Almost a decade following the initial opening of Ravel Hotel in Long Island City, ownership has unveiled a ten-story expansion and partial renovation of its existing property at 8-08 Queens Plaza South, just south of Queensbridge Park. Ravi Patel, owner of the Ravel Hotel brand, describes the project as “transformative” and sought to establish an amenity-rich hotel and entertainment space for weddings, corporate outings, and other large events.
To achieve his goal, Patel purchased three adjacent parcels to build the addition. The tower houses 40 short-stay guest rooms and three levels of amenity spaces including a grand ballroom with covered outdoor terraces, two rooftop pools, an 18,000-square-foot pool deck, and dining areas.
Steven Kratchman Architect, P.C. designed both the original Ravel Hotel and the new building. This second phase of development also included construction of an elevated bridge that connects the two components. Conceived as a way to ensure the hotel could remain operational during construction, the bridge proved to be a functional long-term solution to linking the spaces.
“We were using architecture to capture a specific market, and we took into account everything from the entrance and parking to how to connect the hotel and event facilities,” said founding architect Stephen Kratchman. “As is usually the case in commercial work, our challenge was to make the entire complex more efficient by ensuring that every square foot of floor area was dedicated to generating revenue.”
Renovated areas include a new entrance lobby, upgraded corridors, a refurbished façade, and optimized parking areas for guests.
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Upgrading is maybe a good idea. From a TripAdvisor review a month ago:
“This hotel was truly an awful experience and a prime example of a business that has no idea how to assist guests. The rooms are terribly outdated, dirty, and lacking basic amenities. The hallway smelled deeply of mold that only got worse as the day went on. The heating and cooling system barely worked and when it did, was so loud you wouldn’t want it on.”
Well that’s the Patel way! Nothing like importing millions of professional hucksters and con artists into our once great nation.