3.13.19 / Times Square / New York

The Times Square EDITION Opens in Glamorous Fashion

A gem tucked away in New York’s busiest neighborhood

In 2015 the EDITION Hotel opened across the street from Madison Square Park with a huge celebration. Guests dressed to the nines were crammed into two floors, each trying to get a glimpse of Ian Schrager’s newest brand, which had come out the gates swinging in London. Last night the EDITION did it again, and for the first time opened a second property in one city. The Times Square EDITION kicked off with a bang, and has brought Schrager’s vision to its most refined form yet.

Opening night was all glitz and glamour. Schrager and a bevy of fashionable types (Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne) started the night off at chef John Fraser’s The Terrace for a special candlelit dinner. Glamorous as it was, it was only when the party started that the weight of the occasion was marked by a crowd lined up around the block waiting to get inside, where an exuberant scene awaited them. Most headed straight to the Paradise Club—what might become the biggest draw at the hotel—to see a lively performance by Nile Rogers, before Diana Ross graced the crowd with a few of her timeless hits. The booking was fitting; the vibe of the room felt more like the classic Ian Schrager club (or at least our image of it) than anything else he’s done in the recent past. Part of this can be attributed to the location, and while the midtown of the ’70s is long gone, there’s still a sense of electricity when you step out on the balcony and Manhattan in all of its glory is there to greet you.

Nile Rogers (Photographer: Neil Rasmus/BFA.com)

When the performances finished the crowd began to explore the rest of the spaces. Most ended up at the 10th floor lobby—a familiar environment for fans of the other New York EDITION hotel. Its location on the 10th floor is oddly comforting; the entrance to the hotel itself is minimal, and it feels like it was created so that the only people who come in actually have a reason to be there (important when the highest foot-traffic in New York is right outside). That element of seclusion can be felt throughout the hotel; you have to go through elevators and corridors and hallways to get to the spaces, curtains are drawn in the lobby, large planters in The Terrace and on the balconies obstruct some of Midtown’s glaring light leaving only enough exposed. There was even a lounge tucked away above the lobby, small enough that it had to be closed off to most during the opening, but where a lucky few saw Suki Waterhouse perform an intimate set.

Theodora Richards (Photographer: Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com)

This is what the EDITION gets right about the space. Compared to virtually any other neighborhood in Manhattan, Times Square might as well be another city. Locals have groaned for years about the Disneyfication of the neighborhood, and a trip to Times Square draws more ire from New Yorkers than our rents or the efficacy of the MTA. Last night might have changed that. We know Times Square has been going through a revitalization, but the Times Square EDITION creates a unique feeling, and for the first time you can feel both comfort and excitement at being in the heart of everything.

Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner

Jenné Lombardo, Harvey Newton-Haydon, Ben Pundole, Daniel Arsham (Photographer: Neil Rasmus/BFA.com)

Nile Rogers (Photographer: Joe Schildhorn/BFA.com)

Elsa Hosk, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Hailey Bieber, and Joan Smalls (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Times Square Edition Premiere)