New York's hotel icons are each reinventing themselves. Soon, in the spring of 2025, the city will welcome back one of its iconic addresses, the Waldorf Astoria. The largest hotel in the world when it opened in 1931, this a monument to American hospitality closed its doors in March 2017. Bankruptcy of its owner, the Chinese insurer Anbang, takeover by another Chinese group in 2020, Dajia, pandemic: its rebirth has taken longer than expected, but it has been a success. it is now very close.
A number of big names have worked on this legendary Art Deco skyscraper to restore its former glamour, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for the architecture and Pierre-Yves Rochon for the interior design. This new story will have a reduced number of rooms - 375, compared with nearly 1500 previously, with part of its floors having been converted into prestigious and lucrative pied-à-terre - but no less prestige. Starting with that of sa Grand BallroomA key feature of the refurbished 4,000 m² meeting and events space.
In the same way, but a little earlier, the Four Seasons New Yorklocated on "Billionaires Alley", between Park and Madison Avenue, will reopen in mid-November its doors closed at the time of the pandemic. Housed in a 52-storey tower designed by I.M. Pei in Art Deco style, the redesigned hotel will feature a mix of junior suites, suites with terrace and signature suites, including the Ty Warner Penthouse. All of this inventory will be available during 2025, with 1 to 3-bedroom long-stay flats to be added at a later date. All of this will be complemented by a 1,400m² MICE space, including boardrooms and reception rooms.
New stories to tell
Another flagship hotel in the city that never sleeps is the St Regis has also given himself a facelift to celebrate his 120th birthday in style. The star of channel 5e Avenue, designed by John Jacob Astor IV to rival the finest European palaces when it opened in 1904, has seen its public spaces redesigned this autumn under the direction of Champalimaud Design. Its original Beaux-Arts architecture is now blended with contemporary elements and modernised furniture. Everything changes and nothing stays the same his legendary King Cole BarThe only changes are La Maisonette, a new restaurant open from breakfast to tea time, and the presentation, in dark wood bookcases, of the Astor family's private collection of books. The only changes are La Maisonette, a new restaurant open from breakfast to tea time, and the presentation, in dark wooden bookcases, of the Astor family's private collection of books.
Also as part of the renovation programme, and closer to French customers, the Sofitel New York is also set to embark on a major programme at the end of the year. rejuvenation cure until autumn 2025, without closing, while the Park Hyatt is redesigning its suites. At the same time, other glories of the New York hotel industry are undergoing a metamorphosis, such as the Surrey Hotel, which has just reopened under the flag of the Corinthia group.
Bought by the Reuben Brothers family of billionaires after it went bankrupt in 2020, this luxury boutique hotel on the Upper East Side The almost century-old hotel has seen many celebrities pass through its doors, from JFK to Bette Davis. Like other hotels that have appeared in the city in recent years - Fouquet's Barrière and Fifth Avenue among them - it owes its new decor to Swedish-American designer Martin Brudnizki and now offers 70 rooms and 30 suites, as well as a Sisley spa and New York's first Casa Tua restaurant.
The New York hotel industry knows how to offer something new all the time. In addition to these renovations and transformations, the city is also undergoing an astonishingly dynamic expansion. While the city opened 17 hotels last year, adding more than 4,500 new rooms, New York is expecting even more with 7,000 rooms planned by the end of next year according to the city's tourist office. Some thirty hotels are in the pipeline, in Manhattan of course, but also in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
Beyond Manhattan
Manhattan does not have a monopoly on hotel development among New York's five boroughs. In Brooklyn, the Hilton group has plans for a Motto hotel, after opening a Tru hotel earlier this year. On Staten Island, the Marriott group is planning a Westin in the new Lighthouse Point development. This urban development revisits the historic offices of the US Lighthouse Authority and the entire St. George Waterfront, adjacent to the ferry terminal, as a vibrant place to live.
Several hotels will also appear in Queens The Hilton Group's programme includes the Hilton Garden Inn Flushing and the Hampton Inn Jamaica Air Train JFK, next to the Jamaica station, which is linked to both the airport and the centre of Manhattan. As for Marriott, the Westin Flushing, aloft and Element Jamaica Queens or a Courtyard and Fairfield combo will take advantage of its proximity to JFK airport to attract travellers. On Long Island, after a DoubleTree by Hilton this summer, a Yotel is expected to open in 2028.
And yet, Manhattan still retains its power of attraction. The new Hudson Yards business district is attracting new developments, with an Autograph Collection hotel to come. Not far from there, and very close to the Javits Convention Center, a Hotel Indigo, from the IHG group, and a Tribute by Marriott are expected. The lights of Times Square will soon attract both a SpringHill Suites and a Voco hotel.
The Hyatt Group, thanks to the recent acquisition of Standard InternationalThe Manner, a new boutique hotel recently opened in a quiet street in the SoHo district, has played host to some of the most coveted after-parties of the last fashion week, according to Hyatt. In the same niche of confidential, trendy addresses, Twenty Two, New York intends to reproduce the success of its London hotel, due to open in 2022 in the Mayfair district. Housed in a former YMCA Founded in the 1890s by the philanthropist Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt to cater for young Protestant women, the hotel, located near Union Square, will offer 77 rooms and suites from mid-December, as well as the Italian restaurant Cafe Zaffri and a private club.
While the leaders in the American and Anglo-Saxon hotel sectors continue to offer travellers new addresses, Accor is also involved in a major project as part of its partnership with the Faena group. Following on from Miami and Buenos Aires, the Faena Group will be replicating its luxury concept at the crossroads of art, culture and the hotel industry in New York. And it's in a prime location, on the banks of the Hudson, in the One High Line residential complex, comprising two towers designed by architect Bjarke Ingels. Expected to open next spring, the Faena New York will take up residence in the East Tower, offering 120 rooms and suites, complemented by an immense spa and a restaurant run by a star chef. As for New York nights, they can look forward to the Living Room, with its terraces offering unique views over the city.
