A Celebrated Landmark Turned Luxury Hotel
Tucked within Midtown’s vibrant NoMad neighborhood, Luxe Life Hotel was once the headquarters of LIFE Magazine and home to the celebrated artists who produced it. Today, it’s a boutique destination for those looking to relax and recharge between big-city adventures. Here you can settle into meticulously designed pet-friendly rooms with plush bedding and state-of-the-art technology, relax in our open lobby, which offers spaces to work, eat, drink and socialize, or break a sweat at the on-site fitness center.
Hotel Amenities
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- 24/7 Fitness Center
- Complimentary coffee
- Filtered water stations
- Open workspaces
- Locally curated artwork
- Pet-friendly guest rooms
- Under 30 minutes to major airports
Our History
Historic buildings are bound to have an interesting backstory, and Luxe Life Hotel is no exception. In 1894 during the Gilded Era, new inventions were booming in the Big Apple with the arrival of the elevator, steel beam construction, and the skyscraper.
John Ames Mitchell, founder and former editor of the iconic LIFE Magazine, moved his company’s operations to 19 West 31st Street upon the building’s completion in 1895, by the architectural team of John Mervin Carrère and Thomas Hastings.
A true visionary, Mitchell and his talented team of artists, writers, and creative staff lived in the apartments above their shared offices, creating the first “co-working” space of the era.
A giant library and massive writing rooms occupied the third floor of the building, and a rumored Prohibition speakeasy bar for LIFE staffers was later found in the basement.
Famous inhabitants roaming the halls and occupying the apartments included Charles Dana Gibson, Norman Rockwell, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Margaret Bourke-White, and Robert Capa. Gibson was handpicked by Mitchell to be the inaugural creative art director for LIFE, and later his successor as Editor in Chief.
Gibson was best known for his famed “Gibson Girl”—an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century. Gibson modeled the “perfect woman” after his wife, who was the only female tenant throughout the magazine’s residency.
In 1936, Henry R. Luce bought the rights to LIFE Magazine; his goal was to revamp the publication and fill a cultural void through politics, art, economics, humor, and leisure. In doing so, Luce created the first multimedia corporation, and is considered one of the most influential figures in American journalism.
Though the term “NoMad” was not officially coined until 1999, this area of New York City was known as a meeting place for the Gilded Age elite and a mecca for shoppers, tourists, and restaurant patrons.
Back in the day, it was not unusual to see the likes of Franklin Roosevelt, Jimmy Stewart, Nikolas Tesla, Henry Ford, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and other luminaries strolling the streets!
Today, the LIFE team’s creative spirit lives on throughout the neighborhood. Luxe Life Hotel has been restored to its former glory and unique architectural splendor. Live LIFE to the fullest as you sleep, dine, and drink in history.