Deluxe Rooms: 310 square feet of elegantly appointed in the fashion of an English library with cherry furnishings, rich oak baseboards and trimmings, flat screen TV, CD/DVD player, wireless internet access, work desk, full kitchenette with sink, microwave, mini-fridge, dishes and flatware, luxurious down bedding with linen duvet and pillow-top mattresses, marble bathroom with tub and shower and Penhaligon's amenities. All rooms include complimentary use of Frette robes, in-room safe, iron and ironing board. Deluxe Studio Suites: Feature all of the deluxe room amenities at 425 square feet, which includes a sitting area with pull-out couch. Deluxe One Bedroom Suites: 525 square feet feature Deluxe room accommodations and includes a separate sitting room with dark hardwood floors, an extra long daybed/couch, and a second flat screen TV. Complimentary wireless, high-speed Internet access. 24-hour access to on-site fitness facilities. Room Service by Abboccato (located on lobby level). Complimentary delivery of New York Times to room. Complimentary incoming faxes and computer access. Discounted overnight parking. 24-hour concierge services. Full kitchenettes with mini-fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker. Complimentary coffee and tea. Flat-screen TV, DVD/CD player, in-room movies by lodge net. Voicemail and two phones per room (one cordless), work desk. Feather mattress topper, down pillows, luxurious duvet and Egyptian cotton linens. Personal safes, irons and ironing boards, hairdryers and umbrellas. Marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs; whirlpool baths or marble rain showers in all suites. Frette robes and Penhaligon's bath amenities

For 2 Hoteliers, A Freewheeling Business Style By JOHN HOLUSHA Sunday July 4, 2004. THE organization owns or has interests in 20 one-of-a-kind Manhattan hotels with more than 4,000 rooms. It is preparing to develop a hotel in TriBeCa with Robert DeNiro as a partner, is converting a landmarked office building at 90 West Street into residences and has several other residential projects under way. The organization consists of two guys with cellphones. Richard Born and Ira Drukier manage properties as diverse as the Mercer Hotel in SoHo and the Travel Inn on West 42nd Street without a staff. They work out of separate offices. While one is developing a project, the other is out looking for investment opportunities. Despite their unorthodox operating style, the two have built up one of the largest independently owned portfolios of property in Manhattan over the last 20 years. In addition to the DeNiro project, they are refurbishing the old Gorham Hotel on 55th Street, which has been renamed the Blakely, and developing residential condominium projects at Perry Street and at Bond and Lafayette Streets in Greenwich Village -- the latter with another noted hotelier, Ian Schrager. And they are participating in the reconstruction of 90 West Street, a 1907 building designed by Cass Gilbert, which was badly damaged in the World Trade Center collapse. They did not come to real estate development by a traditional business school route. Mr. Born is a medical doctor who dropped out of a surgical residency program in 1985 to dabble in real estate. Mr. Drukier has a doctorate in electrical engineering and did research at RCA Laboratories before founding several technically oriented companies. He joined Mr. Born in 1985 -- they knew each other because their fathers had been business partners -- and the two have been operating in their unorthodox style since then. We did a deal with an opportunity fund once, Mr. Born said, and they asked us about our corporate structure. I put my cellphone on the table and so did Ira. That's it. We don't have assistants, we don't have a C.F.O., we don't have people. Each property, he said, is run as an independent business with its own management and staff. Because the hotels are in a variety of categories -- some large, some small, some expensive, some for those on budgets -- no attempt has been made to develop them as a brand, he said. Having each one stand on its own avoids the complacency that can develop in a larger organization, Mr. Drukier said. We have hotels that compete against each other, he said. Each one does its own purchasing and its own marketing. This way they stay competitive. Despite the number of hotel rooms they control, the two do not see themselves in the hospitality business in the traditional sense. We are in the real estate business and opportunity driven, Mr. Born said. We are looking to acquire assets and bring them to their highest use. Because they have no fixed business model, the partners create ownership structures based on the circumstances of each particular deal. In their world, competitors can become partners and partners competitors, sometimes overnight. For example, when the Maritime Hotel on Ninth Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets was sold in 2001, Mr. Born and Mr. Drukier were outbid by Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode. The next day Eric Goode called us, with an invitation to join the deal, Mr. Born said, and they are now partners in the project, where the rooms have porthole windows. When Henry Kallan, who now owns and operates several hotels in Manhattan and one in Prague, wanted to buy his first, the Hotel ElysŽe on East 54th Street, he sought assistance. Henry came to us and said, 'I need your help,' Mr. Born said. So the three of us bought it. This sort of thing has happened many times.. And not every project develops strictly according to the original plan. A few blocks to the south of the Maritime, at Ninth Avenue and 13th Street, Mr. Born and Mr. Drukier bought a trapezoidal-shaped piece of land as the site of a future hotel. After the attack of Sept. 11, however, they decided not to go ahead with new construction, but leased the land to William and Michael Achenbaum, a father and son team, who have built the Hotel Gansevoort on the site. They, in turn, have hired Mr. Kallen to manage the property. Mr. Born said he and Mr. Drukier can manage their holdings and seek acquisitions without a staff because almost all of their portfolio is on the island of Manhattan. I can visit five properties on a given day, and I know the faces of the people at all of them, he said. He added that direct contact with property managers means he gets unfiltered information. From a management point of view, the more people between us and a property means the less accurate information we get, Mr. Born said. Mr. Born and Mr. Drukier see their unusual backgrounds as an advantage in dealing with the crises that arise in real estate development. When I was a surgical resident at Bellevue and they brought in a bunch of cops and robbers with knife and bullet wounds, I learned how to take a deep breath and slow down and not panic, Mr. Born said. Mr. Drukier added, And what we are doing is real estate, not life and death. Mr. Drukier said the new hotel in TriBeCa at North Moore and Greenwich Streets would not have gone forward without the participation of Mr. DeNiro. He owned the land and wanted to build a hotel, he said. After talking to all the usual suspects, some mutual friends put him in touch with us. The hotel, which has not yet been named, will be very upscale, Mr. Born said, with many very large suites. He said it would be designed for people who have to relocate to New York for a period of months -- such as actors making a movie in the city. Mr. Born admits he has a tendency to dive into the details of a deal, arguing with lawyers about clauses in a contract and with accountants about the financial structure. Once, when he was pressing an interior decorator about materials and colors for a hotel renovation, the decorator remarked that he seemed to be the type of person who told doctors what to prescribe. That said Mr. Drukier, is the only thing he is qualified to do.

Penthouse Boardroom at The Blakely Located on the 17th floor, the penthouse boardroom is the perfect venue for small meetings and presentations, intimate dinner parties, or showroom use. The boardroom's private garden terrace can also be used as an excellent breakout space or for outdoor luncheons overlooking the city. Up to 14 around the boardroom table. Up to 30 reception style. Up to 65 when rented in combination with the Penthouse Suite. Garden terrace with city views seating up to 12. 56-inch plasma flat screen (connectible to laptop for presentations). Tele-conferencing system (including all local and non-international calls). Drop down projection screen. Voss water, notepads and pens. Additional AV support. Full catering capabilities For additional information please contact Theresa Gonzales, Director of Sales Marketing at. Or 212.245.1800 Ext 2210.

The Blakely New York offers a preferred mid-Manhattan address for corporate and leisure travelers alike. Ideally located at 136 West 55th Street, between 6th and 7th avenues, The Blakely is within walking distance of the high-end fashion of 5th Avenue, the enjoyment of Central Park, the lights of Broadway, as well as numerous corporate headquarters on 6th and 7th Avenues. Other area attractions include Rockefeller Center, The Museum of Modern Art, City Center, Carnegie Hall, the new AOL-Time Warner Center, and numerous dining options right at our doorstep. For those points of interest outside of walking distance, The Blakely is less than two blocks from the N, R, Q, W, F, E, B, and D subway lines. Our doormen and concierge staff are also more than happy to call you cab or car service to anywhere in the city.

Photo Gallery The Blakely New York is the latest addition in the Manhattan portfolio of BD Hotels, owned by Richard Born and Ira Drukier. With over 4,000 rooms in 15 hotels, including such small luxury properties as The Mercer, The Chambers, The Maritime, and The Elysee, BD Hotels has become the largest independent hotel owner and operator in New York City. In addition to these endeavors, The Born-Drukier partnership has recently joined forces with Robert DeNiro in the development of a new hotel in to open on Greenwich Street in Tribeca. Commenting on their vision in creating The Blakely, owner Richard Born said: The pace of life in New York is always so hectic, so demanding. We felt the need for a hotel that feels like your own private club - a place that is immediately inviting and relaxing, where guest comfort is always the top priority.

 Guest rooms have air conditioning
 Luggage storage
 Breakfast may be served in the room
 Rent-a-car service
 Central situation
 Credit cards accepted
 Lift
 Disabled guests are welcome
 Facsimile services
 Fitness hall
 Garage places
 Hairdryer
 Heating
 Access to internet
 Ironing facilities
 Jacuzzi tub
 Licensed bar
 Smoke-free guest rooms
 Around-the-clock recetpion
 Clock/radio
 Fridge
 Restaurant
 Safe deposit box
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Tea and coffee making facilities
 Phones in rooms
 TV sets in rooms
 Cheques accepted