Located at 246 Spring Street, The Dominick is one of the trendiest hotels available in SoHo. Its beautifully appointed rooms offer gorgeous views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. Boasting a five-diamond rating from AAA, The Dominick is the epitome of luxury. The condominium hotel has a spa, a bar, and an outdoor pool. Some of the larger rooms have an outdoor terrace and all of the rooms have gorgeous views.
The Dominick is a 46-story hotel with 391 rooms. Due to this area being zoned for manufacturing, the hotel cannot house full-time residents. It is considered a hotel-condominium and restrictions are placed on how long an owner can stay at the residence each year. Any one room cannot be used for more than 120 days (4 months) per year by the same person. When the owners are not at the hotel, hotel guests can rent the rooms. Agents market this as “an excellent investment opportunity.”
Currently, The Dominick is part of the prestigious Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legends Collection.
Trump SoHo and Building Woes
The towering building wasn’t born The Dominick. It began as Trump Soho and construction began on the behemoth in 2006. The hotel was a collaboration between The Trump Organization, Tamir Sapir, and The Bayrock Group.
Several issues and accidents plagued the hotel during its time being built. During the excavation process, human bones were found, stalling construction. It was later learned that the bones were likely from 19th-century burial vaults. The vaults had been placed under the old Spring Street Presbyterian Church. The church stood in the place of the future hotel until it burned down in 1963.
Once construction returned, more mishaps plagued the hotel. In early 2008, an incident caused the injury of three construction workers and the death of a third construction worker who fell to his death from the 42nd floor and was decapitated. The incident happened when wet molds for concrete collapsed and the safety netting failed to catch one of the workers.
Work on the hotel was halted after these terrible accidents. By early fall 2008, construction resumed after violations were issued and conditions improved.
Not only were there casualties and extreme accidents, but the building also had funding issues. Bank of America backed out of one loan and the building debt had to be restructured.
Drastically Declining Business At The Trump SoHo
By November 2011, the hotel had several of its owners suing them for fraud. French soccer player Olivier DaCourt was one of the main owners suing the company. It was claimed that they were told false information in order to convince the owners to buy. Reportedly, owners were offered partial refunds to not participating in the lawsuit.
During the 2016 presidential election, most Trump properties saw a large downturn in sales. Trump SoHo was not immune to these changes and eventually Trump would disassociate himself from the hotel. It is largely believed that the Trump name is the largest cause for these events.
According to CNN, the original room rates of $700 per night had declined to $400 per night. Many hotel workers were beginning to be laid off. Trump SoHo’s signature restaurant Koi eventually closed as well.
Donald Trump never actually owned the Trump Soho. The hotel was managed by Trump International Hotels Management and the Trump name was only a licensed part of the building.
What Is The Trump SoHo Called Now?
On December 21st, 2017, Trump SoHo was renamed The Dominick.
Since the name change, The Dominick has thrived. The seemingly small action of a name change has been huge for the landmark. It was reported by Bloomberg that sales increased over 20% by the next year. The hotel saw an increase of over 7,000 more room nights booked in 2018.
You may have heard the old adage-you can put makeup on a pig, but it’s still a pig.
Well, that is not true for Trump Soho/The Dominick. Simply changing the name DID change the course of history for the hotel.
Many patrons did not want to stay in a hotel with the name Trump on it.
Jack Ezon, the founder of travel company Embark, blames the Trump name for many clients not wanting to associate with the hotel. He states, “Seven out of eight times people would say, “I’m not staying at a Trump hotel’ when I suggested it”. He indicated that was the exact reason that LeBron James had refused to stay in the hotel. Many NBA players once loved staying in the hotel. One of its signature amenities was its extra-long beds which easily suited their tall height. Since the name change, Mr. Ezon has indicated that business is now back to usual.
Kristi Hill is a freelance writer who loves to travel, cook and watch college football. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually listening to classic rock and spending time with her dog, Chico.