The Maritime Hotel

As the National Maritime Union's headquarters, the nautically themed structure was originally designed by New Orleans modernist architect Albert Ledner in 1968 to serve as the union's headquarters. In the late 1940s, Ledner worked as an apprentice under the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, where he developed his own playful style. This fanciful approach to modernism was long dismissed by design purists, but The Maritime is now considered to be part of a wave of modernist architecture that is being viewed in a completely different light than it was previously. It had been open since 2003 but had undergone a transformation to better reflect its enviable location in the heart of Manhattan's fashion, art, food and business districts as well as the city's technology and creative industries. It was the first luxury hotel in the neighborhood, distinguished by its signature porthole windows, white-tiled exterior, and elevated outdoor terraces overlooking Ninth Avenue. As the modern, cool heart of Manhattan's Meatpacking District/West Chelsea neighborhood, the Maritime Hotel has maintained its position.