AC hotel in Times Square installs custom Boon Edam revolving door

BoonAssist manual revolving door matches hotel’s sleek décor while creating “oasis of calm” in lobby
Times Square in New York City is arguably one of the most popular attractions in the world, with restaurants, stores, energetic crowds and pulsing lights from towering digital billboards. It’s also home to AC Hotel New York Times Square, a recently opened property that’s part of the AC Hotels by Marriott brand, located on West 40th Street.
The one-year-old hotel has 21 floors with 290 rooms and suites, with options including high views, floor-to-ceiling windows and full balconies. It also has more than 3,500 square feet of event space, a 24/7 fitness center, an AC Library, and Castell Rooftop Lounge on the 21st floor.
The hotel, which was designed by Helpern Architects of New York City, is detailed with original artwork in the hotel’s shared spaces – from sculptures to abstract paintings – by a mix of local, national and international artists. The photography in the guestrooms is by Richard Silver, featuring NYC’s iconic architecture. OTO Development, part of The Johnson Group, owns and operates AC Hotel New York Times Square.
On average, more than 1,000 people enter the hotel each day, says General Manager Ben Britton. The property’s design team sought a main entrance solution that would not only accommodate pedestrian traffic but would also fit with the hotel’s soaring glass exterior and all-white entrance with its large, cantilevered awning extending over the sidewalk.
The solution also needed to filter outside noise and other sensory distractions to help create an “oasis of calm, a retreat from New York City’s hustle and bustle,” Britton says. In addition, the entrance solution needed to coordinate with the overall hotel brand, based on providing a harmonious, modern and discerning guest experience.
A Boon Edam BoonAssist manual assist revolving door met all of those requirements and more, including a custom-made, all-white color that matches the exterior entrance decor. The door’s dimensions are built to complement the scale of the entry at 10ft diameter and almost 14ft tall. “Due to the size of the door, we chose the manual assist option to reduce strain on the motor,” explains Britton. “The door has a weight to it that provides a sense of grandeur as you enter the hotel, while the power assist feature makes it easy for our guests to use.”
The revolving door also helps ensure that hotel guests are connected with the full experience that the hotel aims to provide. “We are very keen on providing a sensory experience,” Britton says. “The lobby exudes the AC Hotels brand signature scent. We work to ensure the lobby space is quiet and calm so that our business guests can conduct a business conversation. Considering the environment outside on the street, the revolving door helps us achieve these goals – it also provides a brief transition experience for the customer as they pass through it, sort of ’washing the street off of you,’” Britton observes.
Britton notes that maintenance of the Boon Edam revolving door has been seamless, with no issues to date. The hotel’s engineering team is fully trained on the door’s operation, including its regular maintenance schedule.
The hotel’s operations team is pleased with how the Boon Edam revolving door controls pedestrian traffic and creates an ideal transition into the peaceful lobby; the design team is happy with how the door design and special color add to the beauty of the hotel exterior.
“AC Hotel Times Square has gotten a lot of attention both nationally and internationally,” Britton says. “I believe that this type of sleek, modern design is the future. Hotel chains will update their design elements to be more in line with what our hotel has already accomplished. Boon Edam provided a great solution.”