Hell's Kitchen Ex-Homeless Shelter Blossoms Into Gay Hotel Extravaganza

By Leslie Minora Wed., Aug. 18 2010 at 12:47 PM

Categories: Awesomeness, Brilliant Inventions, Leslie Minora, The Fabulous Life

Just when you think New York has everything, an idea morphs into reality that makes people wonder, "What the hell took so long?" This, my friends, is the definition of one of those ideas. At 510 West 42nd Street, appropriately sandwiched between Chelsea and the Theater District, a hotel called The Out NYC is scheduled to open next year, according to Curbed. If you couldn't guess from the name, it is a lodging place aimed at gay travelers, but it is also so, so much more.

Here's the rundown of the gay hotel, party-place, all-out 24/7 fiesta, via the Times. In addition to the 127-room Axel Hotel, a branch of a small international hotel chain that caters to gay visitors, it will include (drum-roll, please):

-- A 90,000-square-foot complex that will cost $30 million to create

-- Restaurants and bars galore including a cafe called Kitchen to be run by the owners of Eatery

-- A branch of the Nickel spa, first opened in Paris

-- A reception hall geared toward same-sex weddings and commitment ceremonies

-- Retail stores, a courtyard lap pool, a gym, and a wellness center

-- A 14,000-square-foot XL Dance Bar run by gay-nightclub bigwigs

-- Undulating hallways inspired by minimalist sculptor Richard Serra