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I see more security guards than bellhops as I walk into the Dream Downtown. The brand new hotel, fronting both 16th and 17th streets at the crossroads of two of New York City’s hottest neighborhoods, is brimming with the kind of cool you normally find in Barcelona or Miami. There’s a famous DJ checking in to my left, two European couples en route from the pool to my right, and a herd of models on their way up to the rooftop bar, PH-D, behind me. Clearly, the Dream Downtown has got it going on. 

The 190,000-square-foot property just got a comprehensive face-lift, a $270 million renovation that has transformed the historic building into a sleek, surreal escape with art installations and live music in the lobby. The hotel was built in 1966, and the original Deco architecture has been suited up with cutting-edge modern art and a chic Bauhaus-influenced design.

The Dream Downtown has 316 loftlike guestrooms with clean-cut interiors. Here, it’s all about the elements. There’s silver everywhere — in the elevators, the light fixtures, even the bedroom walls — cement floors, marble tables and buttery leather chairs. My room is designed in purple and gray, chrome and glass, yet it’s surprisingly relaxed and comfortable. It’s just about the sexiest New York City apartment I’ve ever seen, and there’s even a fully stocked teak bar, just in case the party continues well into the evening. 

I head downstairs to the Beach at Dream Downtown — and it’s actually a beach. There are white and navy lounge chairs, a sandy area, and a pool bar and restaurant. While the pool channels the Côte d’Azur in the ’50s, the rooftop lounge, PH-D, evokes Wall Street in the ’80s with glass walls, dark woods and a powerhouse vibe. And a powerhouse it is. The Dream enlisted nightlife connoisseurs (the men behind TAO Las Vegas/New York) to turn this spacious dance floor into one of the city’s go-to spots.

So it’s a good thing you have a room key.