THE FACTS ABOUT SOHO HOUSE

USA New_York

In May 2003, Soho House, the British brand that began as a private members' club in London, opened in Manhattan on the top six floors of a former warehouse in the hip Meatpacking District. You do not need to be a member to stay. Padded green-leather-lined lifts transport you to the Cowshed spa on the third floor, where SHNY begins. The next floor houses a 43-seat cinema, and a dazzling room in white leather, mirrors and glass that can be hired for functions. Spread over floors three to five are 24 bedrooms designed by Ilse Crawford as a playful take on the loft apartment. All are furnished differently; some with battered leather Chesterfields and French armoires, others with Perspex coffee tables and futuristic armchairs. Instead of mini-bars, there are large drawers marked READ (magazines, books), STREET (maps, sunglasses), PLAY (dominoes, 'Kamasutra' massage oil) and SNACKS (Gummi Bears, Dean & Deluca chocolate raisins). Each floor has 24-hour butler service and guests have access to the private club on the top floor with its bar, restaurant, sitting room and games room one of the few public spaces in New York in which one can smoke. WHEN TO GO Summer for the rooftop swimming pool. ROOM TO BOOK Number 5: so vast you could invite 100 friends for drinks. CONTACT Soho House New York, 29-35 9th Avenue, New York, USA (00 1 212 627 9800; fax: 627 4766; www.sohohouse.com). Doubles from $300. Members of London's Soho House receive preferential rates