Luxury with such heart, cinematic appeal and playfulness is rare. Amid all the showiness and exclusivity of a snooty five-star in Manhattan, there can be a real sense of disconnection as the soullessness of it all starts to take hold and that all-important sense of place drops off.
That’s why feeling a deep sense of connection to Manhattan is the true value of heritage luxury charmers like The Plaza and The Pierre. That’s something a new hotel lacks, which is why many travellers to New York tend to favour those older, creakier properties. The ones with those walls you’d love to listen to if only they could tell you what they’ve seen.
It’s not enough for a new five-star hotel in Manhattan to be just another NYC luxury hotel. It needs a heady point of distinction, a big personality, and a great location. The Warren Street Hotel has all three and then some, carving out its own remarkably quiet corner of TriBeCa with a big sense of style thanks to Firmdale Hotels – a name that almost immediately pricks the ears of luxury travellers and design lovers alike.
For the unversed, Firmdale Hotels is an award-winning boutique hotel group with just over ten hotels across London and New York City, each individually designed and styled by the famously imaginative Kit Kemp, who runs the boutique hospitality company along with her partner Tim. Kit’s name is already gospel for luxury travellers visiting New York City thanks to The Whitby Hotel and Crosby Street Hotel, with Warren Street Hotel the group’s long-awaited third property in Manhattan having opened in February 2024.
And, like its sisters, Warren Street Hotel will stand the test of time as it offers an unforgettable experience in an area of Manhattan; a rare sense of calm and privacy away from the usual beats of historic Midtown and all the trendy neighbourhoods of Lower Manhattan.
Location

Warren Street Hotel is smack bang in the heart of TriBeCa, surrounded by high-end galleries, boutiques… and not much else. TriBeCa’s charms lie in its disconnect from the rest of Manhattan, sitting above the Financial District with a strong hold on (relative) peace in a city that never actually wants to sleep. Aside from the fire station famously used in Ghostbusters, there’s not much to see from a tourist perspective.
That said, you’re so close to the legendary Locanda Verde, just a short walk away from The Greenwich Hotel.
Nearby, you’ve got the incredible AIRE Ancient Baths and it’s only a short walk to The Oculus (which means you can reach New Jersey easily with the PATH trains) and the sobering 9-11 memorial. You’re also just inches from Hudson River Park and Rockefeller Park to the west, and Brooklyn Bridge to the east.
It’s not the Midtown that better serves New York’s first-timers, but it’s the section regular visitors to the city tend towards with easy access to Lower Manhattan’s best bits (West Village, Soho, East Village). It also takes little effort to reach the ferries that leave FiDi, like the one that breezes over to Dumbo, which then opens you up to a great amount of Brooklyn.
Design

Though TriBeCa is the preferred Manhattan neighbourhood for New York’s upper crust, there’s no hiding its working-class past.
For many years, these red brick buildings and lofts served New York’s thriving textile industry, which couldn’t be a better fit for Kit Kemp’s complex design sensibilities. She spins a tale of incredible visual statements, starting from the moment you pass by the cerulean-blue steel facade that stands so defiantly vibrant against TriBeCa’s red brick buildings.
There have been many ways to describe Kemp’s prowess for whimsical yet sophisticated interior design, grounded in a unique fusion of disparate design principles that give her works a strong sense of identity. There’s no mistaking a Kit Kemp, making her somewhat of an auteur in the design industry.
Her hotels are works of art. Warren Street Hotel is no exception, with a vibrant blend of British countryside glamour clashed with New York’s straight-shooting sensibility. The result is something lifted out of a storybook, best expressed by the 69 individually designed guest rooms and suites all splashed with Kemp’s wildly imaginative, transformative technicolour design.
Rooms

I’ve personally never stayed at a Firmdale Hotels property before this (journalists and money are rare bedfellows), but from my research, it looks like Kit Kemp’s sense of identity has only gotten stronger over the years. If the purpose was to express the intricacy and history of New York’s textile industry, then she has nailed the brief a thousand times over.
What an incredible interior designer she is. Her bright storytelling style is unparalleled. I can say this because I busily thumbed through the several coffee table books dedicated to her, some placed neatly in guest suites and others in the Victorian-style common lounge. The latter, I feel, now joins The Pierre’s famous Rotunda as one of the most pleasant surprises in all of Manhattan.
Every item and placement serves its purpose for Kit Kemp, and her many beloved motifs can be found throughout the hotel. From oversized statement headboards making each bed look like it’s been flipped out of a British storybook, to elegant headless mannequins.

My guest suite was massive and supremely comfortable. I’ve also never been that excited to take a bath in years. The beautiful clawfoot tub looked dreamy against the floral tiles. The lounge room was the most impressive of the three distinct spaces, thoroughly British and in its palatial, transportive way, but also perfectly aligned with the area’s history.
Kemp’s design principles are focused on playing with depth and dimension, so it’s worth it to take some time to appreciate just how she’s managed to heighten the sense of scale and elongate certain spaces. Her use of textures has a stacking effect that draws the eyes up and down, eliminating negative space and making the room seem fuller, bolder, and infinitely richer.

I’ve never stayed in a room with this much detail, right down to the gentle waft of coriander and bergamot lifted from the Tall Trees – another of Kit Kemp’s brands – candle helping make the room that much more multi-sensory.
Food & Drink

The Warren Street Bar & Restaurant has already built up a solid reputation amongst locals. My experience was limited to breakfast, which was fresh and invariably delicious with both a la carte options and a small buffet of fresh produce, so I’ll just focus on the gallery-like design.
As impressive as the rooms are, Kemp has paid equal attention to the rest of the hotel. The long pewter-topped bar is a righteous splash of colour and texture, framed by both classic and contemporary art. A six-metre ceramic sculpture by Gareth Devonald Smith hangs above, jagged teeth-like stonework that contrasts beautifully with the curvy lampshades and varied seating – some pitch a swirling Bowie-esque aesthetic while others rest on the arresting visuals of patchwork design.

New York has many beautiful dining rooms, but this sits on a level unseen by Manhattan’s austere tastes.
Amenities

There’s no fitness centre at Warren Street Hotel. Instead, guests can grab a pass to nearby fitness mecca NEXUS which is a short walk from the property. Warren Street Hotel isn’t about flexing your physical muscles, but the brain finds constantly stimulation and inspiration across every space throughout the colourful boutique hotel.
The Victorian-style common lounge (the “Drawing Room”) mentioned above is the hotel’s sharpest amenity, with a small corner packed with a mini bar run on the honour system. Scan the room and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto a British film set, with plush antique couches, countless books and even a vintage chess board. Kit Kemp’s curated art collection is varied, colourful and effective.
Service
Personable, friendly and hands-off when it counts. There aren’t many staff on duty throughout the day, but the ones who are milling around the hotel make it count. This is lovely, soulful hospitality that unlocks yet another big reason to stay at Warren Street Hotel, if you can justify splashing around $1,500 per night on a hotel.
Value
Staying at a Firmdale Hotels property ain’t cheap, but this kind of price tag is to be expected for such a one-of-one boutique property. You can squeeze a lot of juice out of that
But one thing is abundantly clear: The Warren Street Hotel will easily stand the test of time and I look forward to revisiting the hotel when it’s firmly established as one of New York’s finest five-stars. I would call this Kit Kemp’s masterpiece, but my lack of experience with Firmdale Hotels would make that a bit implausible. Instead, I’ll say that what Kit Kemp has achieved with The Warren Street Hotel is nothing short of design magic and will go on to inspire every guest to think of ways they can bring more personality into their own living spaces.
I’ll be the first in the queue when the inevitable coffee table book about The Warren Street Hotel’s complex design language is released.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Warren Street Hotel
Address: 86 Warren St, New York, NY 10007
Contact: +1 212-255-8686