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The Plaza vs The Fifth Avenue Hotel

Two 1907 buildings on Fifth Avenue, one a hotel from the start, the other since 2023. The Plaza if you want Central Park across the road, the Palm Court's stained glass and twice the floor space in the entry room; The Fifth Avenue Hotel if you would rather pay from about $760 with no nightly fee, dine at Café Carmellini and have butler service whatever the room.

The Plaza across the Pond in Central Park, at nightThe icon

The Plaza

Hardenbergh's 1907 château on the corner of Central Park, where the Palm Court still serves tea under stained glass.

$$$$From about $1,170 a night

Choose The Plaza if

  • A first New York trip
  • Milestone birthdays
  • Eloise fans and their parents
  • Central Park mornings

The catch

The entry rooms do not face Central Park or Fifth Avenue. The Plaza King and Deluxe rooms look over the inner courtyard or 58th Street, and in January the Carnegie suites, with a partial park view, and the Pulitzer suites, over Fifth Avenue, cost more than $1,000 a night above them.

The Fifth Avenue Hotel: Café Carmellini in the double-height banking hallThe new classic

The Fifth Avenue Hotel

A 1907 Fifth Avenue bank, opened as a hotel in 2023 and dressed as though it always was one.

$$$$From about $760 a night

Choose The Fifth Avenue Hotel if

  • Design lovers
  • Eating in
  • Special occasions
  • Couples

The catch

The 1907 building holds only suites, from about $2,065 a night in January. Every standard room is in the 2023 tower.

Which of our lists each one is on

Best forThe PlazaThe Fifth Avenue Hotel
Best design hotels in New YorkOn the listOn the list
Best central hotels in New YorkOn the listOn the list
Best hotels for food and drink in New YorkNot on the listOn the list

Both hotels on the same scales

The PlazaThe Fifth Avenue Hotel

Under the radarSee and be seen
ClassicContemporary
Smart spendSplurge
Central & walkableRemote escape
InternationalStrong sense of place
Beach & pool optionalBeach & pool central
FunctionalDesign-led

The Plaza

Area
Midtown, United States
From the centre
1.2 km
Airport
50 min from JFK
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $1,170 a night
Rooms
282
Last renovated
2008 (opened 1907)
Pool
No pool
Beach
None
Spa
Yes
Adults only
No
Restaurants
1
Parking
Yes
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The Fifth Avenue Hotel

Area
NoMad, United States
From the centre
1.5 km
Airport
45 min from JFK
Price band
$$$$
Typical rate
From about $760 a night
Rooms
152
Opened
2023
Pool
No pool
Beach
None
Spa
No
Adults only
No
Restaurants
1
Parking
Yes
MICHELIN Guide
Two MICHELIN Keys (2026)
Selected by
Independent research
Last checked
October 2026

The verdict

Two 1907 buildings on Fifth Avenue, one a hotel from the start, the other since 2023. The Plaza if you want Central Park across the road, the Palm Court's stained glass and twice the floor space in the entry room; The Fifth Avenue Hotel if you would rather pay from about $760 with no nightly fee, dine at Café Carmellini and have butler service whatever the room.

Questions people ask

Good questions about The Plaza vs The Fifth Avenue Hotel

The Plaza or The Fifth Avenue Hotel?

Two 1907 buildings on Fifth Avenue, one a hotel from the start, the other since 2023. The Plaza if you want Central Park across the road, the Palm Court's stained glass and twice the floor space in the entry room; The Fifth Avenue Hotel if you would rather pay from about $760 with no nightly fee, dine at Café Carmellini and have butler service whatever the room.

Is The Plaza worth it?

Book The Plaza to sleep inside the château on the corner of Central Park, take tea in the Palm Court and be in the park before breakfast. Pay the small step to a Terrace Room King, and keep the park view for a suite budget, since even the Carnegie suites see it only in part. A famous, classic and very expensive hotel on the corner of Central Park, where the public rooms and the address are the point and the entry rooms face away from the park. Expect company in the lobby and the Palm Court, and expect to pay for the name.

Does The Plaza have a pool or a beach?

There is no pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.

Is The Fifth Avenue Hotel worth it?

Book it for the bank, the restaurant in its banking hall and the service every room gets, and pay up to The Corner King for the light. Sleeping inside the 1907 building itself starts at a Mansion suite. A new hotel built to feel like an old New York one: a 1907 bank on Fifth Avenue, maximalist interiors and a restaurant that opens its tables four weeks out. It is central, expensive and made for eating and drinking in, with a gym but no spa or pool.

Does The Fifth Avenue Hotel have a pool or a beach?

There is no pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.