Hotel review: Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue (USA)

Wednesday newsletters always feature a luxury hotel and/or flight review.

Today (January 27, 2016): Review of The Langham New York (USA). 

• Location: Google Maps
• Hotel website: The Langham New York, Fifth Avenue
• Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso

Located on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, near Times Square and Grand Central Station and in the shadow of the epic Empire State Building, The Langham New York Hotel stands at the crossroads of art, fashion and design. Comprising 157 stylish guest rooms and 57 ultra-luxurious suites, the hotel is designed to inspire and destined to reflect the vibrancy, sophistication and culture of the world’s most inspiring city – The Big Apple.

The Langham New York, Fifth Avenue, features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels in New York.

Have you ever stayed at The Langham New York? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment.

In this review (more info below my Youtube clip & slideshow):

• Pros & things I like
• Cons & things to know
• My verdict
• Tips for future guests & save money
• Best time to visit
• How to get there
• Photos

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PROS & THINGS I LIKE

• The Langham New York enjoys a privileged location on Manhattan’s most prestigious avenue. Occupying 400, Fifth Avenue between West 36th and 37th Street, the luxurious hotel has the Empire State building as its neighbor (with some rooms offering a full length view of the world-famous skyscraper). From the hotel, it’s less than a 15 minute walk to other famous New York attractions, such as Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park and Grand Central.

• The hotel is a towering grid of limestone, concrete and glass, soaring 57 stories into the sky and capped by a distinctive illuminated crown. The chic hotel occupies space up to the 27th floor, with the rest of the building being private residences.

• Constructed in 2010 as The Setai Fifth Avenue, the Hong Kong based Langham Hotel Group took over management in 2013 and transformed the swanky property into The Langham New York. While The Langham name is not well-known to Westerners, it is a well-established Asia-Pacific luxury hotel brand with global expansions that now spans 4 continents. I have previously reviewed the superb Langham properties in London and Chicago.

• The newly refurbished, elegant lobby is located on the ground floor, and features two enormous, colorful oil paintings by Alex Katz. The paintings – both named Trio – were chosen because of their representation of people in profile, which is a reflection of the image of people walking by on Fifth Avenue that anyone sitting in the newly refurbished lobby sees through the hotel’s floor-to-ceiling windows at street level. The lobby’s dramatic winding staircase complement the chic vibe.

• The artwork of contemporary American artist Alex Katz is not only displayed at the lobby, but it also prominently showcased throughout the hotel, including guest floor corridors, rooms and suites. Dr. K.S. Lo, chairman of The Langham Hotel Group, choose Alex Katz’s work to be featured exclusively at The Langham New York because it best embodies the liveliness of and vibrant lifestyle of New York City.

• When you step into the lobby, you are greeted by The Langham Hotel Group’s ginger signature scent, a refreshing, serene and subtle essence of pink roses and ginger flower. The delicate aroma, which is dispersed through the air-conditioning systems, is a very nice and unique touch, and it immediately reminded me of my previous stays at other Langham hotels (such as The Langham Chicago and The Langham London).

• Embodying the epitome of urban sophistication, the residentially-styled guest rooms and suites are furnished with indulgent amenities and feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows. They are quite spacious by Manhattan standards, averaging about 750 square feet. Most accommodations feature deep auburn rosewood flooring and plush carpeting, creating a subdued ambiance. The Langham New York prides itself in offering a large number of suites: out of its 214 rooms, 57 are one- to four-bedroom suites of different designs.

• During my two night visit at the hotel, I stayed in an Empire State view suite which was located on the 18th floor and offered a full-length view of the Empire State Building. The corner suite featured a spacious bedroom with a kingsize bed, a separate sitting area, a full kitchen, and closet with washers and dryers. The large, marble bathroom featured a deep soaking tub with separate rainfall shower, and an in-mirror television, great for catching a movie while relaxing in the deep tub. Being a corner suite with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, the skyline views in all directions was nothing short of phenomenal.

• All rooms and suites have a well stocked, complimentary minibar (excluding alcoholic beverages).

• Complimentary WiFi is available to all guests throughout the hotel.

• The hotel offers complimentary pressing of five items of clothing on day of arrival, which is a highly appreciated perk when you are in the Big Apple for a business meeting.

• All hotel guests can make free use of the house car, a chauffeured Jaguar XJL, on a first-come, first-served basis within a radius of 10 blocks.

• The pièce de résistance is of The Langham New York’s two dining venues is the Michelin-starred restaurant Ai Fiori by the Altamarea Group. Ai Fiori – which means “among the flowers” in Italian – features a menu that celebrates the French and Italian Riviera, courtesy of the world-renowned Altamarea Group and Chef Michael White.

• Measure Lounge, the hotel’s other restaurant which also functions as a bar, serves all day casual dining. Cuisine here is a modern twist on British comfort food and cocktails are served alongside live jazz every evening.

• Breakfast is served in Ai Fiori, and is of excellent quality. It features a small continental buffet, and you can order your eggs and other hot dishes from a menu. Complimentary breakfast is not standard at Langham Place, but is included in certain pre-booked packages.

• Service is friendly, efficient and fast. Nothing I asked for was a problem.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

The Langham New York, Fifth Avenue, is hands down one of the most luxurious and celebrated hotels in the Big Apple. I loved my stay here and I recommend the place to everyone. Yet, I did encounter some minor issues during my stay and there are some things you need to beware of:

• My suite featured expansive floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views of the Empire State building, but unfortunately, the windows were very dirty during my stay.

• My suite as well as the guest room corridors showed some signs of wear and tear. I noticed stains on the carpeting in multiples areas, and clearly visible defects in the wood covering of some walls. Nothing too bad though.

• I was told by the butler during the room orientation that the minibar was complimentary, except for the alcoholic drinks. At check out, it turned out that only the minibar soft drinks are complimentary and I was charged for the juices that I consumed from the minibar.

• While the hotel’s location is very convenient, it is the not the most lively part of the Big Apple at night.

• Rooms are not entirely sound proof: even on the higher located floors, you can still hear the noise of passing cars in the streets below. But don’t be putt of by that, as I still have the find the first hotel room in New York where you don’t hear street noise.

MY VERDICT

• Location: 8/10
• Design: 8/10
• Rooms: 9/10
• Food: 8/10
• Service: 9/10
• Overall experience: very good: 8,4/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

• Save money: enjoy complimentary VIP perks at The Langham New York when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $100 USD hotel credit).

• Save money: make use of Langham’s best rate guarantee to discount the cheapest room rate by an additional 25%.

• Save money: read my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel like the Langham Place Fifth Avenue, New York.

• Room tip: equest a room on a higher floor if you don’t want to be disturbed by street noise.

• Read my tips for preparing your trip in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Anytime! Each season in Gotham offers visitors plenty of reasons to visit. Early fall offers crisp breezes, bright sun and comfortable temperatures (indian summer) , and may the best time for a visit.  Winter can be cold, but that also means better hotel rates. Spring is glorious and New Yorkers celebrate the thaw by taking to the streets, shopping at outdoor markets, frolicking in Central Park and dining outside. Summer can be unbearable hot, so try to avoid July and August.

HOW TO GET THERE

For those coming by plane, New York City is served by 3 airports:

• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the primary international airport serving the greater New York City area. Check the Wikipedia page of JFK Airport for an updated list of airlines that have direct flights to this airport. 

• Newark International Airport (EWR), located in the state of New Jersey, is about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Manhattan. Check the Wikipedia page of Newark Airport for tan updated list of airlines that have direct flights to this airport. 

• LaGuardia Airport (LGA), located in the borough Queens, is the busiest airport in the United States without any non-stop service to Europe. Check the Wikipedia page of LaGuardia Airport for an updated list of on airlines that have direct flights to this airport. 

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