It’s just before 6pm when I check in to the Ace Hotel Brooklyn and the place is fizzing with energy. The lobby is packed with people finishing off Zoom calls, groups of friends chatting over cocktails and cool couples on Hinge dates. The Ace brand has a reputation for turning buildings into social hubs for travellers and the local community. Clearly, it’s already working its magic here. The latest outpost is in Boerum Hill on the edge of Downtown Brooklyn. It’s an emerging area close to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station with easy access into Manhattan. While the building’s facade is a harsh mass of concrete and steel, inside the aesthetic is super-cosy. A warm amber glow lights the wood-panelled lobby, which has squishy leather sofas, a couple of bars and a gallery space. Upstairs the decor gets more eclectic with plenty of retro details. The gym is a throwback to the 80s with vintage exercise machines and bodybuilder posters. Meanwhile, the guest rooms are filled with mid-century furniture, turntables and vinyl records curated by Rough Trade. My room is on the ninth floor and has a brilliant view of the swooping arc of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which connects Brooklyn with Staten Island. The space is decently-sized and very functional but it’s a little lacking in luxury touches. The latest outpost is in Boerum Hill on the edge of Downtown Brooklyn. It’s an emerging area close to the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station with easy access into Manhattan Bottles of water aren’t provided and in place of a cavernous wardrobe there’s just a tiny rail to hang my clothes. What’s the thinking behind this? The Ace is what the travel industry calls a ‘lean luxury’ hotel. It’s all about cutting back on amenities and being smart with space in order to make the rooms more budget-friendly. For dinner I head to the adjoining restaurant, As You Are, which looks like an upmarket diner with a menu that celebrates Brooklyn culture and cuisine. I happily tuck into a plate of crispy Brussels sprouts to start, followed by grilled halibut with freekeh tabbouleh. The meal ends on a high note with toasted oat ice cream that arrives swimming in thick toffee sauce. Come morning the restaurant morphs into an all-day cafe with a bakery headed up by pastry chef extraordinaire Danny Alvarez. When I show up most tables are occupied and the takeaway queue is outside the door. I can’t resist ordering a PB&J doughnut and a pastel de nata. Back in the lobby, a table of creatives are huddled over MacBooks having a breakfast pow-wow. As far as hipster hotels go, this one has to be right up there.