It's hard to put a count on how many new hotels are planned for Manhattan, but hey, at least somebody tried. There's a heck of a lot of 'em, but how many of those planned 10,000+ rooms will ever see their first window strip show? One intriguing project that may or may not make it is 11 East 31st Street. At this site near the madness of Koreatown, out went a five-story building and in came a load of assembled air rights, with plans for a 36-story, 200-room luxury boutique hotel from architect Gene Kaufman and interior designer Vincente Wolf. According to the developer the hotel will include a two-level restaurant, swimming pool, rooftop bar and a large garden, which, from the looks of it, runs vertically up the side of the building (bring your space boots!). Will the hotel meet its projected mid-2009 opening?
Um, probably not.
