Come for the cheer and festive frenzy, stay for the glorious sights, captivating cuisine, and majestic hotels. We present a curated list of cutting-edge cultural hotspots, sumptuous spas, stylish stays, and thrilling experiences to get the most from your New York, New York holiday
by Archana Aithal Rose
GOLDEN TOUCH
Spoil yourself silly after a day of exploring the city with treatments and tweakments at two of New York’s newest spas, setting yourself up for a better year ahead.
MAISON SISLEY NYC
Earlier this summer, French brand Sisley Paris opened its first U.S. spa in New York’s Meatpacking District. Outfitted with three treatment rooms in a swanky 2,675-square-foot space, the spa also features a hairstyling studio with a dedicated entrance. Guests are treated to the latest breakthroughs in skincare, makeup, hair, and fragrance. Sisley-paris.com
2072 The Fifth Avenue Hotel
DR. BARBARA STURM MADISON AVENUE SPA & BOUTIQUE
Set inside a classic Upper East Side townhouse, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Madison Avenue spa offers a sweeping collective of anti-aging fixes in sleek treatment rooms swathed in cheerful, patterned wallpaper. Also on tap are specialty treatments like IV Therapy, microcurrent, and micro-needling, along with a host of signature facials. drsturm.com
THE PLACE TO BE
Recharge and reboot with a stay at two of the latest additions to New York’s legendary lodging scene, both set within striking distance of many of the city’s most iconic hotspots.
THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL IN NOMAD NYC
If size matters, then the Fifth Avenue Hotel’s mammoth mirror-clad lobby will leave you bewildered. A visionary design by Martin Brundinzki in a distinctive color palette with artful flourishes lends an unmistakable air of sophistication to the hotel’s serene suites. The hotel’s signature Flaneur Suites feature Japanese gardens while the Tower Penthouse offers sweeping views of the Empire State Building. Fifth Avenue’s resident restaurant, Cafe Carmellini, helmed by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini, serves Italian-French fare, while the Portrait Bar mixes signature libations in an art gallery setting. thefifthavenuehotel.com
HOTEL BARRIERE FOUQUET’S NEW YORK
In celebrity-studded Tribeca sits Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s New York, a pied-à-terre that promises Parisian glamour in the heart of Gotham City. With its sleek glass-and-brick façade and apartment-style suites designed by Martin Brundinzki, Fouquet puts an emphasis on comfortable decadence. A Michelin-starred brasserie, glamorous cinema, tranquil spa, and soigné bar are all on-site. hotelsbarriere.com
IT’S PLAYTIME, FOLKS!
Two new museums offering immersive art experiences lure visitors into a wonderful world of magical make-believe.
NEW REALITY
Art, architecture, and storytellers from around the world all inspired the sweeping feast of awe-inducing exhibits at Artec House, a studio dedicated to genre-pushing, immersive experiences. Housed in a converted, century-old boiler room beneath the iconic Chelsea Market, the enchanting playground invites visitors to experience art in new ways through the prism of seamless megapixel projections and Hyperreal Sound Technology. On offer, this holiday season is Spectacular Factory, an imaginary gift factory with swinging Christmas bells, thrilling train rides, and candy cane carousels, plus a scavenger hunt challenge to unearth six hidden gifts through extended reality. artechouse.com
LIFE IN COLOR
Wild and wonderful, rich and resplendent, Color Factory is a museum that promotes pure, childlike joy through multisensory experiences awash with vibrant hues. Designed in partnership with a slate of international artists and collaborators, the studio features 14 immersive art exhibits, including a confetti park, a balloon room, and a disco room, encouraging all who come to suspend any stress or woe and bask in the frivolity of color. colorfactory.co
