Why This Trendy Bryant Park Hotel Tucked Away in a 100-Year Old Hat Factory Is Turning Heads in NYC’s Fashion District
WRITTEN BY 5 REASONS TO VISIT® EDITORIAL STAFF
PUBLISHED JUNE 2023 • 4 min read
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Located two blocks from Bryant Park and within walking distance to Fifth Avenue, Refinery Hotel is an intimate hideaway with unparalleled Empire State Building views in the heart of Midtown Manhattan’s Fashion District—situated in a historic hat factory existing long before fashion labels like Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, and Donna Karan became staples in the neighborhood.
Source: Refinery Hotel
Housed in the 1912 Colony Arcade building with a long Garment District history—Refinery Hotel presents stylish loft rooms, Parker & Quinn restaurant, and trendsetting Refinery Rooftop Bar create a fashionable refuge for locals and cultured visitors in New York City.
More than a century ago, stately brownstones in the once-residential area were razed to make way for more than 100 high-rise factories and showrooms—the Colony Arcade building among them. The one-square-mile area, dubbed the Garment District, quickly became the producer of almost all ready-to-wear fashion in the United States.
In 1914, visionary businesswoman Winifred T. McDonald rented the Colony Arcade’s large ground floor space, turning it into a tea room for ladies and a separate restaurant for men. Little details like working Edison telephones in the hallways, dark green leather seats at Parker & Quinn Restaurant, and live jazz at Winnie’s lobby bar celebrate the building’s long history, while the trendsetting Refinery Rooftop Bar carries on as a fashionable Midtown destination.
Source: Refinery Hotel
This increased foot traffic on West 38th Street where, on the upper floors of the Colony Arcade, milliners like Richard Sentner prepared lines of trimmed and tailored hats, while furriers such as Harry Rothleder sold fur garments. The tradition of Winnie’s innovative renovation continues today at Refinery Hotel—an imaginative reinterpretation of the Colony Arcade’s storied past.
The celebrated, year-round Refinery Rooftop bar is known for its innovative cocktails created by In Good Company mixologists, as well as its unparalleled Empire State Building views.
Source: Refinery Hotel
Drawing inspiration from its early life as a hat factory, each of the 197 rooms at Refinery Hotel feature industrial details such as 12-foot ceilings, large windows and distressed hardwood floors. With mosaic tile floors and copper accents, the marble bathrooms are luxurious, down to the exclusive Le Labo bath products. 42" LCD TVs, fully-stocked minibars, and complimentary wi-fi included in every room.
Source: Refinery Hotel
The Atelier Room features one king bed and a full living area of open loft space. The room has soaring 12-foot concrete ceilings, dark-brushed oak floors and expansive windows with city views. Each room is tailored with custom furnishings and carefully curated toiletries by Le Labo. Artistic ambiance and factory-style are woven together with industrial accents that speak to the building’s history as an early-20th century millinery.
Source: Refinery Hotel
