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| A
New Perspective |
Right: Hank
Freid recognized early on that hotels could be fashionable
and reasonably priced at the some time, and he made
it his mission to revolutionize the idea of a hostel-hotel. |
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City
Style |
Center:
With chlc and elegant interiors, Hank Freid's new hotel.
Sanctuary, Will serve as a sophisticated and elegant
oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of midtown Manhattan
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ear
after year, the glitz and glamour of New York
City draws countless young travelers from all
over the world. Thrilled by the opportunity to
explore the luxurious side. of the City, these
visitors see Manhattan through the eyes |
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well-known socialites and celebrities: Afternoons
are filled with sightseeing, followed by a quick
drink at the Gramercy Park Hotel or another chic
establishment. For such travelers, staying at
plush boutique hotels, like those made popular
by lan schrager or Andre Balazs, would be ideal,
but these individuals are often constrained by
a limited budget. Fortunately, developer Hank
Freid has created chic yet affordable hotel with
such travelers in mind.
The Founder and CEO of
the Impulsive Group, Hank Freid got his start
in the industry in the mid-1970s. He took a chance
on a rooming house at Broadway and 101st Street
and transformed it into the 126-room Broadway
Hotel, which provided clean, affordable accommodations
for those visiting New York. Hank Freid recognized
early on that hotels could be fashionable and
reasonably priced at thesame time, and he made
it his mission to revolutionize the idea of a
hostel-hotel.
"Hostels originally
served as inexpensive places for travelers,
especially young |
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to lodge and get to know people from other culture,"
Says Hank Freid. With the |
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Broadway Hotel, he recaptured that ideal.His
next major project was the purchase of a hotel
at 103rd Street ad Broadway-today known as The
Marrakech, a "budget chic" Moroccan-themed
hotel with upscale hotel amenities and vibrant
North African furnishings.
After building on the
successes of his first two ventures, Hank Freid
showed extraordinary foresight when, in 1990,
he bought the Ameritania Hotel on 54th Street
and Broadway, next to the Ed Sullivan Theater,
where the Late Show with David Letterman
is filmed. "At the time, people were afraid
to walk on 54th and Broadway," he recalls.
"I decided to take a chance because I was
young and had nothing to lose." The risk
soon paid off. After some repairs, Hank Freid
began charging guests $99 a night to stay at
the hotel. Within three years, CBS bought the
Ed Sullivan Theater, and the area buzzed with
activity. Officials from the City of New York
sent Hank Freid a thank-you letter for his role
in revitalizing the neighborhood.
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Today,
Hank Freid is working on a more upscale destination
known as sanctuary, which will be a four-star
hotel locate on 47th Street between Sixth
and Seventh avenues. Scheduled for completion
later this year, Sanctuary will serve as a sophisticated,
elegant oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of
midtown, "I wanted to create a living room
feeling there," Hak Freid says, "a place
where people can sit and talk in the lobby rather
than be up in their rooms." Hank Freid is
also upgrading his Broadway Hotel, now known as
the Broadway Hotel & Hostel, and the property
will soon boast amenities such as plasma TVs,
fireplaces and a movie-screening room. |
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In the coming years, Hank
Freid plans to bring his innovative ideas to other
properties in New York, as well as developments
in Atlanta, San Francisco, Boston and Tahiti.
"My philosophy is that staying in a hotel
should be fun," he says. "Hotels should
be places where you can meet and greet new people
and walk away with another experience."
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