Manhattan’s South Street Seaport has a mission: to become New York City’s coolest new neighborhood. The historic district at the bottom tipof the island—lined with cobblestone streets and located at the apex of Lower Manhattan and the East River—has lately procured reason after reason for tourists (and, yes, even a few locals) to venture south, from new fashion boutiques (like the just-opened 10 Corso Como) to premier waterfront venues. Now, the developing district is ready for overnight guests thanks to the August opening of Mr. C Seaport.
Mr. C Seaport is the careful work of the fourth-generation Cipriani brothers, Maggio and Ignazio, whose family owns and operates the Cipriani restaurant empire, as well as another Mr. C hotel in Beverly Hills. The Bellini was, of course, created by the brothers’ great-great-father, the legendary Giuseppe Cipriani, at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. Both the new Manhattan hotel and that long-beloved beverage of peach of Processo are equally sweet. Putting a modern and polished twist on classic European style, the Mr C was designed by Danish architect Thomas Juul-Hansen, who incorporated nautical touches and sleek, Italian glamour into the 66 rooms and grand public spaces.
The rooms, along with six suites, come with Casa Rovea Italian linens, sleek handmade Italian furniture (made exclusively for the property by Tedeschi), and BTL SVC bottled cocktails in the minibars. Mr. C’s technology game is strong, too. Not only are rooms fitted with 50-inch interactive 4K televisions, but guests can communicate with hotel staff via tablets for room service and housekeeping requests or to activate their “do not disturb” status. Another cool feature is its TrayTracker technology that alerts housekeeping when room service trays have been moved into the hall.
While the Cipriani family operates a number of upscale restaurants throughout New York, the hotel’s intimate restaurant, Bellini, introduces a new dining concept that will eventually be rolled out to other Mr. C properties. The menu is a blend of classic and modern Italian dishes, from fresh fish and seafood to homemade pastas and an impressive wine list. But the best place for a drink is on the private terraces of Mr C’s top suites—the sixth-floor signature suite and the seventh-floor C suite—both of which feature views over Manhattan, the East River, Brooklyn, and Governor’s Island.
