Let's start with the good: Reservations for the hotel, which officially welcomes guests on Aug. 2, are now open. On the other hand, rates for a stay at the luxury Fifth Avenue property are astonishingly, somehow, higher than we expected.
And we expected them to be pretty darn high.
Reservations officially opened on Monday, July 25 — and August, it appears, sold out almost immediately, though it's unclear how much those who claimed a room paid for the privilege. In September, the online calendar shows two available nights, with the lowest starting at a whopping $3,600 a night and the most expensive sitting at $4,200, all without taxes and fees.
There's plenty of availability from October on — if that is, you're willing to spend nearly 2.5 times the average monthly mortgage payment in the U.S. for a one-night stay in what is sure to be New York City's nicest hotel and the second urban location from the hyper-luxe and celebrity-loved brand. (For the record, I would if I could, but this diabetic also needs insulin.)
Rates from October start at $3,800 for a 775-square-foot Fifth Avenue Jr. Suite. In November and December, there's nothing under $4,000 a night. And in December, when New York transforms into a winter wonderland full of tourists, that same Jr. Suite often goes for $4,600 a night.
Oh, and some dates, like holidays and some weekends, have a two-night minimum. If you want to spend Christmas at this Aman in the same aforementioned suite, you're looking at $4,600 for Christmas Eve, $4,000 for Christmas day and $1,289.50 in taxes and fees for a very merry grand total of $9,889.50 — without daily breakfast (which is an additional $100 per guest, per day).
There is some hope though, as rates drop down to (just!) $3,200 per night starting in January. But don't get your sweetheart excited for a romantic Valentine's Day stay — that week is booked solid.
Again, we expected these rates to be high as Aman is the epitome of luxury, but we weren't quite expecting them to be essentially the same as Amangiri, the brand's Instagram-famous resort in the Utah desert frequented by the likes of Kylie Jenner and her celebrity entourage. Amangiri is arguably the most desirable resort in the country, with breathtaking views set in a tranquil, secluded spot and plenty of space to spread out. It's a resort you go to and stay at.
Rates at Amingiri start at $3,700 per night in August, plus taxes and fees.
The reality of the New York property, though, is that Aman knows what it's doing when it comes to hospitality. How else could it sell out for nearly two entire months on the first day of booking without guests either having experienced that luxe service firsthand and seeking it again or hearing rave reviews from other people who know it's worth every penny?
But is it really worth that many pennies? Well, we do know that every one of its 83 keys is a suite; it's located in a historic building on one of the world's most famous streets; each room has a soaking tub and a recreation of a 15th-century Japanese masterpiece printed on rice paper; and there's an Italian restaurant, a Japanese restaurant with a hinoki wood counter for omakase and a jazz club with live music.
But for the record, you could buy your own soaking tub from Pottery Barn for less than one night here.
But there's also a three-story, roughly 25,000-square-foot spa with treatment rooms, banya and hammam rooms and private outdoor terraces with hot and cold plunge pools. Oh, and fire pits and day beds surrounding a 65-foot indoor swimming pool. This is the place to escape the rowdy, rambunctious streets of New York in a stunning spa setting that doesn't require a trip to Utah. It's a destination in a destination.
But if you're looking for still super luxe vacation that doesn't cost the price of a used car, there are lots of things you could still treat yourself to. Amankila, an Aman property on the Indonesian island of Bali, starts at $900 a night, and you could get creative with some points transfers to snag a business-class seat on Cathay Pacific to get there in style.
Or, you could check our guide to six near impossible hotel redemptions you can book now, such as the absolutely stunning Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, where a five-night stay can cost you about $10,000 for a base room or 295,000 points using Marriott's "free" fifth night deal. And if you act fast, you could even get there in a Qatar Qsuite from 70,000 American Airlines miles.
But if you do decide to book a stay at the Aman New York, it might be worth holding out to see if the property will be available to book on Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, so you at least get some extra perks. People with The Platinum Card® from American Express and other Centurion- and Platinum-branded Amex cards can use the program to get daily breakfast for two, a $100 credit to use on the property, 4 p.m. guaranteed late check-out, a potential room upgrade and a chance for an early 12 p.m. check-in. Plus, you'll earn 5x membership points — and 5x points on a near $10,000 stay isn't insignificant.
If I could, I would book a stay at Aman New York in a heartbeat, but I'm not in a place to skip three months of New York City rent for one night at a hotel. Thankfully, I don't have kids to put through school, but if I did, they might have to spend a semester at a local junior college so I could live out my Fifth Avenue fantasies in style. Or maybe I'll just give up iced coffee, because apparently, that's the key to saving these days.
