A particular challenge faced by many new “retro” architectural designs is drumming up that authentic-feeling aesthetic from thin air, i.e., giving a historic feel to something that doesn’t actually have any history. At the Paper Factory Hotel, which is located in — you guessed it — a meticulously restored paper factory, our look comes naturally and is just one more chapter in a story that began nearly a century ago.
From Power to Paper
On the site of our Queens hotel back in 1922, a man named Isidor Goldberg founded The Pilot Electric Manufacturing Company, which was also referred to as the Pilot Radio Company. The company manufactured radios and radio parts for home use, eventually producing a range of communication devices and televisions during the Second World War. As paper production began to soar, due particularly to the newspaper industry boom that started during the war, the building housed a successful paper mill, which operated as the Romo Paper Products printing company after the mill shut down. During the 1970’s the building, as well as the area, hit a down cycle and slipped into an era of neglect and disrepair.
A New Queens Hotel Arrives Amidst the City’s Rebirth
The dot-com era saw a wave of resurgence and development in Queens and Long Island City, but it took a little while longer for someone to see the potential in the cavernous, 86,000-square-foot industrial hulk on 36th Street. Real estate developer Gal Sela decided the up-and-coming neighborhood needed a hotel and saw the down-and-out paper plant and warehouse as the ideal place. He bought the property in 2012, and “The Paper Factory Hotel” went into its $27 million production run.
In a nod to the space’s blue-collar heritage, our Queens hotel was designed using as much of the original material when possible. Foyers and rooms are eclectic and historically quirky, often incorporating original elements like the polished concrete floors or reclaimed materials from the warehouse. Vintage hammered metal doors, expansive factory windows and exposed pipes seamlessly mesh with modern art and sleek light fixtures. Charmingly rustic furnishings and stylish yet comfy furniture soften up the spaces, while lofty 12-foot ceilings give the 122 rooms and suites a bright, airy feel (Oversized windows allowed more light to enter the factory and high ceilings ventilated the space for workers during their grueling 12-hour shifts. Today, these architectural elements contribute to a sense of space that’s rare for New York City area hotel rooms that don’t cost a fortune).
Occasional steampunk detailings abound throughout our Queens hotel, along with repurposed 19th century manufacturing appliances and funky but functional seating. In perhaps one of the most stunning details commemorating its paper past, the lobby showcases a massive one-hundred-year-old paper machine next to a dramatic circular staircase with a central column sheathed in hundreds of hardcover books.
You can’t know who you are without knowing where you come from. As excited as we are about our makeover, we’re equally proud of our heritage as one of the original operators in Queens. Come pay us a visit and see our history everywhere you look.
The story continues…