Andaz 5th Avenue Review

The Andaz brand occupies a specific lane within the Hyatt portfolio: boutique, design-forward, and more personality-driven than a standard Regency or Grand Hyatt. In New York City, that translates to Andaz 5th Avenue on one of the most recognizable blocks in the city, directly across from the New York Public Library. We visited in January 2026 with a group of three, needing a layout that could actually accommodate us without booking two separate rooms. What we found was a hotel with a strong room product and a location that’s hard to argue with, let down by a service experience that needed work.

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Booking & Cost

Andaz 5th Avenue prices at 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night at the off-peak rate. January tends to be one of the more reliable months to find this pricing consistently. For a group needing real space, the Standard Suite Upgrade Award is the right move. No additional points required, and with the suite’s January rack rate around $700 per night, that works out to roughly 2.8 cpp. For weekend travel or popular seasons, booking further out is recommended as availability tightens.

Location & Check-In

The hotel sits directly across from the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue, about as central as Manhattan gets. The main entrance faces the side street rather than 5th itself, which makes drop-off cleaner than you’d expect. We arrived early afternoon via Lyft with no issues.

The lobby is compact, a boutique hotel footprint rather than a grand atrium. The check-in counter is styled more like a kitchen island than a traditional front desk. It looks intentional. The execution, however, was a miss. The front desk was understaffed on arrival, and our check-in felt rushed. There was no walkthrough of amenities or explanation of our Globalist breakfast benefit; we only learned what the complimentary breakfast covered when we showed up at the restaurant the next morning. A quick scan of other reviews confirms this is not an isolated experience; service at the front desk is a recurring weak point at Andaz 5th.

That said, we did receive early access to our room.

Room | Andaz Suite

Our suite was Room 1010 on the 10th floor, a side-facing configuration looking out over E 41st Street. Worth noting for anyone booking: the Andaz Suites at this property are not identical. Square footage varies significantly across configurations, with the official range running from 486 to 802 sq ft, and some units offer corner views or more closet space. Ours was a well-proportioned layout with full separation between the living area and bedroom.

Right off the entrance is a generous foyer with a large built-in closet, enough space for luggage and coats. A panel door off the foyer provides direct access to the main bathroom, a thoughtful detail that saves navigating through the bedroom.

The living room anchors the suite. Immediately to the right upon entering is a proper work desk with a table mat and lamp, set up well enough to hold up for remote work. A pull-out sofa, already made up into a bed when we arrived, sits across from the TV. The kitchenette runs along one wall, designed with black wood cabinetry and a cut-out counter lined with orange marble. It holds a sink, a coffee machine, a microwave, and a full-size fridge stocked with items for purchase and complimentary water. The lower drawers hold bowls and utensils, and a dishwasher lives in the bottom compartment. Complimentary minibar items include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Starry, LaCroix, an Andaz chocolate bar, and Cape Cod potato chips, all refillable on request.

The bedroom is separated from the living room by floor-to-ceiling wooden doors. The king bed is comfortable and the design is deliberately minimal, no elaborate headboard, just clean lines and neutral tones. Two large bedside consoles add meaningful storage, and a full-size closet along the wall offers more than enough room for a longer stay. The TV hangs across from the bed, and a small window nook near the far wall offers a bench and ottoman.

Bathroom

The bathroom is the standout element of the Andaz Suite. Floors and walls are wrapped in black tile and marble, punctuated by a bold vein of the same orange marble used in the kitchenette. It ties the suite together in a way that feels considered rather than coincidental.

The double vanity is all glass and metallic fixtures, with a large backlit mirror above. Storage beneath holds bath essentials and extra towels. The toilet is separated by a dividing wall with its own door back to the entrance foyer.

The shower is spacious, with both a rainfall head and a handheld sprayer. The water controls are positioned at the entrance side rather than near the shower head, so you can turn the water on without getting hit by the initial cold blast. Inside, there’s a seating bench and a large stone soaking bowl at foot level, fed by a knee-height faucet mounted on the shower wall. It’s an unusual feature we haven’t encountered elsewhere, and it worked well after a long day walking the city in January. The one drawback is the glass panel, which sits on the shorter side and lets water splash outside the shower fairly easily.

Food & Service

Breakfast at Andaz 5th Avenue is served at The Bar Downstairs & Kitchen, the hotel’s on-site gastropub. As Globalists, we received two complimentary adult breakfasts per stay, à la carte, covering a main entrée, a drink, and a coffee per person. Each morning we ordered smoothies and coffee alongside the main dishes. We worked through the avocado toast, eggs with bacon and hash, and the breakfast skillet over two days. All were solid, with decorative plating that matched the restaurant’s modern, energetic atmosphere.

The consistent frustration was service. Despite the dining room being largely empty both mornings, getting seated took longer than it should have. Staff appeared stretched thin and the pacing throughout the meal reflected it. It is the same staffing issue we encountered at check-in, and it is hard to ignore when it surfaces across multiple touchpoints in a two-night stay.

Amenities

The gym is notably large for a Manhattan property, divided into three zones: cardio, weights, and a yoga area. We used it on both mornings without any crowding. In addition to water and towels, the gym also offers free energy bars.

The lobby lounge serves wine during happy hour (red, white, and rosé during our stay) and coffee in the morning. It has comfortable seating and a small library nook, making it a pleasant spot to unwind after a day out. Three elevators kept wait times nonexistent, and each floor had a water refill station near the elevator. Umbrellas were available at the front door, which we used during a stretch of rain and snow. There was no turndown service, though housekeeping did replenish the chocolate bar and chips.

Final Verdict

Andaz 5th Avenue is a good hotel held back by a service culture that does not match its positioning. The suite product is spacious and well-designed, and the location directly across from the New York Public Library is hard to beat in Midtown. But an understaffed front desk, a breakfast room that cannot keep up, and the absence of any real Globalist recognition throughout the stay added up to a subpar service experience. At 25,000 points plus a Standard Suite Upgrade for 2.8 cpp, the redemption math works well for the location and the room alone. For a cash stay, the nearby Hyatt Centric Midtown 5th Avenue edges out Andaz 5th Avenue in overall value.

Best For: Families and larger groups looking for a well-located suite in the center of Midtown, or travelers who prioritize a strong hard product and can look past inconsistent service.