Long-Term Renters Can Enjoy The Envoy
<B> Long-Term Renters Can Enjoy The Envoy</B>
By Alex Lesman
Businesses travelers looking for long-term accommodations in New York City have a new option: The Envoy Club, a 57-room extended stay hotel on five floors at Eastbridge Landing, a new residential building at East 33rd Street and First Avenue. The hotel, which opened in December, is the first of three Envoy Clubs that New York-based developer RFR Davis plans to open in Manhattan by the end of 2000.
Looking to carve out a niche for itself in the increasingly competitive extended stay sector, The Envoy Club has put an emphasis on technology. Each apartment is wired with 15 lines for voice and data transmission, including ISDN lines for high-speed Internet access. Each apartment also comes equipped with a cellular phone featuring caller ID, a fax machine, an entertainment center that includes a VCR and a stereo, and personalized business cards.
"What sets us apart from our competitors is the high level of service we offer, as well as the wide variety of high-tech perks available to our business guests," said director of operations Michael Rawson.
The Envoy Club's business center features a conference room, a bank of three television monitors for simultaneous broadcasts and three computer workstations with high-speed Internet access. Across the hall is a private screening room outfitted with DVD equipment, surround sound and a five-foot screen.
Rates at The Envoy Club are comparable to those of competitors like The Manhattan East and The Philips Club. Studios, which range from 500 to 550 square feet, cost between $4,800 and $5,200 per month; one-bedroom suites, which range from 650 to 700 square feet, cost between $6,000 and $7,200 per month; and two-bedroom suites, which measure 1,200 square feet, cost between $9,000 and $11,500 per month. The minimum stay is 30 days.
Guests at The Envoy Club can expect amenities such as Frette linens and Molton Brown bath products. Each apartment contains a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, as well as Royal Doulton china and Christofle flatware. The staff even will shop in advance for guests so that food and beverages await them when they arrive.
Guests have 24-hour access to the fitness center, which is shared with residential tenants. There is no pool, but in addition to exercise equipment, the facility contains a private room for massage treatments or meditation and a separate children's play area. The Envoy Club has a traditional concierge desk, but does not offer room service. Instead, guests are given a folder with an array of delivery menus from the restaurant-rich neighborhood. For guests who do not want their clothes sent out to be cleaned, there is a laundry room with coin-operated machines. In addition, animal lovers who want to bring companions will be glad to know that the hotel is "pet friendly."
The second Envoy Club is scheduled to open next April at The Impala, a residential building at 76th Street and First Avenue. The third is to be located at Fifth Avenue and 38th Street in a 53-story residential/office/retail building designed by renowned architect Robert A. M. Stern. Construction will begin later this year, and the hotel is expected to open in October 2000.
According to Michael Rawson, both locations will offer apartments that are more spacious than those at 33rd Street. He also said the Fifth Avenue Envoy Club will have its own lobby, a lounge, an expanded fitness center and premium suites with outside terraces on the 20th floor that look out on the Empire State Building. "That building is going to be really spectacular," he said.