Baccarat Hotel New York

THE PROPERTY

West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues sits at the center of Midtown Manhattan's cultural corridor. MoMA is directly across the street. The Rockefeller Center complex is one block west. Radio City Music Hall is two blocks north. The hotel's position between these institutions is not incidental - the Baccarat brand's 250-year history places it in the same register of French cultural production that MoMA's permanent collection documents.

LOBBY CULTURE

The lobby operates across two floors. The ground level is approached through discreet glass doors into a black marble-floored entrance with Baccarat Harcourt glass installations. Check-in happens one level up, in the Grand Salon where the full crystal program is on display. A monumental Baccarat chandelier above the Grand Salon is the single most impressive piece in the building. An Attaché is assigned to every suite guest. Afternoon tea is the most talked-about social ritual the hotel produces, served beneath the chandelier with Mariage Freres tea selections.

DESIGN NOTES

Gilles & Boissier spent three years developing the interiors, translating the Baccarat brand's 250-year legacy into a hotel environment. The brief was to express Baccarat crystal as architecture: the result is over 15,000 crystal pieces integrated throughout, from the 17 custom chandeliers in the public areas to the Harcourt glass stemware in the bar. The room palette is clean and Parisian: cream, grey, and crystal throughout, with Art Deco references in the furniture and a French rigor in the spatial proportions. Marble bathrooms with amenities created by Parisian perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdjian, floor-to-ceiling windows, custom jacquard linens by Mascioni, and the Baccarat-red enamel minibar complete every room.

BAR & SHARED SPACES

The Grand Salon serves afternoon tea daily beneath the 64-arm chandelier, widely considered the most atmospheric hotel tea service in New York. The bar program has a strong cocktail emphasis with Baccarat crystal glassware throughout. Two-Michelin-starred chef Gabriel Kreuther serves as Culinary Director, overseeing the hotel's culinary program in partnership with its executive chef. The spa features La Mer treatments, an indoor pool, and a fitness center that represents the strongest Midtown hotel wellness program above street level.

ROOMS THAT MATTER

The 114 rooms and suites have a consistent palette of French restraint: cream and grey, Baccarat crystal sconces, Harcourt glass in the minibar, and the premium bedding that guests consistently cite as the room's strongest feature. The Harcourt One-Bedroom Suites at 820 square feet are the entry point to the suite program and include an Attaché service. The Baccarat Suite at 1,740 square feet has a walk-in closet, butler's pantry, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The Baccarat Two-Bedroom Suite is the most expansive accommodation in the building.

THE VERDICT

The most coherent luxury brand hotel in New York. The crystal program is total rather than decorative. Gabriel Kreuther is a serious kitchen. The afternoon tea is the best in Midtown. And the spa pool is the strongest hotel pool argument available above 42nd Street.

9.1

/ 10

Property

Baccarat Hotel New York

Brand

Baccarat / SH Hotels

Category

Luxury

Rooms

114

Opened

2015

Address

28 W 53rd Street, New York, NY

Luxury

Crystal

New York

Americas

Spa

Midtown

Michelin

Afternoon Tea