Review: Four Seasons Hotel New York

Even though Four Seasons Hotel New York opened in 1993, it has become just as much of a New York landmark as its older neighbors. Located on East 57th Street between Madison and Park Avenues, it is just steps away from Central Park, Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Plaza — and it’s just as beloved.

To prepare the iconic “Billionaire's Row” hotel for the next 30 years, it recently reopened after an extended closure that began during the pandemic in 2020.

According to Yogesh Juneja, hotel manager for the property, the hotel underwent a renovation that significantly invested in the building’s infrastructure.

“Our guestrooms give the feeling of a home rather than a hotel — that’s where the true luxury comes in,” Juneja said. “But massive investments also went into upgrading lighting, air conditioning, heating and elevators [because] luxury is not just about aesthetics; it's about having basic fundamentals work in a way that elevates the experience. You feel the difference, and you feel why Four Seasons stands as a testimony in this city.”

One of those “basic fundamentals” that the hotel takes great pride in is the speed at which the bathtubs fill, even on the highest floors (which is under 60 seconds, by the way).

Another change is that the hotel reduced its inventory of guestrooms from 369 to 219 (seven with private outdoor terraces). Juneja also explained that the building was divided into a “lower tower” (floors 5 to 19) and an “upper tower” (floors 20 to 52).

While the 33 higher floors will remain as guestrooms and suites that take advantage of spectacular views of the city, the lower tower (which has a separate elevator system) is being transformed into 149 one- to four-bedroom long-term rental residences with kitchen facilities and connecting options, a unique concept Four Seasons is excited to introduce to New York.

Along with the lower tower,” phase two” of the hotel’s renovation project includes a new spa and upgraded gym scheduled to open later this year. An additional restaurant is also a possibility in the future.

Ty Warner Penthouse

Among the Four Seasons Hotel New York’s many claims to fame is the opulent Ty Warner Penthouse, a collaboration between the hotel’s owner, Ty Warner, and the building’s architect I.M. Pei, who Warner coaxed out of retirement for the project.

Described as “the most expensive and extraordinary one-bedroom penthouse in North America,” the 4,300-square-foot suite encompasses the entire 52nd floor, providing panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline.

For clients who aren’t in the position to book the $80,000-per-night penthouse, the Four Seasons Hotel New York inventory also includes 138 Junior Suites, 59 Suites and three other Specialty Suites: the 2,150 square-foot Royal and Presidential suites and the 4,300-square-foot Gotham suite.

For the record, my two adult sons and I were extremely comfortable in our very spacious and beautifully appointed one-bedroom Junior Suite overlooking 57th Street.

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Ty Bar and The Garden Restaurant

The sophisticated lobby bar named for the hotel’s owner offers a menu curated by acclaimed mixologist Toby Maloney that traces the history of Manhattan through the decades, from the Gilded Age to the Supper Club era to a zero-proof section called 21st Century Prohibitionists, each drink accompanied by a description of its origin and significance to the city.

“While you're sitting in [Ty Bar] having a drink, you have a sense of a place and belonging to Billionaire's Row,” Juneja said.

I sipped the 20th Century, a gin-based cocktail named for the 20th Century Limited train that debuted in 1902 to transport elite passengers between Chicago and New York, while my son splurged on a signature Ty Manhattan made with 25 Year Highland Park Single Malt, a drink that was created at New York’s Manhattan Club in the early 1880s. 

“After all, I have to drink a Manhattan while in Manhattan,” he said.

Across the lobby from Ty Bar, The Garden restaurant is as elegant as ever, and we enjoyed a leisurely Sunday brunch beneath its signature indoor trees. Coleen Gonzales, food and beverage manager for the hotel, shared that the only change to the restaurant during the closure was an elevated menu because she notes, as far as decor and design are concerned, “why fix what isn’t broken?” And I couldn’t agree more.

The Garden currently serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends; however, according to Gonzales, dinner service will be offered in the spring, something hotel guests and New Yorkers alike will certainly welcome.

“When our doors were closed, something was missing in the neighborhood,” Gonzales said. “But when we opened on Nov. 15, the welcome we got was very heartwarming."