The Fifth Avenue Hotel held its grand opening in early December, welcoming travelers to a new luxury destination in New York City. This exceptional design, art and culinary destination embraces a legacy of luxury and glamour, led by international award-winning firms Perkins Eastman, as hotel design architect, and Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, as interior designer, in collaboration with Flâneur Hospitality.
Located on the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue at 28th Street, The Fifth Avenue Hotel pays homage to where Charlotte Goodridge, a gracious host known for her elegant receptions, resided during Manhattan’s Gilded Age, with guests arriving by horse and carriage. After Ms. Goodridge passed, her home became an art gallery, where European masterpieces were sold. As Fifth Avenue grew more commercial, the property was sold in 1907, and McKim, Mead and White were commissioned to design the Second National Bank.
Fast forward more than a century and grand hospitality returns to Fifth Avenue and 28th Street. Steeped in history, The Fifth is composed of The Mansion, a historic landmark meticulously renovated and restored by Perkins Eastman to offer a collection of stunning suites, and The Tower, a striking, new, 24-story tower designed in collaboration with PBDW for the building envelope.
Set back from 28th Street, the brick-and-glass tower was designed to complement the historic wing. Inspired by the history of the neighborhood, the hotel includes 153 guestrooms and suites, some which feature private terraces. The design elegantly blends the historic with modern interventions to create a new landmark destination for Fifth Avenue.
The transformation from a historic building to a luxury hotel over the last decade was a labor of love. “Working with the client, who has owned the building since 1978, presented a special collaboration to create a place that was unique and individual and expressed not only the history and charm of the building itself, but the personal touches that bridge past and present,” Shawn Basler, AIA, co-CEO and executive director of Perkins Eastman, said in a statement.
The Fifth is pioneering a singular hospitality experience, offering the highest level of luxury and service that inspires exploration, fascination and wonder. It is an outstanding gastronomic destination with an array of restaurants and bars under the direction of James Beard Award-winning Chef Andrew Carmellini. At the heart of The Mansion, with an entrance on Fifth Avenue through doors of bronze and etched glass, is Café Carmellini, the signature restaurant from Chef Andrew Carmellini.
Located in the restored double-height banking hall, with arched windows and an open kitchen, private dining balconies on the second floor elevate the theatrical experience of the space. The Portrait Bar, tucked behind the lobby of 28th Street, offers sophisticated cocktails and elevated bar fare around a carved-stone fireplace setting with wood-paneled walls. Guests can also celebrate in style in the Mansion Ballroom, an elegant 2,573-square-foot space with restored original architectural details and coffered ceiling overlooking Fifth Avenue.