THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL IS NEW YORK’S ONE TO WATCH
The Fifth Avenue Hotel in NoMad has just been named the American Express Travel One To Watch by The World’s 50 Best Hotels, a sign that it may soon join the ranks of the world’s most celebrated places to stay.
By Daniel Quintero (IG @danielquintero)
New York has always had its share of grand hotels. The real challenge is building one that feels woven into the city’s fabric. Since opening in October 2023, The Fifth Avenue Hotel has begun to do just that.
This year, The Fifth Avenue Hotel has been singled out with the American Express Travel One To Watch Award 2026, a special recognition announced before The World’s 50 Best Hotels ceremony in Paris this September.
Chosen by the 50 Best team, the award goes to a hotel that has caught the attention of over 800 Academy members and is seen as a future contender for the global top 50.
For New York, this recognition means more than just another trophy. Only one local hotel, The Mark, made the global top 50 last year. The Fifth Avenue Hotel landed at No.75, just outside the main list. While the new award does not guarantee a spot in next year’s ranking, it marks The Fifth as a hotel that people are watching closely.
A New Chapter on this Historic Address
At 1 West 28th Street, The Fifth Avenue Hotel stands on ground once chosen by Charlotte Goodridge, a celebrated hostess of 19th-century New York. In 1856, she built her mansion and carriage house here, turning the address into a meeting place for the city’s creative and social life.
The Renaissance-style palazzo that stands today was built in 1907 by McKim, Mead & White, first serving as the Second National Bank. After a ten-year restoration led by owner Alex Ohebshalom and Flâneur Hospitality, the historic building now shares the block with a modern 24-story glass tower.
Together, these two buildings hold 149 rooms and suites, and the hotel’s spirit is clear: it aims to bridge the glamour of Gilded Age New York with the energy and character of the city today.
Inside, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has created spaces alive with color, patterned fabrics, Murano glass, antique mirrors and over 700 artworks. Photographs by William Klein, Gordon Parks and Melvin Sokolsky hang alongside objects gathered from Ohebshalom’s travels, giving the hotel the feel of an eccentric private home rather than a typical luxury address.
Food and Drink as Part of the Destination
Nowhere is the hotel’s connection to New York more evident than in its approach to food and drink.
At Café Carmellini, chef Andrew Carmellini draws on three decades of cooking in New York. His menu blends Italian and French influences, shaped by the city’s seasons and restless energy. The restaurant’s soaring dining room, bronze trees and dramatic design have made it a destination in its own right.
Nearby, The Portrait Bar offers a more intimate interpretation of the classic New York hotel bar. Wood-paneled walls, a carved stone fireplace and a collection of portraits create the setting for a cocktail menu developed by longtime industry veteran Darryl Chan. Modern drinks sit alongside variations on classics, with ideas inspired by travel but grounded in the culture of the city.
The experience includes the hotel’s Martini Ritual: two drinks are mixed in your room, tailored to your taste and served with a tray of garnishes. Behind the Curtain is a hidden space for two, a nod to New York’s secret bars and the city’s golden age of cocktails.
There is also a Book Ritual: a mobile library cart with 20 handpicked titles arrives at your door. These touches are playful, but they also show how The Fifth sees service—not as a checklist, but as a series of personal moments.
That may be the most relevant part of the recognition. The Fifth Avenue Hotel revives one of the city’s oldest hospitality traditions: the hotel as a place where residents and visitors, artists and travelers, food and conversation can meet.
Whether it crosses into the global top 50 will be known in a future edition. For now, the award positions The Fifth as something increasingly difficult to create in Manhattan: a new hotel that already appears to belong to New York.
Discover more about the hotel on their website.