Room Key is TZR’s definitive guide to the world’s most exclusive stays. From private island resorts to design-forward urban escapes, each feature offers an insider’s look at the properties redefining modern luxury.
If you’re traveling to New York City, where you stay can set the tone for the entire trip — and Andaz 5th Avenue makes a strong case for choosing Midtown. Yes, the city is famously walkable, but the few-square-block radius where you bed down does, in fact, matter a lot. When it comes to Big Apple travel, like real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Each neighborhood has its own vibe and pace.
Crash in Times Square and you’re in a 24/7 tourist circus. Head to the Upper East Side for polished, old-school luxury. Go to Soho or the Lower East Side for cool-girl downtown energy.
And then there’s Midtown. Best known for its glossy office towers, it’s also home to luxury hotels like the Baccarat Hotel New York, The St. Regis New York, and the newly revamped Waldorf Astoria New York. If you want polish without the pomp — or the $2,000-a-night price tag — Andaz 5th Avenue is a standout option.
Located directly across from the New York Public Library’s main branch (famously the site of Carrie Bradshaw’s almost-wedding in Sex and the City), the hotel overlooks the landmark’s iconic lions. The 184-key property sits inside a former department store that later became Tommy Hilfiger’s global headquarters. Today, that fashion spark is very much alive. It’s a stylish spot to hang your hat after a day of sightseeing, browsing Bryant Park’s seasonal pop-ups, or shopping along Fifth Avenue.
The Andaz is Hyatt’s luxury lifestyle brand — essentially the hospitality giant’s answer to Marriott’s Autograph Collection and W Hotels. Designer Tony Chi conceived the interiors of its 5th Avenue outpost to feel more like a boutique stay than a corporate chain. Personalized service and locally inspired touches are everywhere — from loft-style windows to the gallery showcasing rotating installations by New York-based artists and shoppable activations from independent brands. Guests also have access to thoughtful perks, including grab-and-go coffee in the morning, a complimentary daily wine hour, water-bottle filling stations, a 24-hour fitness center equipped with Peloton bikes and a Tonal machine, and a book-filled nook in the lobby lounge curated by the New York Public Library.
The Rooms
I’m not suggesting that everyone who visits New York City wants to move here. But a good hotel should sell that fantasy — the one where you live in a spacious apartment on a writer’s salary and somehow manage to walk 20 blocks in Manolo Blahnik heels. And Andaz 5th Avenue does exactly that. The rooms are imbued with residential-style touches: high ceilings, large windows (double-paned to block the city hubbub, so you can sleep through late-night honking horns and early-morning street sweeps), and travertine marble showers that are a serious upgrade on most NYC apartments. For travelers who want more square footage, the generously sized (well, generous by Manhattan standards) suites hit the mark. Some even have balconies or terraces, a rare luxury in this city, for a bit of coveted outdoor space.
The Restaurant
The thing about staying at a great hotel in New York City is the constant tug-of-war between feeling like you should be out exploring every second and wanting to try the on-site food and drinks. And I’m sorry to say that checking in at Andaz 5th Avenue won’t make that choice any easier.
The Bar Downstairs & Kitchen is a New American brasserie focused on local, seasonal ingredients. For breakfast, house-cured gravlax on a bagel or challah French toast will stave off hunger for the rest of the morning. It’s also an ideal spot for a Midtown power lunch or a leisurely ladies-who-lunch between shopping. Come 4 p.m., the snack menu includes fan favorites like truffle fries. Even if you’re just swinging by for a nightcap, order a Penicillin made with Johnnie Walker Red Label, lemon, ginger, Laphroaig spray, and honey harvested straight from the hotel’s rooftop beehives. Executive Chef Christian Clark and Andrew Coté, founder of Andrew’s Honey, have been tending to this buzzing ecosystem of sustainable beekeeping since 2022.
The Takeaway
Midtown might not have the cool cred of Downtown or Uptown’s ritzy addresses, but it’s central, highly walkable, and packed with iconic, tourist-friendly attractions that help define the Big Apple. Whether you’re here for business or leisure, one of the best things about staying in this pocket of Manhattan is the chance to unwind in the plush rooms at Andaz 5th Avenue after arriving at Grand Central Terminal (it’s just a five-minute walk from the hotel), doing some retail therapy, snapping selfies in front of the celebrated New York Public Library (c’mon, we know you’re going to), and sipping cocktails at the speakeasy-style bar downstairs.
