The Langham, New York review: a stylish stay near the Empire State Building

Times

19-05-2025

If a luxury hotel in Manhattan can be called unassuming, then the Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue is a five-star candidate. While some hotels attempt to channel the city's frenetic energy, the Langham instead gently envelops guests with refined, neutral decor and warm, attentive service. The high-ceilinged lobby, enlivened by oversized paintings by artist Alex Katz and a sweeping staircase to the first-floor Ai Fiori restaurant, is staffed by doormen and front-desk employees who bring to mind those Manhattan apartment buildings where every resident is known by name as they whisk in and out of the lifts. The large guest rooms are a true oasis in a city where many hotel rooms are Lilliputian; along with high-end amenities, they draw devoted guests who return for repeat and multi-day stays.
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Score 9/10The Langham occupies the first 16 floors of a tower (the rest of the 60-storey building are luxury condos accessed by a private lobby) on Fifth Avenue. The 234 guest rooms and suites are some of the largest in the city, with the smallest rooms a generous 39 sq m; junior suites are double that. Spacious south-facing rooms and suites have vertiginous views of the Empire State Building soaring skyward. The soft greys of the plush carpet, the oatmeal club armchairs and the dark walnut furniture act as a sumptuous and discreet backdrop to the views from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The understated elegance continues in the oversized bathrooms with deep tubs and wide, marble-topped sinks. Many of the suites have kitchenettes and washer-dryers for longer stays.Score 7/10 The bloom-filled restaurant Ai Fiori ('among the flowers') is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving Italian coastal fare and seafood pastas: don't miss the squid-ink trofie with Ligurian crustacean ragu and the blue crab and bottarga spaghetti. Bar Fiori doesn't require reservations and has a daily Martini Hour with a menu of martinis and small plates. The robust breakfast menu includes fresh, house-made pastries and American-style egg dishes — or you can stay in bed and order from the extensive 24-hour room service menu.
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Score 9/10Book a club-level room or purchase entry (free for children aged under ten) to the superlative fourth-floor Langham Club. Guests can indulge in all-day complimentary meals and snacks, from oysters on ice to finger sandwiches, and grab-and-go options like yoghurt pots and sparkling water. Regulars treat it like their own members' club, meeting friends for lunch or business, and the delightful waiting staff are more than happy to continuously top up flutes of champagne during cocktail hour.
The gym, also on the 4th floor, is fully stocked with weights and holds fitness and Peloton classes in the evenings. A large pink trunk in the lobby is thoughtfully stocked with children's toys and colouring books for parents to grab on their way to dinner or before bed. And the hotel's impressive seasonal floral arrangements from NYC studio Fleurish remind guests that sometimes there's no luxury better than fresh flowers.
Score 9/10On the edge of the mad swirl of Midtown, the hotel is just a ten-minute walk from major museums, historic department stores, the theatre district and the High Line elevated park, as well as NoMad's neighbourhood restaurants and hotspots. With a number of subway lines close by, it's easy to head downtown to Greenwich Village and beyond, or uptown to Central Park.
Price room-only doubles from £418Restaurant mains from £30 Family-friendly YAccessible Y
Sunshine Flint was a guest of the Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue (langhamhotels.com)
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