Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

Here’s a look at the second of the big five…I’ll post all of these in a series over the next few days. Enjoy!

(In case you missed it, here’s a look at the first of the five, the 1 Hotel Central Park.)

Here’s the second:

The Baccarat Hotel New York (53rd St & 5th Ave)

The Baccarat Hotel (opened March 2015) took my breath away.

From 53rd Street, this hotel’s translucent glass facade and black doors are classy, but nondescript. You enter and take an elevator to the second floor lobby (listening to the Baccarat crystal sconces tinkle!), step off and walk into the glittering Grand Salon where staff outfitted tastefully in all black greet you, then float around quietly and attentively in the background.

The hotel itself is relatively small– just 114 rooms on 12 stories of a tower that is mostly residences.

Since room rates start in the $800-$900 per night range (depending on season), not many TravelSkills readers will be overnighting here…but, it’s worth getting in just to see the public areas such as the striking lobby and even better, The Bar, which is frequently packed on weeknights with a chic corporate crowd sipping craft cocktails and champagne out of, you guessed it, all Baccarat crystal glassware. (The bar opens at 4 pm, so get there early if you want a table. A line usually forms by 6 pm.)

Tip: Do you know how to identify a true Baccarat crystal chandelier? Look closely at any of the 17 glittering chandeliers in the lobby, and among the thousands of crystals, you’ll find a single red one. That’s how you know it’s the real deal.

What else stood out for me at this hotel? The spectacular pool in the basement… a glimmering aquamarine gem with a checkerboard marble bottom and three cabanas for poolside lounging. When I was there, the space was vacant, which made me sad.

The hotel’s most expensive room, the Baccarat Suite, goes for a cool $18,000 per night. During the slow weeks in January, rates dip for regular rooms have dipped as low as $630, and if you book two consecutive nights, you’ll get the third one for free.

The Baccarat New York is the first of what a spokesperson said will be several new hotels coming to places like Dubai, Qatar and Morocco.

Website: The Baccarat New York, (28 West 53rd St)

Have you or would you stay at The Baccarat New York? Let us know in the comments below!

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

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