New York is no stranger to a $1k-a-night hotel room. And, having covered the city and its top hotels for over a decade, I’m no stranger to snooping around them. We’re not talking about a night in the top-category suites, by the way — it’s common to pay a grand for an entry-level double at iconic hotels like The Plaza, The Carlyle, The Lowell and The Mark, especially at peak times of year, like the run-up to Christmas.
The latest in this super-luxe set is the November opening, The Fifth Avenue Hotel, which is channeling a grand dame spirit, with design by industry darling Martin Brudnizki. Set in a 1907 Gilded Age mansion that once contained a bank, its classic entrance canopy and elegant, renovated facade certainly have the wow factor. It's situated on a more southerly, quieter stretch of Fifth Avenue than most of the competition; at 28th Street, down by the Empire State Building and the trendy Nomad neighbourhood.
