Editorial score of 8.8 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why choose Andaz 5th Avenue in Midtown?
Andaz 5th Avenue wins on the one line nobody disputes: the address. It sits at 485 Fifth Avenue on the corner of 41st Street, directly opposite the New York Public Library, with Bryant Park immediately to the west and Grand Central three blocks east. Few Midtown hotels combine that much walkable centrality with rooms facing a genuine landmark rather than an office wall. The Andaz operating model reinforces the appeal: arrival is handled by a roaming host with a tablet rather than a formal front desk, and every room includes a free stocked minibar of soft drinks and snacks, a small gesture that quietly removes one of the more irritating hotel frictions.
The rooms are the Tony Chi lofts the brand built its reputation on, with high ceilings, big windows and hardwood floors, and the corner rooms on the upper floors frame the library, Bryant Park and, on a clear day, the Empire State Building. Honesty requires the caveat: a steady minority of recent reviewers describe the rooms as dated and underdecorated for the price, and flag housekeeping misses and service that reads inconsistent when the house is full. The lobby is small, so there is little space to settle. Book Andaz 5th Avenue for the windows and the walkability, manage expectations on polish, and it is one of the best-placed hotels in Midtown.
The guest who gets the most from Andaz 5th Avenue is the one who values position over polish. It is a hotel to book when the day is built around walking, to Bryant Park, Grand Central, the shops of Fifth Avenue and the reading rooms of the library across the street, and when a free minibar and a big-windowed loft room matter more than a spa or a grand lobby. Understood on those terms, very few Midtown hotels put you closer to the middle of everything.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high-floor corner room facing Fifth Avenue and the library, because the outlook is the whole reason to choose this hotel over a generic Midtown box. The Tony Chi lofts run to high ceilings, oversized windows and warm hardwood floors, and the library-facing rooms put Bryant Park and, higher up, the Empire State Building directly in frame. Bathrooms are generous by Midtown standards, and the free stocked minibar in every room is a genuinely useful touch on a long stay. Suites add sitting space and the best of the views.
One honest caveat: the interiors have aged, and some recent guests find them plain for the rate, so this is a hotel you book for the light and the address rather than for cutting-edge design. A few reviewers have reported housekeeping lapses such as unreplaced glassware, so it is worth a quick check on arrival. Ask for a renovated, high, library-facing room and you get the best of what the building offers.
Ask specifically for a Fifth Avenue corner room on a high floor for the library and Bryant Park view, and start the day at Bryant Park across the street before the crowds. The Bar Downstairs is a strong, low-key spot for a client breakfast just off the lobby.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
Dining centres on The Bar Downstairs and Kitchen, the hotel's below-lobby restaurant and cocktail bar. It works as a genuine neighbourhood room rather than a captive hotel outlet, with a seasonal menu built around regional farmers and purveyors, and it draws the Bryant Park publishing, advertising and media crowd as much as guests. Breakfast and a low-key working lunch are its strengths, and the cocktail list holds up for an after-work drink. For anything more elaborate you are spoiled: Bryant Park's restaurants and the whole Fifth Avenue dining spread are within a couple of blocks.
Does it have a pool or spa?
No pool, and no full spa. Andaz 5th Avenue keeps its facilities lean, with a fitness centre and in-room wellness on request rather than resort-style amenities. That is consistent with what this hotel is: a design-led city hotel bought for its location and its rooms, not a place you retreat into for a spa day. If a pool or spa is central to your trip, look to a larger Midtown five-star; if you are here to be in the middle of everything, the lean facility set is beside the point.
Signature amenities
Opposite the library at Fifth and 41st
Midtown · corner of 41st Street, opposite the New York Public Library
What's nearby
- New York Public Library
Across the street1 min walk - Bryant Park
Lawn & cafes2 min walk - Grand Central Terminal
Trains & subway5 min walk - Empire State Building
34th Street8 min walk - Times Square
Theater District10 min walk
The corner, the rooms, the bar
Exterior
Loft room
The Bar Downstairs
Library viewHow does Andaz 5th Avenue compare with Midtown's other design hotels?
Against the field, Andaz 5th Avenue is the location-first choice, the design hotel you book for the library view and the walkability rather than for facilities. Park Hyatt New York is the polished five-star option a few blocks north on 57th Street, with a spa pool and full luxury service at a higher rate. The Library Hotel is the charming, literary boutique next to the same block, where each floor follows a Dewey Decimal category. The Ned NoMad brings a members-club energy and multiple restaurants a little south in NoMad. Andaz's trade-off is polish: the rooms have aged, and the facilities are lean, so you are paying for the address.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaz 5th Avenue | Location-first lifestyle hotel | Library view, walkability | Aged rooms; lean facilities |
| Park Hyatt New York | Polished 57th Street five-star | Spa pool, full service | Higher rates, less central to library |
| Library Hotel | Literary boutique | Charm, small-hotel service | Small rooms, few facilities |
| The Ned NoMad | Members-club hotel in NoMad | Restaurants, scene | Busier, further from Bryant Park |
Frequently asked questions
Where is Andaz 5th Avenue located?
At 485 Fifth Avenue on the corner of 41st Street, directly opposite the New York Public Library. Bryant Park is immediately west, Grand Central Terminal is three blocks east, and the Empire State Building and Times Square are a short walk south, which makes it one of the most practically central addresses in Midtown.
How many rooms does Andaz 5th Avenue have and what is the style?
There are 184 loft-style rooms designed by Tony Chi, most with high ceilings, oversized windows and hardwood floors. Every room includes a free stocked minibar with soft drinks and snacks, and arrival uses the Andaz host model rather than a traditional front desk.
What are the restaurant and bar at Andaz 5th Avenue?
The Bar Downstairs and Kitchen is the main dining room, a neighbourhood-style restaurant and cocktail bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with seasonal food from regional farmers and purveyors. It draws the Bryant Park media and publishing crowd as much as hotel guests.
Does Andaz 5th Avenue have a pool or spa?
No pool and no full spa. The hotel has a fitness centre and offers in-room wellness on request. The draw here is the address and the rooms rather than resort-style facilities, so choose it for location rather than for a pool or spa day.
Is Andaz 5th Avenue good for business travelers?
Yes, for most trips. The position between Grand Central and Bryant Park is ideal for Midtown meetings, WiFi is fast, and the free minibar removes small frictions. The trade-offs are a small lobby with little space to settle and no executive lounge, so pure back-to-back meeting days may want a larger business hotel.
Other Midtown stays in New York
#8 · 57th StPark Hyatt New York
#21 · NoMadThe Ned NoMad
#43 · Midtown