Four Seasons in Midtown Manhattan will finally reopen on friday After a four-year pandemic-induced hiatus — and it’s also set to reinstate its claim as New York City’s most expensive hotel, the Post has learned.
The luxurious tower at 57 E. 57th St. — whose billionaire owner Ty Warner reportedly said Confused about fees The Four Seasons management company has pushed its shutdown years ahead of rival luxury hotels – revealing pricing for its fancy rooms looks higher than ever.
After first opening in the 1990s, the Four Seasons was the first hotel to charge $1,000 per night, earning it a reputation as the city’s most expensive hotel. Now, its least expensive room is more than double that amount.
For example, the Park Avenue Junior Suite with a king bed and separate sitting area goes for $2,295 per night. That’s $650 more than the Mandarin Oriental charges for a comparable, entry-level suite. That’s $550 more than the St. Regis was charging for reservations on Nov. 22, according to hotel websites.
In a statement to The Post, the Four Seasons claimed that its entry-level rooms are “the largest in Manhattan” — spanning 550 square feet. The hotel told The Post in a written statement that it is at least 150 square feet larger than the competition.
The 368 rooms in the marble-clad Art Deco tower designed by I.M. Pei offer “plenty of space (in addition to privacy and unmatched views of Central Park),” the hotel said.
According to industry experts, the Four Seasons’ major Midtown rivals include the nearby Mandarin Oriental, St. Regis, Lotte New York Palace, The Mark, and Baccarat.
“The Four Seasons has long enjoyed its position as the most expensive hotel in New York and I’m sure it is eager to regain that position,” said Shawn Hennessy, Jonathan Professor at New York University. That will make a big splash out of the box.” M. Tisch Hospitality Center.
Historically, its room rates have been about 10% higher than its competitors’ prices, Hennessey said.
The biggest price increase is for the Ty Warner Penthouse on the 52nd floor, which has increased to $80,000 per night from the previous rate of $50,000. Thus, it is poised to become the most expensive hotel room in the Big Apple, surpassing the Mark Hotel’s penthouse, which costs $75,000, according to according to quartz,
Asked about the hefty fee for the stunning, 4,300-square-foot suite, management said it believes luxury travelers are “willing to pay a premium for privacy, location and one-of-a-kind accommodations Are.”
“In response to this increase in demand from high net worth and ultra-high net worth travelers, the hotel decided to increase nightly rates,” Four Seasons said.
Luxury hotel rates in New York City rose 2.6% year over year to $904 per room through September, according to CoStar’s survey of Four Seasons’ seven exclusive competitors. A comprehensive Costar survey of the city’s luxury hotels shows the average room rate as of September was $507, compared with $401 for the same period in 2019.
Still, some industry experts are skeptical about the price of the Ty Warner Penthouse.
“Being closed for so long might take some intrigue, but let’s see if they get $80,000,” said Arthur Bacall, a New York-based hospitality consultant. “They want to test the market, but I don’t know of any other suites at that price in NYC.”
the largest suite of Aman Hotel, The one, which opened in 2022 at 730 Fifth Avenue, is slightly more spacious at 4,468 square feet and costs $40,000 per night, a representative told The Post.
Owned by a Soviet-born billionaire Vladislav Doronin – Aman’s priciest room has three bedrooms, a media lounge, fireplace, balcony and views of Central Park. It comes with “butler service, roundtrip airport transfers, use of our in-house car within a 20-block radius, and a complimentary private bar,” a hotel spokesperson said.
31 year old Four Seasons Had earlier promised to reopen, in 2022 and 2023, but delays each time were attributed to renovations taking longer than expected.
The Four Seasons did not elaborate on the upgrades it made while the property was closed, other than to say that the rooms have had “lighting, technology and other modern room enhancements.”
It told The Post ‘Gimme Shelter’ Its renovated luxury rooms are on the 20th to 52nd floors and new “extended stay” residential rentals will be unveiled on the fifth to 19th floors.
About 50 rooms were converted into rental units. Post First reported.
