Fashion 26 is a fashion-themed hotel which includes distinctive amenities such as signature Crumbs cupcakes at check-in, dining at specialty hamburger haven RARE Bar & Grill, and radio-frequency guest room keys that unlock doors with the wave of a hand.

The new hotel is a 22-story glass and steel tower, which has been conceived by Peter F. Poon Architect P.C and is situated across from the Fashion Institute of Technology on the Seventh Avenue. Designed by designer Glen Coben,the hotel’s fashionable look and style is inspired from the Fashion District’s history.

Coben has added a custom-designed wooden reception desk in the hotel’s lobby, which was modeled after a fashion studio cutting-room table with iron legs common to old-fashioned sewing tables. Throughout the hotel, the guest corridors act as a background for the rotating art program, featuring contest-winning photography created by students at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Setting the stage for the hotel’s exhibits, the hotel’s own ‘After Mondrian’ display by installation artist Devorah Sperber is crafted from colorful spools of thread, paying homage to Piet Mondrian’s paintings of the city.

Other amenities offered by the hotel includes upscale touches including daily turndown service, premium Frette linens and terrycloth towels, complimentary wireless Internet service, custom-designed hardwood furniture, Gilchrist & Soames bath products and special edition fashion-inspired cupcakes made exclusively for the property. The hotel offers meeting space for up to 80 attendees and a boardroom accommodating up to 14 people. The business and fitness centers are open 24 hours a day. The fitness center is equipped with Cybex cardiovascular and resistance training equipment.

The hotel’s hip RARE Bar and Grill is a tribute to the American hamburger. Its RARE View rooftop bar and lounge will open in late spring with creative cocktails to be served along the views of the Manhattan skyline.

The staff uniforms have also been designed keeping the fashion theme in mind and have taken inspiration from design houses like Faconnable, Pink and Ralph Lauren. These custom-created merino wool uniforms will be complemented by Kangol knit hats for the doormen.

As part of the celebration of the hotel’s opening, the hotel will offer introductory room rates at $299 through June 31, 2010.