New York’s newest 5-star hotels

Staying somewhere forgettable in New York? As locals would say, fuhggedaboutit!

The city has never been short of interesting places to stay, but the list of luxury options has grown longer with this pair of hotels winning inclusion in the highest echelon of Forbes’ Travel list for 2018 and again in 2019.
Only 28 hotels worldwide were ushered into the five-star club and New York and Dubai (with three hotels) were the only cities with multiple new entries.

Here’s our guide on what to expect at the hottest new hotels in town.

Baccarat Hotel and Residences

A French company dating back to the eighteenth century and primarily known for producing opulent crystal glassware, Baccarat is now making a splash in luxury accommodation.

Baccarat Hotel and Residences Image: Baccarat Hotel New York

Barry Sternlicht, Chairman and CEO of Baccarat’s parent company Starwood Capital Group, explained this Midtown location was designed "to reimagine the elegance and perfection of the legendary French crystal maker into a luxury lifestyle hospitality brand."

The first Baccarat hotel seems to have successfully pulled off that concept, being a spectacular and lavishly designed building complete with curated antiques, specially commissioned artworks and decadent common spaces. The lobby is especially stunning, with high ceilings studded with a constellation of prismatic crystals.

The lobby is especially stunning, with high ceilings studded with a constellation of prismatic crystals.

The hotel (which was presented the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award in 2019) offers an extensive luxury spa menu, including both warming and cooling Baccarat crystals and its trademarked Miracle Broth, not available anywhere else.

The Baccarat is also ideally located for art lovers; the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), one of the world’s great galleries, is literally across the road. Broadway Theatre, Radio City Hall and the Ed Sullivan Theatre, now home to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, are all just minutes away.

Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

Located at the lower end of Manhattan and close to the World Trade Centre, the Four Seasons is an ideal base for an executive looking for close proximity to the city’s bustling financial district.

The Gotham suite has all the luxury features associated with Four Seasons hotels. Image: Four Seasons

The design, by Yabu Pushelberg (who has also done luxury hotel projects for W, Waldorf and the Park Hyatt) is a sleek modern affair, highlighted by a suspended staircase and marbled walls.

No expense has been spared to create a comfortable environment, with each suite featuring deep-soaking bathtubs, customisable beds and iPads to order room service. For those with young travelers in tow, there are even complementary milk and cookies at turndown.

The hotel also offers a wide range of spa and rejuvenation options. The Luxury Green Caviar promises to completely revitalise your skin, while the Executive Recharge is tailor-made for busy C-suite staff, offering an energy-boosting massage that clocks in it at just 25 minutes.

The Four Seasons is home to the first Manhattan instalment of Wolfgang Puck’s upscale steakhouse CUT. Guests can work off an indulgent meal with the help of onsite personal trainers or in the spectacular indoor pool, which is encased by two-storey windows to maximise natural light.

Here are seven more luxury business hotels to have on your radar.