For many travelers, SoHo's sleek and modern yet cozy Dominick Hotel will feel familiar, despite opening only a year ago.
The 391-room, 46-story Dominick, situated in west Soho and offering fantastic views of the Hudson River to the west and the Manhattan skyline to the north, debuted in December 2017 in the former Trump SoHo.
The hotel's owner, CIM, reached an agreement with the Trump Organization to remove its brand and management from the property, one of three hotels to deflag from the Trump brand since Donald Trump became president.
The rebranded Dominick became the third New York hotel listed within the Preferred Hotels & Resorts' Legend Collection of luxury properties. The change has paid off: The Dominick says its revenue per available room is up by more than 20% compared with the same time last year. Its average daily rate has increased by more than $50 from 2017.
Fans of the former hotel will find that not much has changed here, including the staff, which is good, because the hotel was always beautifully designed and well run. Many staffers have been at the property since it opened 14 years ago.
The hotel's lobby offers ample seating under two-story-high ceilings with some industrial touches befitting of the neighborhood. Gas fireplaces and brown leather and wood touches warm the sleek, midcentury modern decor. The rooms have a similar style, with grays and taupe color schemes. Unobstructed views are enhanced by floor-to-ceiling windows.
The bathroom of one of the hotel’s suites. Photo Credit: TW photo by Johanna Jainchill
I stayed in a suite with a separate bedroom and living area that was quite large, and not just by New York standards. Rooms here are outfitted with microwaves and Nespresso machines, and some have half-baths off the living room.
The Dominick has no plans to change its core look and feel, but there is a lot in store for the property in the coming months.
By year's end, the hotel will finish replacing all carpeting in the guestrooms and corridors as well as all mattresses and in-room sofas. In-room furniture like the leather-topped desks and leather armchairs and ottomans will be refurbished.
A spa lobby renovation is set for January to coincide with its reopening as the first Babor Signature Spa in the U.S. The current Moroccan-themed spa has what it calls the city's first luxury hammam (Turkish bath) and offers services such as rooftop yoga classes at sunrise.
But the biggest changes in store are on the culinary front. The Dominick will debut a signature restaurant in the first quarter of 2019, to be helmed by a yet-to-be-named, Michelin-starred chef, with a menu focused on contemporary American cuisine.
Following the restaurant opening will be a new cafe concept on the mezzanine level, which overlooks the lobby and is now home to a small lounge called Cafe Mezz.
The cafe concept will be in line with what have become popular spaces in many hotels, designed to attract people working or at leisure. The cafe will serve pour-over coffee, cold-pressed juices, charcuterie and wine.
Also new, a craft cocktail bar will open on the lobby level and have entrances from the lobby as well as the street.
While losing its Trump affiliation and remaining independent may mean the Dominick has a little more work to do in terms of name recognition — its name is a reference to Dominick Street, the two-block street adjacent to the hotel — the hotel's prime downtown location, within walking distance of the West Village and Tribeca, and its Preferred Hotels & Resorts membership will make it attractive not only to fans of the former Trump property but also to anyone looking for a stylish hotel in a great neighborhood.
Visit https://thedominickhotel.com.