Chinese-owned Baccarat Hotel Manhattan launches in New York
by Helen Andrews | 25 Mar 2015
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill served as architects for the 50-storey tower, while Tony Ingrao led the residential design of the 60 private residences within the tower / Baccarat
The Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan – which Beijing-based Sunshine Insurance bought from hotel manager Starwood for US$230m (€210m, £154m) earlier this year – reopened on 18 March.
The 114-key property features 15,000 pieces from Baccarat SA in addition to a number of dining facilities, a gym and a spa.
The hotel’s interiors were designed by French duo Gilles & Boissier to combine the features of a classic Parisian hotel with the contemporary midtown New York vibe. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill served as architects for the 50-storey tower, while Tony Ingrao led the residential design – of the 60 private residences within the tower.
For the spa, which is set to open in April, famous crystal maker Baccarat has partnered with skincare brand La Mer to create Spa de La Mer – its first spa in the US. The spa has four treatment rooms and a 50ft (15m) black and white marble-tiled indoor pool, which is surrounded by day beds in alcoves. Swedish-based spa consultancy Raison d'Etre is in charge of the Baccarat spa concept.
Artwork by painter François Houtin, who is known for his detailed prints of utopian gardens, will decorate the spa.
Chinese companies are buying up high-end hotel real estate around the world. For example, the Anbang Insurance Group is planning to buy New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel for US$1.95bn (€1.8bn, £1.3bn). Another example includes the sale of the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney, Australia, for US$399m (€365m, £267m) to Sunshine Insurance in November 2014.
18 Jun 2014
Starwood hopes to sell its Baccarat hotel in Manhattan for US$230m
24 Apr 2013
Baccarat plans to launch luxury hotels and spas
The Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan – which Beijing-based Sunshine Insurance bought from hotel manager Starwood for US$230m (€210m, £154m) earlier this year – reopened on 18 March. The 114-key property features 15,000 pieces from Baccarat SA in addition to a number of dining facilities, a gym and a spa. The hotel’s interiors were designed by French duo Gilles & Boissier to combine the features of a classic Parisian hotel with
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"Culture is the beating heart of this project"
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
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