Is It Worth It? is an Afar series that checks into some of the world’s most distinctive hotels, with rates to match, to find out what you actually get for the money and what a similar budget buys nearby.
Three years on since its buzzy debut, the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York’s NoMad district has become synonymous with over-the-top maximalist style. Think: public areas and rooms with pleated silk ceilings, striking Murano glass chandeliers, and a panoply of bold colors. The Martin Brudnizki–designed independent hotel, a former Gilded Age mansion with a newly built 24-story glass tower, captures 19th-century historic grandeur with contemporary elegance.
That level of luxury comes at a price. Among the 153 guest rooms, entry-level accommodations at the Fifth start at $1,095 while a suite in the historic Mansion begins at $2,595 per night. And the Fifth has plenty of competition, especially in the NoMad neighborhood, where several of New York’s top luxury hotels are clustered around Madison Square Park.
At these prices, “worth it” is relative. Four-figure nightly rates have become increasingly common among New York’s top luxury hotels, so the question isn’t whether spending this much on a hotel room is objectively a good value. It’s whether the Fifth delivers enough in design, service, amenities, and experience to distinguish itself in this rarefied market—and how much you really need to spend to experience what makes it special.
I stayed in one of the hotel’s $2,595-and-up Mansion suites to find out.
What you get
James Beard Award–winning chef Andrew Carmellini oversees Café Carmellini, the hotel’s two-story restaurant serving French- and Italian-inspired dishes.
Photo by William Abranowicz
First, the good news: There’s no need to fret about form over function. High design and the hotel’s staggering 500-piece art collection, including pieces by Pae White, Alanna Airitam, and Zoey Frank, are matched by thoughtful amenities, impeccable service, and a downright delightful food and beverage program. I’m pleased to report that the Fifth delivers more than just aesthetic beauty.
And many of its best perks aren’t reserved for those paying Mansion prices. All hotel guests receive access to a house car service and an on-demand butler from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Nonalcoholic drinks and snacks in the minibar, which the property cheekily calls a “maxi-bar,” are complimentary.
That generosity matters at a hotel this expensive. Unlike some properties at this price point, it doesn’t feel like the Fifth is trying to nickel-and-dime you. Many of the little extras that can quickly add up at a luxury hotel are simply a part of the experience here.
On the lobby level, Cafe Carmellini is a standout all-day French Italian restaurant from James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini. The grand, two-story dining room has second-floor tables that reminded me of balcony theater seats.
After dinner, the Portrait Bar is the place to settle into a velvet-lined chair. Led by bar director and longtime industry veteran Darryl Chan, the library-like, wood-paneled retreat has a roaring fireplace and book-lined walls. It’s as cozy as it sounds.
All rooms, at every price point, share a lengthy list of inclusions: custom toiletries, Dyson hairdryers, plush Duxiana beds, Marshall Bluetooth speakers, and an actually easy-to-use tablet to control the room’s temperature and lighting. (The hotel’s signature ambrette scent might be a bit strong for some, but I was obsessed with it.)
Still, there are a few notable omissions for a hotel charging these rates. There’s no spa, no rooftop, and no swimming pool on site, although guests do get access to complimentary boutique fitness classes in the neighborhood like Barry’s Bootcamp. I also yearned for a hotel-guest-only lounge or other private area—a particularly nice luxury in a city where space is at a premium.
What you get by upgrading to the Mansion
The Mansion’s suites start at 575 square feet and feature some of the hotel’s boldest interiors.
Photo by Douglas Friedman
The Mansion is where the Fifth turns up the whimsy. Its 24 suites occupy a fully restored 1907 brick-and-limestone former bank building and start at 575 square feet, making them some of the hotel’s largest and most elaborately designed accommodations.
My spacious suite was a kaleidoscope of color, with glass archways dividing living and sleeping quarters. Fresh flowers were replaced daily. I sent my white sneakers away for a complimentary overnight shoe shine (available to all hotel guests). Between 5 and 7 p.m., I could press a button and have a butler deliver a shaken or stirred martini to my suite while I lounged in a plush robe. The hotel calls it the Martini Ritual.
The historic setting, extra space, and fantastical interiors gave my stay a sense of occasion that went beyond simply having a bigger room.
Still, many of the things I liked most about the Fifth aren’t exclusive to the Mansion. Guests in the hotel’s standard rooms get the same butler service, house car, complimentary minibar, restaurants and bars, and plenty of Brudnizki’s maximalist design. The Mansion suites are undeniably memorable, but the hotel’s standard rooms deliver nearly the same level of design flourish, service, and experiential extras at less than half the starting price.
The alternatives
The Warren Street Hotel in Tribeca is another NYC option for travelers drawn to bold, maximalist interiors and a more intimate hotel experience.
Courtesy of Warren Street Hotel
At these prices, it’s worth considering what the same budget buys elsewhere in New York.
If you want to stay in the neighborhood, the luxurious Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad (from $995 a night) starts around the same price as the Fifth’s standard rooms but comes with amenities the Fifth lacks, including a spa and rooftop bar. Noted chef José Andrés also helms four restaurants and bars.
Nearby, the Ned NoMad (from $820 a night) is another hotel in a historic 1903 building with an ornate Beaux-Arts limestone facade. Guests also have access to some of its members’ club spaces, including the Library and downstairs lounge areas, an appealing perk if having somewhere to retreat outside your room matters to you.
If you specifically love the Fifth’s maximalist aesthetic and don’t mind heading downtown, the Warren Street Hotel (from $925 a night) in Tribeca is another feast for the eyes, featuring bright colors and a pattern-on-pattern aesthetic. I am also a fan of the nearby Robert De Niro–owned Greenwich Hotel (from $925 a night), which houses Andrew Carmellini’s long-standing restaurant, Locanda Verde. The Greenwich also has a unique guest-only lounge and outdoor courtyard, a rarity for a city where space is at a premium.
For considerably more than the Fifth’s starting rate—but less than the cost of a Mansion suite—there are other options to consider. At the meticulously restored Waldorf Astoria New York (from $1,500 a night), that extra spend gets you a more traditional version of grand New York luxury, with much larger rooms, an expansive spa, and Peacock Alley Lounge, perhaps one of the best places in the city to have a drink.
On the Upper East Side, the 100-room Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel (from $1,600 a night) offers another point of comparison for design lovers. It’s also designed by Martin Brudnizki, albeit in a more buttoned-up style appropriate for the neighborhood. The hotel is home to Casa Tua, an outpost of the popular Miami-born Italian restaurant and private club, along with a 2,500-square-foot Sisley Paris spa and a 24-hour gym.
The verdict
The Fifth Avenue Hotel occupies a restored Gilded Age mansion and a contemporary glass tower.
Photo by Andrew Rugge/Perkins Eastman (L), photo by William Abranowicz (R)
Worth it. Staying at the Fifth transported me to a place of Old World luxury; I imagined being in the home of an eccentric, well-traveled relative. In a city filled with big-brand luxury hotels and increasingly familiar neutral interiors, the Fifth feels singular as an independent hotel with a true point of view, with a sense of individuality that feels distinctive to New York. Add attentive service, excellent food and drink, and unusually generous inclusions, and the hotel delivers on so much more than good looks.
The Mansion suites take that experience further, with more space, a historic setting, and some of the hotel’s most whimsical design. If having a showstopping suite is an important part of your trip, or if you simply want the extra room, it has plenty of appeal.
For me, though, the standard rooms are the way to go. They offer much of the same design flourish, service, and experiential extras at less than half the Mansion’s starting price. I’d book one of those and still feel like I was getting what makes the Fifth special.
Afar was a guest of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Our coverage is independent; the hotel did not review or approve this story.
