Washington Square Hotel: Old World Elegance

As soon as I walked through the doors of the Washington Square Hotel (@wshotelnyc) I felt as if I'd been transported to old world Europe, with a grand marble staircase and check-in desk, oval-shaped portraits and black and white photos, lots of deep reds and gold, and a history dating back to 1902 when it was the 8-storey residential Hotel Earle in 1902 as a small residential hotel. The most eye-catching items are the work of Rita Paul -- former owner of the Washington Square Hotel. Tiles hand-painted by her hang in the entrance hall, and some accent the floor of the North Square restaurant. More of her tile art brings life to the lobby walls, giving the hotel a Bohemian feel. Rita also worked with Christian Ziegler of CZ Design to bring art deco design to the Washington Square Hotel, thoughtfully redesigning rooms with inspiration from that period.