Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has announced that Andaz 5th Avenue, the second Andaz property in New York and the fifth in the collection, plans to open July 5, 2010. The Andaz philosophy is that guests should feel free to express their personal style in an atmosphere that fully embraces its locale. Andaz 5th Avenue takes its design cues from its midtown Manhattan neighbourhood. Striking yet timeless interiors are designed by Tony Chi to be both loft-like and evocative of the city’s century-old apartment residences. A sophisticated bar, a shop carrying artisanal products made by local purveyors, and peaceful guestrooms all reflect the Andaz credo of facilitating – not forcing – the guest experience.Design
As the first full New York City hotel designed by Tony Chi, the muted palette and exposed pipe ceilings channel industrial New York; open spaces, open kitchens and residential style furniture add a home-like feeling to the space; and factory sash windows pay homage to New York City’s pre-war apartments and factories and provide unrestricted views of area icons, such as the Empire State Building and The New York Public Library directly across the street. Natural materials such as black- and white-washed poplar and rich grey basalt provide a counterpoint to the sheen of white lacquer finishes and marquis lighting. Both the Fifth Avenue and 41st Street sides have floor-to-ceiling windows with peek-a-boo shutters, allowing natural light to flood the interiors during the day while peacefully enclosing the space at night.
Accommodations
Of the 184 rooms, 36 are suites, six of which have terraces overlooking the grand façade of the New York Public Library. Starting at 322 square feet, the guestrooms have 12-foot ceilings and double glazed windows, making them blissfully quiet. Black-washed poplar shutters enclose the oversized bathrooms that are lined in polished travertine marble with rainfall shower heads, dual sinks, and amenities. Each room has a black porcelain footbath in the shower area with a spout dedicated to filling it – perfect for relaxing feet that have spent hours pounding the pavement of one of the world’s best walking cities.
The Andaz XL Two-Bedroom Terrace Suite is 1,779 square feet (166 square meters), with an expansive landscaped terrace and views of both the Hudson River and the East River. Splash Suites feature a deep egg-shaped, free-standing bathtub, positioned in the centre of the oversized bathroom for the best views of the New York Public Library and the Empire State Building.
Seasonal, Local Culinary Culture
A 38-seat restaurant on the ground floor offers guests a menu in which ingredients are sourced from New York State farms and local purveyors. The restaurant at Andaz 5th Avenue is open all day and into the evening.
The bar in the cellar serves small-batch liquors and a carefully curated selection of wines by the glass, along with small and medium plates to share. Two oversized, 14-foot Claro Walnut wood slabs serve as the bars helmed by expert bartenders. In addition to the convivial space located near the bar and kitchen, guests can find plenty of nooks for quiet conversation in banquette seating or near the corner cheese room. An open ceiling exposes beams and fixtures reminiscent of industrial New York. A warm brick wall from a 1790 rural Connecticut farmhouse lines the entrance and basement walls of the bar.
Meetings and Events with a New York Apartment-like Feel
The second floor holds Andaz 5th Avenue’s meeting and event space, which has been aptly named Apartment 2E due to its residential, home-like layout. Once guests exit the elevators to the second floor, the expansive open kitchen is the first thing that comes into sight. Designed as “the heartbeat” of the 6,500 square-feet (593 square-meter) meeting and events space, everyone is invited to be a part of the action – sampling delicious, fresh cuisine and chatting with Andaz chefs – just like being in a friend’s home. Many of the studios have 14-foot factory sash windows that overlook the New York Public Library, while other studios have private access to the hotel’s open-air courtyard, an unexpectedly quiet oasis. Guests can use just one of the studios, which can accommodate groups of 16 to 100, or collapse the space into one large house party venue where up to 400 guests can mill about the studios, kitchen, bar, and courtyard.
All images Courtesy of Andaz 5th Avenue
