoMad’s Seductively Secret Speakeasies.
The James Hotel is a splendid reflection of the NoMad neighborhood’s past and its current vibrancy. With an unusual mix of great amenities — architectural gems, the City’s finest park, and easy access to all of Manhattan — all that was needed was the vision of people like Allen Gross and GFI to bring it all together.
This is a historic neighborhood that during the Gilded Age was the center of the City’s social, cultural, political and business life. With the arrival of so many great restaurants, nightspots, specialty retailers, and residences since 2008, spurred on by GFI’s developments and the work of the NoMad Alliance, NoMad has once again become a center of big ideas and exciting living just as it was a hundred years ago.