Opened November 2019, Kixby Hotel in Midtown, New York City, adds to the slew of new and noteworthy boutique hotels that have graced Manhattan in the past few months, including Ace Hotel’s Sister City on Bowery, Hotel Hendricks (the same group that opened Hotel Hugo) in Midtown, and Moxy East Village.
Unlike the other properties, Kixby took over a former hotel (Hotel Metro, which nobody really knew or may remember), so guests are already receiving an upgraded experience. Located in Herald Square, Kixby is in a historic Beaux-Arts building constructed in 1901 that, before Hotel Metro, was once known as the Collingwood Hotel.
Kixby Hotel is named after a storied “Mr. Kixby,” a resident of the original Collingwood who tended bar there in the early 20th Century. The hotel thinks of him as “a fabulous raconteur, pioneering artist, and inventive mixologist — a dapper, whimsical, slightly rakish presence.”
Kixby has 197 rooms, a burger joint, a hip bar and lounge and The Lookup Rooftop, which is an attraction unto itself. We love a hotel that aims to please, and Kixby truly went above and beyond to offer guests a memorable experience— and distinguish itself from other boutique hotels in the city.
Here are 5 reasons to book Kixby Hotel
1. The location is major.
Kixby is located on 35th between 5th and 6th Ave (45 W 35th St, New York, NY 10001). This means you’re right on famous Fifth Avenue, but also, you’re *mere steps* from the famous Macy’s in Herald Square and Empire State Building, both of which flank Kixby on either side.
2. Guestrooms are spacious for a boutique hotel in NYC.
Kixby accommodations are lucky to have 10-foot ceilings, which help make the 197 guestrooms feel more spacious. The rooms have a lot of warmth, and as you can see from the photos, get drenched in sunlight during the day.
The modern and stylish guestrooms are available in Lux King and Lux Queen (no suites), and they’re cozy and intimate. You can tell thoughtful attention was given to each room to maximize both comfort and space.
Amenities include custom-made oak furniture, dressers with mini-fridge, fancy MATOUK linens and Frette robes.
Guests can also expect marbled bathrooms with rain showers and lighted mirrors. The bathrooms are gorgeous. I love a shower that gets natural light from a window.
3. There is a burger joint, which is rare for a NYC hotel.
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer has locations across the country, though the burger joint decided to make Kixby Hotel its flagship location.
I’ve been to Black Tap, and the Crazyshake milkshakes are insane, and they go down great with the hearty burgers. I love that Kixby took a chance at doing a burger joint at the hotel, since burger joints are surprisingly very uncommon for a hotel.
The menu offers classics like All-American, The Vegan Burger, and the award-winning Greg Norman Burger, along with comfort food like chicken wings. Black Tap’s first location was in NYC’s Soho neighborhood.
4. Two bars to choose from.
The Lookup, which spans 2,200-square-foot, crowns the Kixby hotel with both indoor and outdoor spaces. The idea behind the name is to get people to “look up” from their phones and be in the moment, and they likely will since they’re surrounded by Midtown’s skyline.
The bar is designed by the award-winning architecture and design firm Rockwell Group (who worked on the Nobu restaurants) and divided into three zones with stadium seating, high-top tables and lounge areas— all anchored by a central peninsula bar. Craft cocktails here will be elevated by prominent mixologists, and the bar will likely be a hot spot for locals and visitors alike.
Also designed by Rockwell Group, Lot 15 is a 1,400 square-foot cocktail lounge on the ground floor.
The dim-lit, gritty yet sophisticated space has long continuous, black leather banquettes, lush couches and high top seating.
I love the original artwork from contemporary muralist Fumero, which enhances the vibe of the space. Expect a DJ to play tunes at night.
At Lot 15, you can also order bites from a menu, like skillet truffle mac & cheese, rosé infused shrimp cocktail, marinated olives and sliced wagyu steak sandwich.
5. The value is great.
The rates at Kixby start at $295. That’s a great deal. The average room rate in NYC is $262 a night (and that number keeps rising), and the rate at Kixby is a little above average, but you’re getting value. To refresh your memory:
- Rockwell Group *only* works with high-end brands (like Nobu, Dream, W Hotels, etc), so you know Kixby will be visually commanding. Also, if Kixby is investing this much in the hotel (Rockwell Group is *not* cheap), they’re likely going all in.
- The location = prime real estate.
- The amenities. There’s no spa or fine dining here, but there is a fitness center and room service, as well as premium mini-bar and marble bathrooms.
- The views from The Lookup. Just… look up.
The Lookup, Courtesy of Melissa Hom Photography. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase, I will receive an affiliate commission. Please do! I’m a one-man team for this website, so any help is sincerely appreciated.
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Jimmy Im has traveled to 113 countries, stayed in over 600 hotels and has flown a million airmiles. He lives in New York City.