NYC’s Chinatown Welcomes New Luxury Hotel

By Keith Loria, Contributing Editor

Hotel 50 Bowery, a 229-key boutique hotel developed by Chu Enterprises, opened in New York’s popular Chinatown district.

Hotel 50 Bowery

The hotel marks the first-ever Joie de Vivre property in Manhattan. It is owned by the Harilela family in Hong Kong and the Chu family in New York.

“We knew our first Joie de Vivre property in New York had to be in a neighborhood that allows us to provide guests with the eclectic, destination-driven experiences the brand has been synonymous with for the past 30 years,” Jamie Sabatier, Two Roads Hospitality’s CEO, said in a prepared release. “With an unrivaled location in the heart of Chinatown, Hotel 50 Bowery’s guests will be immersed in the local culture, without sacrificing convenient access to all of New York City’s offerings.”

Located at the famous 50 Bowery, the 21-story building creatively captures the culturally rich spirit of Chinatown, supplying artistic energy, Asian-centric cuisine, and a playful design. For example, the hotel’s hallways are adorned with large, bold works of art from Beijing-based graffiti artist Dake Wong. 

Some of the guestrooms include Deluxe King and Deluxe Double Beds; the City View King and City View Double Beds, which start on the ninth floor and offer expansive views of Lower Manhattan; the 340-square-foot Grand King with adjacent seating area; and the fourth-floor Manhattan Suite, which boasts a private, landscaped terrace overlooking the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn skyline.

Guestrooms and suites include distressed oak floors and luxe linens, as well as the traditional chinaware colors of blue and white, which infuse the signature hand-plastered headboard wall found in each guestroom.

The second floor of the hotel houses a 1,500-square-foot gallery, where the Museum of Chinese in America has set up a permanent exhibit titled the “Heart of Chinatown”. The exhibit explores the history of Chinatown’s core streets: Bayard, Bowery, Canal, Doyers, Elizabeth, Mott and Pell, and also has among its collection many artifacts that were discovered during construction.

The museum also offers the Atlantic Garden, a 5,000-square-foot outdoor space named after the historic beer hall that occupied the site in the 1850s. The space can be rented for events, or used by hotel guests at their leisure.

Hotel 50 Bowery features Bowery Common, a semi-private, multifunctional space that can seat up to 12 guests, as well as the Precious Coral Boardroom, ideal for intimate meetings. Hotel 50 Bowery also offers three restaurants, a bar and lounge.

Image courtesy of Joie de Vivre Hotels