Worth Traveling For
An eight-year project came to fruition with the 2026 debut of the Kimpton Era Midtown New York. The 529-room Midtown hotel adjacent to Rockefeller Center is a rarity in the form of a new build rather than retrofitted property.
The culinary program is at the heart of this hotel. It’s highlighted by Bar Rocco, a new signature project from Chef Rocco DiSpirito, the well-known chef personality and James Beard Award winner. This isn’t a mere celebrity chef name adornment, he makes his full-time return here, and you’ll see him working the floor as well as the line in the kitchen.
There are a handful of additional outlets to explore. The lineup includes The Parlor, a space that’s part lobby lounge, part cafe and bar, and also offers grab & go bites and refreshments, a buzzy rooftop bar, and a sultry subterranean steakhouse. The Kimpton Era Midtown, then, is a property purpose built to spend busy days exploring the city, before returning back to its comfortable confines and being confident your dinner and drink plans are already sorted inhouse.
Hotel Highlights
You’re staying here for a convenient Midtown locale, positioned right across the street from Rockefeller Center, for Kimpton’s modern style and amenities, and for the eats. Let’s start with the latter.
At Bar Rocco, meals should begin by ordering a bespoke martini from a specialized menu that could be customized in hundreds of ways between its myriad gins, vodkas, garnishes, and preparation styles. Skipping Mama’s Meatballs would be a sin, a tray loaded with three meatballs and a slice of toast to sop up the sauce. It’s a perfect prelude to housemade pastas such as a pappardelle Genovese, featuring 24-hour smoked short-rib ragu.
Amasa is a two-story venue showcasing a bar and taqueria on street level, and a Latin steakhouse below. Expect an agave-focused cocktail list with offerings such as a mezcal and guava Negroni, a fun lineup of South American wines, and Latin-style cuts of steak served with eight sauces and add-ons. You could do worse than opting for a queso fundido crusted picanha or arrachera.
Don’t forget the 34th-floor rooftop izakaya Jade Rabbit, either, especially for a sunset round or two from its lofty perch. The indoor-outdoor space offers a 360-degree look down at the city and serves up sushi and sashimi alongside Asian-fusion bites, with plenty of Japanese whisky and cocktails incorporating Asian flavors.
Rooms & Experience
Welcome to New York, where a starting Essential Room may measure all of 171 square feet in size. The view of the Empire State Building softens the blow, along with warm wood accents and bay window bench seating nooks, but you’ll likely want to shift to a higher category. A one-bedroom suite, for instance, is a comparative personal haven with 624 square feet in which to spread out.
After enjoying all of the aforementioned food and beverage, work it off at the spacious fitness center. The gym is clean and modern, and comes loaded with functional strength training gear, Pelotons, and other cardio machines. As with other Kimpton properties, the Kimpton Era Midtown offers a range of freebies and add-ons, such as the popular daily social hour, with complimentary alcoholic beverages. Guestroom floors also have water and ice stations, the latter of which comes in the form of hygienic, pre-bagged ice and buckets to grab.
What to Know Before You Book
An open-air terrace in Midtown Manhattan may be a more accessible reality here than anywhere else in the city. Several room categories have terraces; don’t let one pass you by. The property is also pet friendly, no strings attached in terms of fees or size restrictions. You may end up sparring with Fido for who gets dibs on those meatball leftovers, though.
Address: 32 W. 48th St., New York, New York
Closest Airport: LaGuardia Airport is the closest option, about 30 minutes away. Expect Newark to take up to 45 minutes or an hour, and JFK to take up to 90 minutes.
Featured image courtesy of Kimpton Era Midtown New York. Travel Curator may earn commission from booking links on this page.
