Renovate in New York City— the land of a thousand permits — is always difficult. However, renovating a hotel building like the Surrey is nearly impossible: A century old, it requires both formal approval from the historical commission and unofficial approval from the public. Many New Yorkers remember the hotel’s previous incarnation, when the clientele included John F. Kennedy, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert. Add an iconic Art Deco facade and you’re not just battling bureaucracy, but the warm fuzz of nostalgia.

Yet after a years-long closure – which led to a change in ownership (the hotel is now owned by the Reuben Brothers) and a change in management (from Relais & Châteaux to Corinthia Hotels) – Surrey is finally ready to make its big move concerning-beginning.

Jonathan Maloney / Inga Beckmann for What The Fox Studio

Arriving on a Saturday afternoon in November, I felt a little exhausted by the realities of city life: construction on Madison Avenue made my trip from the West Village three times longer – and bumpier – than necessary. Earlier in the morning, a pigeon decided to do its business on my just dry-cleaned sweater. And earlier, earlier that morning (around 5 a.m.), I was awakened by the sound of sirens. I didn’t necessarily have a bad day, but I didn’t really have a good day either.

Until I entered the lobby: cream, marbled, and adorned with artful floral branches, it had a distinct sense of visual calm. The interior design of Surrey 2.0 was done by Martin Brudnizki, who also designed Annabel’s in London and Fouquet’s in Tribeca. While these projects embraced maximalism, with The Surrey there is a sense of restraint. Color palettes are muted, with pops of color arriving primarily through the artwork on the walls. Organized with the help of the Visto Gallery in Paris, it includes works by George Condo, Robert Mapplethorpe and Brooklyn-based contemporary artist Ethan Cook.