New York - The Mercer

The Mercer luxury hotel has arguably achieved notoriety courtesy of Russell Crowe, who famously threw a telephone out of frustration at a member of staff.  I can see, perhaps, why a full on Kiwi might lose it with the laid back, camp staff at The Mercer.  The room mini bars offer condoms which I suspect are less frequently used for heterosexual activities.

The Mercer is conveniently located on the corner of Mercer and Prince in the heart of New York’s Soho.  Directly opposite is one of the world’s largest and most spectacular Prada stores.  Marni is a few doors up and all the other major labels are dotted around the nearby streets.  There is even an Apple store a few doors away. It’s a shopper’s dream.

The hotel has one of the best restaurants in New York, The Mercer Kitchen, located in the basement with glass street lights overhead which give bored diners the opportunity to shoe gaze.

Star spotting is a real possibility.  On one occasion when we were there, John Malkovich was hanging around the hotel lobby.

So the positives are many and strong.  How about the negatives?

The basic Mercer rooms are small to tiny.

You really need to book at least a studio room which will set you back around $600 to have a room of any sort of sensible size. The rooms are pretty minimalist, in the Philippe Starck vogue.  Forget any chance of a view.  After all, you are on a street corner in Soho.

The Mercer doesn’t do deals so your Amex card won’t get you any discounts here and there is no chance of a late check out which is a real pain if you happen to be on an early evening flight.

In summary, if you want to be in Lower Manhattan, The Mercer is a good choice and certainly preferable to Soho House, which is dark and drab in the “still to really emerge” Meatpacker district.

The Mercer Hotel
Mercer Street
New York

+1 212 966 5454