NEW YORK CITY — Over the summer, Millennium Hotels and Resorts will officially rebrand the current Millennium Downtown New York as the M Social Hotel New York Downtown in the city’s Financial District. The property is the second M Social hotel in the city following the 2021 opening of the M Social Hotel New York Times Square.
“M Social Hotel New York Downtown represents the future of urban hospitality—dynamic, connected and culturally attuned,” Shah Adil, senior vice president, operations, asset management and development, Americas, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, said in a statement. “We have created a space that resonates deeply with travelers who seek authentic and engaging experiences in one of the world's most exciting cities.”
“M Social, as a brand, is not just for millennials,” Saurabh Prakash, interim chief operating officer and chief commercial officer, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, told Hotel Management about the decision to rebrand. “As long as you're young at heart and you want to have that social hub, you want to be able to have that energy and be in this comfortable space, that’s M Social. And that's why we really thought that [the] Financial District, with beautiful views, with this entire area, is now becoming the new fashion district of the future. We really thought M Social is the brand to be.”
The hotel has remained open during the renovation, with only a few floors taken offline for construction at a time, Prakash said, noting that occupancy remained between 80 and 90 percent throughout the process.
Old Neighborhood, New Look
The property is next to The Oculus and One World Trade Center (also known as The Freedom Tower) and has views of the Manhattan Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Hudson River.
The hotel’s location inspired its new design, which was overseen by Manhattan-based BHDM Design, Alex Spektor, managing director at M Social Hotel New York Downtown, told Hotel Management. To recognize the immigrants who have come to lower Manhattan pursuing the American Dream over the centuries, the lobby’s wallpaper and artwork has a clouds motif.
Cobblestone patterns and light brown hues evoke the historic streets that surround the hotel while pops of green against the beige backdrop represent the business dealings that give the neighborhood its name.
Prakash noted that every M Social hotel has its own color scheme inspired by its location. While the cobblestones inspired the light brown and money inspired the green, the sister property in Times Square uses yellow and black as its colors to evoke historic taxi cabs.
“We [put] a lot of time into designing this space,” Spektor said. “We took a lot of feedback from our top customers—corporate accounts and group leaders—[about] what they would like to see.” For example, the front desk is divided in two to make it easier for agents and guests to connect. “It's more personal,” he said. “The agent can come out and speak to the customer and get into that lovely interaction.”
While the hotel aims to meet the needs of visiting business professionals, he hopes it will also attract locals from the neighborhood, especially once the brand’s signature Beast & Butterflies restaurant opens later in the year. In the meanwhile, activations and events like mixology classes aim to bring the community in and make the third-floor lobby area a gathering place.
Guestrooms
The hotel has 569 renovated rooms, including 98 suites, each with a custom mural of Wall Street’s Charging Bull, a table that can serve as a workspace or a dining area and sustainable amenities such as intelligent thermostats for enhanced energy efficiency.
King guestrooms have a chaise lounge that can double as an additional bed if needed, while the 77 corner Junior Suites have dedicated bedrooms and living rooms with pull-out queen-sized sofabeds. “These rooms are very popular with the executives, but also with families,” Spektor noted. The corner Skyline Suites have a dedicated dining table, a work station, two bathrooms and can connect to standard rooms, making them suitable for larger families and groups. The Mega Suite and the One World Suite are set to open later this year.
The carpeting in the guestrooms evokes city streets seen from above, and while most guest bathrooms have combination showers and tubs, the Skyline Suites have dedicated soaking tubs and walk-in showers.
Event Spaces
The property has 3,550 square feet of event space, with six meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 160 guests seated theater-style. Airwalls can divide the space into smaller rooms that accommodate up to 50 people seated classroom-style.
The rooms have 98-inch 4K screens, wireless casting, integrated conferencing solutions and views over the downtown area.