NYC Hospitality Innovator Sponsored By Heineken: The Wythe Hotel's Peter Lawrence, Encouraging Us To Wake Up In Williamsburg

New York City’s cultural center of gravity has officially hopped the L train. First stop, Williamsburg. Not so long ago, “Bridge and Tunnel” was a term that Manhattanites used to denigrate their borough brethren. Now, many Brooklynites use “B&T” to snarkily refer to their undesirable Manhattan neighbors. The times, they are a changin’. Today, the cultural cognoscente can fly into JFK and have a hip NYC vacation without ever stepping foot on Manhattan. And, Australian born, Manhattan bred, Dumbo residing Peter Lawrence is just the sort of global nomad who can help cement the trend by giving these “adventurous travelers” what he refers to as “practical luxury” at the Wythe Hotel.

Form follows function, and the Wythe Hotel’s “practical luxury” hospitality has picked up the plot where post-Schrager Manhattan hotels left off. The Wythe is all Brooklyn, all the time, in the best way. And come on, be honest, aren’t we all just a little tired of Manhattan? Williamsburg may very well be the 4th largest city in America, but it’s also well on it’s way to becoming the hippest, if it isn’t already.

The free trade coffee that is Williamsburg has been brewing for a long time, and Peter Lawrence is encouraging you to wake up (at the Wythe Hotel) and smell the coffee – on their hand made-in-Brooklyn custom beds.

Photos by Porter Hovey.

Go HERE to see more from the Guest List series!

  • Peter Lawrence in the room at the Wythe Hotel
  • Certainly being completely respectful to the existing building won us points right off the bat
  • What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced at the beginning
  • How did you meet your partners?
  • Peter and Jed bought the building over three years ago and then the economic “world fell apart”
  • Who’s your clientele?
  • What kinds of companies work in Williamsburg?
  • Did you have trouble building a staff?
  • The walls inside the elevators.
  • This project started with my business partner Jed who’s the real muscle behind it
  • Jed and these guys are really smart about how to do practical luxury
  • Tell me about what you’re wearing
  • We tried to really hard with everything to pick stuff made out material that would wear really well.
  • I love that Flavor Paper! Can you lick the wall??
  • I’m learning there’s three different people when it comes to mini bars
  • I love this speaker cable connector!
  • The wood used for the desks is also from out of the building
  • Where do you guys get your toiletries?
  • When you’re showering you can see out and watch the view
  • Tell me about the door signs.
  • Tell me about your background
  • So this is your first hotel, what is the next plan for you?
  • Let's just for fun imagine that you were to do something else. What would you do?
  • What do you enjoy the most about your job?
  • Brooklyn nightlife scene is obviously really vibrant
  • Is Brooklyn the new Manhattan?
  • I need you guys to take me around – your guide to Brooklyn.
  • Sell me on Brooklyn
To contact the author of this post, email rachelle@guestofaguest.com
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