Designed to resemble an ocean liner with a stainless steel façade and porthole windows, what is today the grand Dream Downtown Hotel in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood was built in the 1960s by New Orleans-based architect Albert Ledner as an annex to the National Maritime Union headquarters.

In 2006, the building was converted by Handel Architects into the Dream Downtown Hotel, preserving and enhancing the original quirky design.

The sloped façade was covered in tiles made from stainless steel, and more porthole windows were opened, some the same size and some smaller, creating a sense of verve and controlled chaos. The metallic tiles reflect the blue sky, sun, and moon, and the round windows appear to be floating like bubbles.

The hotel has 316 rooms and suites on 12 stories as well as two restaurants, VIP and rooftop lounges, an outdoor pool with a glass bottom, a gym, event space, and a pool bar.

The loft-style rooms have Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and iPod docks. Suites have extra living space, surround-sound systems, HDTV projectors, and some even landscaped terraces and hot tubs.

Dream Downtown Hotel, 355 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011, 212-229-2559

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