Hotels these days are really pushing the boundaries in terms of offering more services, outlandish design and mechanized service. Hotel on Rivington holds their standards to a high point, without sacrificing anything in the process. I’ve visited plenty of hotels of late where the staff seems terrified of the management (and thusly, me), hotels where I can get a re-fi on my house with the remote control on my TV and hotels where I feel like I need to know how to play a Harpischord to run the water. What do these places all have in common you might ask? They all strive to improve the guest experience, but all their excess, fail me.

I think these people have forgotten that you come to a hotel to relax, not to feel like you’re washing your hands in a Bjork music video. So I was relieved and impressed to see that the Hotel on Rivington’s efforts to maximize comfort did just that, without clutter. When I walked into my suite, I was inundated with the size of it. Then I was happy to see that it was the only thing that was inundating. The décor, designed by India Mahdavi is refined yet subtle. The bedroom and bathroom consist of floor to ceiling windows with sweeping views of the city, this offers a nice contrast to the minimalism of the rooms. Speaking of the bathroom, it’s almost as big as my home and had a giant soaking tub facing the window so you can relax and bathe while watching the city and contemplate the fact that NYC is the number one city in the world where binoculars are put to use. Please hold my calls and put a robe on stand-by.

Walking around the hotel I talked with a few of the staff of varying positions. I was pleased to see consistency in the balance of personable and professional. I really dislike being in a place where the staff is on edge or discouraged from engaging with the guests. The sensibility is akin to the Lower East Side. Back to my room, the bed was a deluxe white, dream castle composed of fine linens, soft pillows and a fluffy down comforter that seemed to breathe with me as the night shed its cloak. In my normal habitat I have a preference for sleeping in absolute dark with the blinds shut, every night at the Hotel on Rivington I felt compelled to leave all the curtains wide open so that I could fall asleep to the panoramic city views.

Hotel on Rivington, you get it and I thank you for getting it. After so many “fashion” boutique hotels that feel like Hemmingway’s estate sale and hotel groups that look like house-of-the-future mockeries, you at long last have delivered an escape from hectic city life right in the best location while avoiding the hospitality industry’s theme excesses. I look forward to seeing you again very soon.

Hotel on Rivington107 Rivington St., New York, NY 10002 (212) 475-2600