If New York City had a secret handshake for looking effortlessly fabulous, The Twenty Two would probably know it. The buzzy hotel, members’ club and dining destination has brought its London-born brand of old-school glamour to Manhattan—and Instagram is making sure everyone knows about it.
Located inside the landmarked Margaret Louisa Home at 16 East 16th Street, The Twenty Two New York combines a boutique hotel, private members’ spaces and the very Instagrammable Café Zaffri. The property has 76 rooms, including 19 suites, with interiors designed to feel more like an elegant private residence than a traditional hotel.
Then there’s Café Zaffri, the ground-floor restaurant open to the public. The menu blends modern Levantine and Mediterranean cuisine, while the room leans heavily into velvet, marble and brass. Translation: your dinner might taste great, but your phone camera is going to have opinions too.
The Twenty Two’s appeal is also about the atmosphere. Its London location in Mayfair helped establish the brand as a destination for hospitality, dining and nightlife, and the New York outpost brings that same members-club-meets-boutique-hotel concept to Union Square.
Naturally, @thetwentytwo has become part of the experience. The Instagram account offers a steady stream of interiors, food, events and fashionable guests, essentially turning the property into a digital mood board for downtown Manhattan.
And that may be the real genius of The Twenty Two: it doesn’t feel like you’re simply checking into a hotel. It feels like you’ve temporarily joined a very stylish club where someone else handles the reservations.
For New Yorkers searching for The Twenty Two NYC, Union Square hotels, Café Zaffri or NYC members clubs, this is one downtown address worth knowing.
Just remember: looking like you belong may be easier than actually getting through the door.
