The Eventi New York: Kimpton's Hotel Long Shot |

Under Thomas Mathes' guidance, the luxury hotel in Manhattan is trying to counter the financial crisis with service and style. One morning in December 2009, Thomas Mathes went looking for a place in New York's Chelsea neighborhood where he could plug in his laptop. He visited at least eight Starbucks (SBUX), only to discover that other people with computers had claimed all the electrical outlets. "It was the craziest thing," he says.