It’s been a longtime coming — construction started there in February 2016 and then stalled out over lawsuits, damage to neighboring properties and all sorts of other sagas for the next several years — but Fouquet’s New York, the local outpost of the French hotel dynasty Hotel Barrière, has been open since October and I finally got over there to tour in January. If you (or your visitors) like super fancy, this is your spot.

The exterior

As a structure, I don’t think you could ask for a better neighbor. It’s beautiful and almost makes up for the fact that this was an open pit for much of the teens. The architect was Stephen B. Jacobs Group, and since it is in the Tribeca North Historic District, they captured the brick and cast iron all in one. Once the skylights open on the Par Ici cafe, the neighbors might have other thoughts. But in the meantime, I would think it is a very welcome addition to North Tribeca.

(It is my understanding that they were supposed to fix the cobblestones, which are done on the northside of Desbrosses, but that’s it.)

The interiors

The interior designers (AD100 superstar Martin Brudnizki and his firm MBDS whose business development manager, Charles Dobbins, is a neighbor — they also did The Beekman) did not miss a trick. From the neighborhood-themed toile wallpaper to the Eiffel tower holiday displays on the stoop to what has to be the coolest mini bar ever — it’s somehow warm and sleek at the same time. And pink. There’s a lot of pink. Architectural Digest called it “flawless.”

Some basic facts:

• 97 keys
• Rates start at $750 for a standard room and jump pretty fast to $3200 for the suites; the terrace suites start at $3750 and go up to $5500.
• Three restaurants: Brasserie Fouquet’s New York, Par Ici Cafe and Titsou Bar (more on the other two soon)
• Private cinema that can be rented for events
• Spa that is open to the public
• Dog Pound gym (a training session is $400)

A few other details:

• They plan to pursue a sidewalk café for Desbrosses.
• There is a roof deck bar, but it is only for hotel guests — I am not sure that has been permitted for booze yet.
• The spa, named for Diane Barrière who died in 2001, has five treatment rooms, a steam sauna, a pool and all plant-based products (they partner with Biologique Recherche) for makeup and nails.

There may be an opportunity for free movie nights for the public (unlike the Roxy Cinema, it is not generally open). There will be truffle popcorn.

The rooms are generous — huge really — and oddly (in my mind) each has a ton of closet space, which is a feature I never would have considered. Guests here must arrive with a lot of luggage. The art is curated by Saatchi and beautiful and the Tribeca views out of the oversized windows are wonderful. But the piece de resistance has to be the mini bars, pink mirrored and lacquered origami Deco confections that are the best setting a bag of peanut M&Ms has ever seen.

Is it an improvement?

Who can remember what was there before? Not me. There is some photographic evidence below. There are some real downsides to having a hotel as a neighbor vs. a residential building. For one, everyone is transient so while they may support local restaurants and bars, they will not support the need for real neighborhood services like grocery stores, bodegas, cobblers, etc. There will always be a black car scene on some level, which makes me a little batty.

Pass or fail?

The flipside? 24/7 security on an otherwise very quiet block, and a business that lights up the streetscape for an entire blockfront. So yes, that plus its obvious style and architectural adaptation to the neighborhood makes it a welcome new kid in my book. So yes, pass.