Stay & Play
New York’s Hotel Seville NoMad
by Randy Mink
It was our favored spot in the dimly lit, high-ceilinged lobby lounge, a padded alcove at one of several round-arched windows framing views of the Empire State Building. Over beers one evening, we feasted on a charcuterie board loaded with meats and cheeses as we glimpsed the mighty skyscraper four blocks away and quaint church across the street.
Our home for three nights in Manhattan’s centrally located NoMad neighborhood was Hotel Seville NoMad, a historic property that just emerged from a makeover resulting in refreshed public spaces and redesigned guest rooms. It is now part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt.
The rebranded 348-room hostelry, which recently had operated as James New York NoMad (and The Carlton before that), began life in 1904 as Hotel Seville, when it served the Gilded Age elite who gathered in what today is called NoMad (short for North of Madison Square Park). A great place for people-watching, the park resides a few blocks from the hotel and across from the iconic 1902 Flatiron Building, a much-photographed triangular landmark that measures just six feet wide at its narrowest point. Also nearby is Curry Hill, a favorite haunt of mine nicknamed for a two-block stretch of Lexington Avenue dotted with Indian restaurants.
A Storied Past
Situated at Madison Avenue and East 29th Street, the 12-story Hotel Seville NoMad, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sports an impressive Beaux-Arts facade adorned with red brick, limestone, white terra cotta and bay windows. Sculptural embellishments—curved copper bays, flower motifs and lion heads—accent its early 20th century grandeur.
A small lobby display showcases Hotel Seville memorabilia—postcards, stationery, matchbook covers and china. One vintage brochure declares: “All bathrooms (with one exception) have good-sized windows opening directly to the outside air and sunshine—a very essential feature in a strictly sanitary sense and rarely found in New York hotels.” Touted as a “modern hotel with a homelike atmosphere,” the Seville served both well-to-do permanent residents and short-term guests.
Public Spaces
The in-house Italian restaurant, Scarpetta, has garnered a James Beard Award nomination. The basement’s speakeasy-style bar, The Seville, offers live music and a Prohibition-era vibe with a contemporary edge.
In the lobby lounge (called Il Bar), we took advantage of the complimentary Sunday night wine reception, enjoying reds and whites with sandwiches from the neighborhood’s Australia-based Bourke Street Bakery.
