From its prime location directly opposite the Museum of Modern Art, to its dazzling interiors, French crystal company Baccarat’s debut hotel was never going to be ordinary. Occupying a newly built 50-storey Skidmore, Owings & Merrill faceted glass tower, the 114-room hotel has been outfitted by Paris design duo Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier, who took their design cues from the company’s rich and opulent 250-year old heritage, while weaving in subtle contemporary touches. As such, a crisp champagne and ivory palette, surfaces through materials such as cashmere, stainless steel and marble- further embellished by custom Baccarat crystal elements throughout. Evidencing their knack for layering contrasting textures, the rooms have been furnished with handsome oversized desks, wooden four poster beds – dressed with plush Italian Mascioni linen – heavy drapes and specially commissioned sculptures that nod to the company’s long-time work with artisans. The public spaces, meanwhile, are equally plush in their devotion to rich fabrics and unabashed opulence, with the seductively extravagant 60-foot barrel-vaulted bar – inspired by the stables of Versailles – featuring three chandeliers, crimson velvets, dark leathers and perfectly crafted cocktails, served in Baccarat crystal glasses, of course.
