The Broome

Adjacent to classic cast-iron Soho lofts, the exquisite Broome occupies a brick building that is as handsome as it is unassuming. Opened in 2014 as a 16-room boutique, the four-story townhouse is a secret retreat for couples from out of town or locals on an upscale staycation. Guests go up a short set of steep steps and enter a proportionately tiny lobby. Optimizing the space (albeit awkwardly) is a lofted area, with luggage storage below and a small boutique above. The shop is accessed by a few spiraling steps and sells designer jewelry, upscale beauty products, and hipster sneakers. Although it's ultimately an upscale and understated boutique property, the Broome still feels tapped into the SoHo art scene: throughout the ground-floor space there are acrylic mosaic-like portraits by French-born Lo Breillat and pieces of underwater photography-slash-digital art by Spanish artist Aldara Ortega.

The hallway leads to the Broome's most remarkable feature, its open-air, ivy-sporting courtyard. The romantic space is floored with Moroccan tiles and opens up to the sky. It's entirely possible to momentarily imagine you're in New Orleans or Paris, especially in the mornings, when the Broome serves its free gourmet breakfast in the small cafe tucked away in the rear of the courtyard. When the weather is nice, guests bring their morning coffee and pastries (from the nearby French-restaurant/bakery icon Balthazar) outside, sit on the cushioned benches and wicker cafe chairs, and marvel at the fact that manic heart-of-Soho Broadway is just around the corner from this little oasis. The upscale and quiet vibe attracts almost exclusively couples and business travelers, who can take advantage of the hotel's free suit press and shoeshine.

The Broome is located on -- drumroll, please -- Broome Street, less than one block from Broadway. For those who want to be in the heart of shopping- and dining-centric Soho, the location is about as good as it gets. Madewell, the J.Crew Men's Shop, and Topshop are just around the corner, and Balthazar is one block north. The beauty of the Broome is that despite the buzzy location, the hotel itself is quiet and calm. The hotel is about halfway between the Spring Street subway station (the 6 train) and the Canal Street Subway Station (N, Q, R, W); they are a three- and four-minute walk from the hotel, respectively.

Upscale hotel rooms in Soho boutiques tend to skew modern and loft-like (see: the studio-style rooms at the Mercer and the minimalist, industrial-chic rooms at the James). The Broome, however, goes for a different angle. Its rooms have an understated elegance, with a subdued lavender or coral and gray color scheme and designer furniture and decor, like Mitchell Gold velvet lounge chairs (in larger rooms) and Lucite bedside lamps with linen shades and dimmer switches. Decorative elements include terrariums mounted on the wall, midcentury-style blown-glass dishes, and artsy coffee table books, like “Moroccan Interiors” by Taschen. Usable details are as thoughtful as the room design, and include Turkish towels, Tivoli radios, Faribault wool blankets, first aid kits, and custom Field Notes booklet (these you can keep). Welcome fruit, a hand-written note, glass bottles of Evian spring water and Badoit sparkling mineral water, and the option of a loaner iPad await guests upon check-in.

All rooms include minibars (fee) with popcorn, Kind bars, and Tate's chocolate chip cookies, among other snacks. Refrigerated water, soda, Bruce Cost ales, and cold-brew coffee are stored in the mini-fridge. Mints, intimacy kits, and anti-hangover tablets are also for sale. Samsung flat-screen TVs come with standard cable (and don't connect to Wi-Fi).

Black-and-white bathrooms feature large walk-in showers (with standard, not rainfall, showerheads and no shower doors), magnifying mirrors, and full-size (four-ounce) bottles of the hotel's custom-made shampoo, conditioner, hand/body wash, and hand/body lotion. The hotel also provides Q-tips, cotton pads, make-up removing wipes, two mini bottles of mouthwash, disposable razors, and complete dentil kits. Turkish towels are made of 100 percent cotton and bathrobes and slippers are provided. There are full-size Revlon ionic hairdryers and first-aid kits, complete with Band-aids, instant cold packs, tampons, and Tylenol. One gripe is the little storage space in the bathrooms; the sinks are pedestals and a narrow black-marble shelf under the mirror isn't sufficient for a bigger makeup bag or dopp kit. Turndown service and twice-a-day housekeeping are provided.

As a 16-room boutique hotel in Lower Manhattan, the Broome has few common areas. There is a tiny, narrow room off of the hall where guests can meet, work, or take phone calls, but it is too small to be considered a proper conference room. The Moroccan-tile, open-air courtyard is definitely the hotel's top feature. Blue-cushioned sofas and red cafe tables with wicker chairs provide seating, and there are a few lemon trees in big teal planters to really drive home the miles-from-Manhattan vibe. Tucked under the stairs is a red cooler with glass-bottle Cokes and ginger ales. These are free to take, along with bags of chips, pretzels, and Oreos. A secret, Parisian-style "cafe" is located in the rear of the courtyard. This space is outfitted with wood-plank floors, pressed-tin ceiling, and cafe tables and chairs; it's open only in the mornings, when it serves a free breakfast of Balthazar breads, croissants, French jams, granola from local bakery Oro, and farm-milk yogurt. Made-to-order eggs, like soft-boiled eggs with truffle, are also available. To drink there are espresso drinks, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and teas, like mint and Chinese green, from Palais des Thes. 

The hotel's only other feature is its small lobby boutique, which sells a super-curated selection of jewelry, beauty products (locally made Brooklyn Beach Hair and Eir body care, all-natural Tata Harper), perfume (French brand Berdoues, Brooklyn-based MCMC), and footwear (eco-conscious Inkkas sneakers). The hotel will press suits, iron shirts, and shine shoes for free. Wi-Fi is free throughout the Broome.