Contributor/ Errol Douglas MBE
Best Known For
For those not afflicted by the tight chest a “day in DUMBO” provokes in New Yorkers, but instead are curious to see what seduced Anne Hathaway et al – this is your postcode. Sitting firmly in Tribeca but just a block from Brooklyn bridge, Smyth delivers location envy without the pretension.
The Good Stuff
This place manages to mix modern with vintage touches but blends with the neighbourhood, throwing in leather walls and maroon hallways that still say “Thompson”. It’s where the concierge knows pretty much everything and intuitively distills his insider knowledge into a you-sized stay. But it’s all done without the jazz hands generic “lists of clever stuff I know” attitude – refreshing. After a great check in welcome, it’s all about the generous sized rooms which successfully walk the contrasting lines of minimal but cosy, muted but bold. Bravo Yabu Pushelberg. Here it’s less try hard and more die hard…fans – including myself. A tonic address after the mania of backstage fashion Week. The mix of New Yorkers and visitors for breakfast tells you everything you need to know about the Eggs Benedict.
The Vibe
“Cool” can’t be self-declared, and this is a place understated in its vibe but serious in its service. It matters to them. That’s cool no?
Inside the hotel – 8/10
Where understated fuses with just enough statement décor, and breakfast slam dunks on the eggs
Outside the hotel – 9/10
Intersecting Tribeca and the bridge to DUMO – Delicious dilemma of a zip code
thompsonhotels.com/hotels/nyc/smyth-tribeca
Image courtesy of Thompson Hotels
