This English-themed hotel stands out among the places to stay in New York City, New York. From a rooftop garden to a courtyard filled with sculptures, this property offers a refined, elegant experience for guests. Since 2017, John Mini Distinctive Landscapes, based in Congers, New York, has been responsible for maintaining the diverse landscapes on this site. Their efforts earned them a 2025 Gold Award of Excellence.
“It’s a tremendous honor and a reflection of the creativity and dedication our team brings to every project,” says Matthew Wessol, director of outdoor at John Mini. “This site embodies the essence of urban landscaping, which blends nature, hospitality, and innovation in one space. We’re proud of how adaptable and solution-oriented our team has been, always finding ways to meet the client’s needs without compromise. The recognition from NALP reinforces that commitment to excellence.”
John Mini is responsible for the entire property. However, there were specific issues the client wanted to address when they began working here.
“We were brought on to assess a struggling lawn area, which was once a wildflower meadow that had been converted to sod,” Wessol says. “Before our arrival, the sod was continually failing. Our team took an organic approach to recalibrate the soil, water, and balance the nutrients. Over time, we restored the site’s ecological integrity by adding a pollinator garden to support the rooftop farm’s crop production and other landscapes on the site.”
Additionally, John Mini installed bee and butterfly hotels in this area.
Since the team works in various parts of the hotel, they’ve created different ways to avoid disrupting the guests. The Meadow suite lawn is a great example. This suite requires extra care to keep the lawn pristine at all times, especially when celebrities and other high-profile guests host events at the hotel. John Mini has introduced a quiet, efficient way to mow the lawn and care for the surrounding landscape beds.
“To maintain consistent turf quality and minimize disruption, we deployed our first autonomous mower here,” Wessol says. “The mower keeps the turf perfectly cut while reducing our service time and footprint. Previously, transporting and cleaning up after a traditional push mower took longer than the mowing itself.”
Mowing takes place late at night or early in the morning, allowing the team to focus on detailed horticultural work, such as weeding and fertilizing.
As work began on this property, the team faced another challenge on the rooftop garden. The original purpose of this space was to provide a kitchen garden for the on-site chef, complete with a chicken coop. However, a previous contractor had left the garden in disarray with uneven pavers, scattered planters, and a coop that wasn’t safe for the chickens.
After assessing the problems, John Mini, set out to revive this area and make it functional. Large, permanent planters were installed, allowing the on-site chef to access more produce. The pavers were reset to be level, and the chicken coop received overhead fencing and other updates to clean up the space and protect the birds.
“The chicken coop is constructed from reclaimed wood, keeping with the site’s sustainability ethos,” Wessol says. “The enclosure uses traditional welded wire fencing, which is the same durable material you’d find on a working farm. It stands roughly 8′ tall and is fully enclosed to protect the flock from urban predators like hawks.”
John Mini is also responsible for the veggie garden, where they stagger plantings to keep the produce fresh and supply the chef all summer long. This requires even more attention in spring when the weather fluctuates and the seedlings are becoming established.
With so much variation on the site, there’s no routine task.
“This property is a study in contrasts,” Wessol says. “We manage dense shade in the sculpture garden, intense full sun on the rooftop farm, and variable conditions in the Meadow Suite, which sits between neighboring buildings and experiences shifting light and wind patterns. Each area functions like its own micro-ecosystem, so our team treats every garden as a distinct site with a customized maintenance approach.”
The whimsical and refined theme is evident upon arrival at the hotel. At the entrance, you’ll find manicured boxwoods, trees, and even a large cat sculpture.
Within the hotel, a sculpture garden can be found in a courtyard setting. In addition to its artistry, the area offers ample seating to relax and enjoy the ambiance of the trees, shrubs, and seasonal plantings.
At breakfast and lunch, guests can be found in the Sunken Café. This area features a 5-story ivy wall and an impressive display of oakleaf hydrangea. Since the café is occupied during normal work hours, the team comes here early in the morning.
Despite the unique style of each area, the overall theme remains consistent throughout the hotel.
“The client, all the way up to hotel ownership, has expressed that the property has never looked better,” Wessol adds. “They view John Mini Distinctive Landscapes as a true partner, not just a service provider. Our team’s responsiveness, flexibility, and understanding of the hotel’s unique operational demands have been key to that relationship.”
Interested in participating in the Awards of Excellence? Be sure to enter your projects when entries open in early 2026.
