As ballyhooed as New York’s many iconic and historic hotels are, for decades they’ve been mostly sizzle, not a lot of steak. The most exciting city stays have been newer properties, like the beautifully curated, artistic Fifth Avenue Hotel, or the sleek, contemporary style and service of wellness-led Aman New York. Yet within the last few years, NYC has seen a cascade of long-planned, highly anticipated renovations. “I think it was long overdue to keep up with other places around the world who have reputations as being incredible hotel cities, such as London and Paris,” says Josh Alexander, a luxury travel advisor with ProTravel International, a Virtuoso agency. “New York City was falling behind.” The starry list of NYC hotels that have completed rejuvenations is (in alphabetical order) include: The Carlyle (reopened in 2021 after three years), Hotel Chelsea (reopened in 2022 after 11 years), Four Seasons Midtown (reopened in November 2024 after four years), Park Hyatt (remained..
