Developer Converts West 44th Street SRO Into New Hell’s Kitchen Hotel

The owner of the four-story tenement at 417 West 44th Street in Hell’s Kitchen is in the process of converting the property from a rent-stabilized single-room occupancy (SRO) building into a transient hotel dubbed the 417 Aycee Hotel. Since acquiring the building in 2024, ownership has reportedly converted 12 of the 18 total rooms into hotel units equipped with electronic code pads, marketing them online for approximately $220 per night. The conversion effort is currently the subject of multiple eviction lawsuits against long-term SRO tenants, with residents and legal advocates alleging that the property owner is leveraging harassment tactics and disputed rent payments to clear the building.

Legal challenges have emerged regarding whether the owner obtained the required Certificate of No Harassment, a mandate for major renovations in SRO-designated buildings. While the owner maintains the conversion is legal under the building's 'B-building' designation, the New York City Department of Buildings has opened an audit of the filing records. Furthermore, the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement is investigating whether the property meets the minimum 30-room requirement mandated for legal hotel operation, as the building currently contains only 18 units.