At a Glance

• Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York
• Number of Rooms: 83 suites
• Room Stayed: Premier 57th Street
• Dates of Stay: September 2025
• Rates: From US$3,000 per night
• Value for Money: Poor. The rooms are excellent by New York standards, but the wider hotel experience does not fully justify the Aman premium.
• Best For: Travellers seeking a large, quiet Midtown suite, discreet service and extensive wellness facilities.
• Not For: Guests wanting neighbourhood character, lively dining or the emotional connection found at Aman’s best resorts.
• Would I Return? Yes, if my itinerary required me to be in Midtown. For a leisure trip, I would prefer to stay around Greenwich Village or the West Village.

What It Does Well

• Unusually large and quiet suites
• Excellent location for Midtown business and shopping
• Polished and discreet service
• Extensive wellness facilities
• Excellent room technology and amenities

Areas for Improvement

• Common areas lack atmosphere
• Members club access reduces exclusivity, and overcrowds the gym
• Pool area is underwhelming 
• Dining is competent rather than compelling
• Breakfast service needs improvement

First Impressions

Aman New York is technically accomplished. The rooms are excellent, service is polished and the hotel provides a calm retreat from Midtown Manhattan.

The problem is that it rarely becomes more than that.

Aman’s best properties create an emotional connection through landscape, culture or a powerful sense of place. Replicating that in a vertical Midtown hotel was always going to be difficult. Aman New York captures the brand’s visual language and controlled atmosphere, but not the feeling that makes its strongest resorts memorable.

Its strengths are practical rather than emotional. It is an excellent place to sleep, work and retreat from the city. It is less convincing as a destination in its own right.

Setting

Aman New York occupies the Crown Building at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, close to Central Park, Bergdorf Goodman, MoMA and Midtown’s principal corporate and retail addresses.

The location works particularly well for business travellers, shopping appointments and guests focused on classic uptown attractions. It is central, convenient and well connected.

For leisure, however, I prefer the atmosphere and neighbourhood character of Greenwich Village or the West Village. Midtown can feel more corporate and transactional, particularly when there is no specific reason to be uptown.

This is not a flaw in Aman New York. It simply means the location will suit some itineraries much better than others.

The Room

Our room was the strongest part of our stay. Measuring approximately 75 square metres, it provided a sense of space that remains unusual in Manhattan, even at the luxury end of the market.

The design is recognisably Aman, with a restrained palette and Japanese influence. Pivoting shutters open the bathroom into the bedroom, making the suite feel more fluid, while the functioning fireplace adds warmth that many urban hotels lack.

The complimentary minibar was unusually well considered. Selected alcoholic drinks were included alongside pre bottled Aman cocktails, and the quality felt appropriate rather than tokenistic.

One of the most useful features was the in room iPad. It controlled the fireplace, television, streaming, shutters, lighting and temperature through an intuitive system that genuinely improved the experience.

We also toured some of the residences, which provide considerably more space and an apartment style layout. They could suit families, longer stays or guests wanting greater separation between bedrooms and living areas, although the pricing is difficult to justify.

Overall, the accommodation is quiet, comfortable and highly functional. It creates a convincing retreat from the city, even if the rest of the hotel does not always reach the same standard.

Dining

Aman New York has an extensive food and beverage offering, spanning Italian and Japanese restaurants alongside a lounge bar, garden terrace and jazz club. The selection is substantial, but dining was not a reason to remain in the hotel.

Everything I tried was competent and professionally delivered. For business travellers wanting convenience, the restaurants serve their purpose well. For leisure guests, New York’s extraordinary dining scene makes eating elsewhere far more appealing.

Akari, the Japanese restaurant, was technically sound but lacked atmosphere. We were the only diners when we visited, leaving the room feeling flat despite the quality of the food. It was good, but not exciting, and unsurprisingly expensive.

The Jazz Club appears to have the greatest potential for atmosphere, although we did not experience it properly and therefore cannot comment on the full evening offering.

Breakfast food was acceptable, but service was slow and appeared understaffed. At this price, breakfast should be one of the easiest parts of the stay to execute consistently.

Facilities

Aman New York has an impressive wellness offering of more than 2,300 square metres across three floors. Facilities include treatment rooms, a hammam, banya sauna, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, red light therapy, cold plunges and substantial fitness areas.

The two private Spa Houses are particularly ambitious. Each includes either a traditional Banya or Hammam, a double treatment room, living area, fireplace, private terrace, hot bath and cold plunge.

The complication is Aman Club, the hotel’s private membership concept. Non resident members share facilities that would otherwise feel reserved for hotel guests. During our stay, the gym was busy enough that finding available equipment was difficult.

This shared model weakens the sense of exclusivity. At Aman rates, guests should not feel as though they are staying in an urban members club with hotel rooms attached.

The pool was the greatest disappointment. It appears grand and serene in photographs, but the frosted windows provide no meaningful view and leave the room feeling enclosed. It was not unpleasant, but it lacked the scale, drama and connection to the city needed to make it memorable.

Aman Tokyo may provide an unfair comparison, as its pool is among the finest urban hotel pools anywhere. Even allowing for that benchmark, New York’s version felt underwhelming.

Spa pricing was also excessive. During our stay, a couples massage in the Banya House started at US$2,500 for a two and a half hour experience, including a 90 minute massage and time in the private space. Deep tissue cost a further US$230 per person. Luxury hotel spa treatments are rarely inexpensive, but this was difficult to justify.

Service

Service was professional, discreet and reliable. Practical requests were handled well, and the hotel maintained the controlled quality associated with Aman.

The style was efficient rather than warm. This will suit corporate travellers, privacy focused guests and anyone wanting to move through the hotel without unnecessary attention. For me, it lacked the quiet generosity and personality found at the brand’s best properties.

The only notable lapse outside breakfast occurred in the spa boutique, where we were told in a fairly rude tone that photography was not permitted. The rule was understandable, particularly within a members club environment, but it could have been communicated more gracefully.

Would I Stay Again?

Yes, if my itinerary required me to be in Midtown and I valued the comfort of a large, quiet suite above atmosphere.

For a leisure trip, however, I would prefer to stay around Greenwich Village or the West Village, where the neighbourhood has more personality and a stronger sense of New York. Aman New York is a comfortable Midtown base, but it would not be my first choice for experiencing the city.

Final Thoughts

Aman New York succeeds at something difficult. It creates genuine space and quiet in the centre of Manhattan. What it does not create is a particularly memorable hotel experience.

The rate buys an excellent suite, polished service and ambitious wellness facilities. It does not buy the atmosphere, exclusivity or emotional connection expected from Aman at its best.

Aman New York is technically accomplished, comfortable and highly polished. It is also a little corporate and a little flat.

It is good. It is also a bit boring.

If you wish to have us assist with any bookings email us at bookings@stripetravel.com or contact us here. By booking with us, you will likely receive the following additional benefits:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
• $100 USD equivalent food and beverage credit to be used during the stay
• Early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability
• Complimentary Wi-Fi