Faena New York, the newest hospitality venture from visionary Argentine hotelier Alan Faena, recently arrived in splashy style in West Chelsea. (True to form, the opening was marked by a star-studded party.) The lavish debut brings the brand’s trademark pageantry and seductive flair for the dramatic to New York.
‘This project is a love letter to the spirit of the city, crafted through our singular lens of storytelling. Just as in Buenos Aires and Miami, we’ve created a place that invites people to feel, dream, and connect, where every detail is an expression of beauty, emotion, and soul,’ Alan Faena tells Wallpaper*.
With conversation-starting art, a convivial social scene and a theatricality often missing from luxury hotels, Faena New York is at once a vibrant expression of its South American roots and a reflection of the Big Apple’s creative pulse. Staying at the 120-key travertine-clad stunner is like scoring front-row seats to Manhattan’s most high-impact production.
Wallpaper* checks in at Faena New York
What’s on your doorstep?
Located at 500 West 18th Street, Faena New York overlooks the High Line and the Hudson River Greenway for fresh-air-filled strolls. It’s quite a rarity in Manhattan to not be wedged in by concrete and to have a car-free place to stride. Its West Chelsea perch also means access to many restaurants and galleries (Hauser & Wirth and Nicola Vassell are just one block away). You’re also within a short walk of Chelsea Market and the Meatpacking District for designer shopping, the Whitney Museum and even more urban excitement.
Who is behind the design?
Faena New York rises within a striking high-rise designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The interiors are even more captivating. Led by Alan Faena and the Faena Design Team, in collaboration with Peter Mikic, the vivid vision comes to life through larger-than-life artwork, rich colour (lots of red, gold and black) and animal prints. The entry, referred to as ‘the Cathedral,’ looks more like a chic gallery than a hotel reception, with Argentine artist Diego Gravinese's enormous mural Ascension, A Sephirotic Journey covering the soaring walls and a gilded spiral staircase in the middle of it all. Throughout the hotel, art plays a important role, with the cosmic symbolism of creation as a recurring theme. A forthcoming theatre – a Faena-fied twist on Old Hollywood – will take centre stage with pieces by Andres Resinger and cabaret performances when it opens next summer.
The room to book
In contrast to the rest of the maximalist fever dream, rooms feel refreshingly restrained. There’s still plenty of Faena swagger, but the light timber, white walls and crisp linens give the guests' quarters a more sanctuary-like vibe. The floor-to-ceiling windows offer sweeping views of West Chelsea or the Hudson River. Bathrooms are kitted out with dual vanities, walk-in showers and Toto toilets.
For travellers unencumbered by budgetary constraints, the $35,000-a-night Faena Suite is as close to staying (and sleeping) in a gallery as you can get. Accessible via private elevator and made for entertaining, the duplex penthouse flaunts three bedrooms, bathrooms larger than most studio apartments, and a double-height living room complete with a pair of jewel paintings by Cynthia Cohen, a baby grand piano and huge windows looking out over the panoramic terrace.
Staying for drinks and dinner?
If you have dinner plans, seriously consider cancelling them to snag a reservation at La Boca. Panther and cheeky monkey murals by Edgardo Gimenez, custom red velvet banquets and bespoke chandeliers by Alberto Garutti (the artist’s last pieces before his passing) set the scene for flavourful fare prepared by chef Francis Mallmann.
At the very least, you must stick around for a drink at The Living Room, a glamorous boozer draped in leopard prints, black lacquer and gleaming accents. The front of the two gold-crested Art Deco bars is flanked by a pair of glass murals, Argentinian artist Juan Gatti’s decadent ode to New York City. The social hub also boasts a 900 sq ft side terrace so close to the High Line, you can basically touch it while imbibing (though, please, we beg of you, don’t attempt to do so).
Follow the corridor crowned by Keith Haring’s Montreux Jazz Festival – a gift from the artist to Alan Faena, and the largest work of his not permanently fixed to a wall – into El Secreto, an intimate speakeasy, or head to La Cava for private dining and drinking wine under the watchful eye of Queen Elizabeth II (a work called Lightness of Being by Chris Levine).
Where to switch off
Between the lively bars, opulent decor and non-stop energy, a stay at Faena New York tends to leave you buzzing. But a moment of peace and quiet is also on the way: Opening in spring 2026, Tierra Santa Healing House, a 12,000-square-foot wellness sanctuary, will feature temperature therapy, plunge pools, a hammam and treatment rooms for massages, facials and bespoke South American healing rituals.
The service
Some hotels with pomp and panache miss the mark on service. That’s not a concern at Faena New York. Yes, everyone is dressed to impress – from the doormen who wear white top hats and tails to the ‘Guest Experience Curators’ in fitted red suits. But what shines through even more than the impeccably tailored uniforms is the attention to detail and bend-over-backwards service. All of the high-end hallmarks you’d want in a luxury hotel exist in Faena fashion. Complimentary packing and unpacking, garment pressing and shoe shine are available. Turndown comes with chocolate and plush red slippers. Above all, it’s the personalised attention that stands out. Most memorably, I returned to my room to find plush cheetahs and colouring books thoughtfully left behind by Raquelle, who remembered I have little ones at home.
The verdict
Faena New York is an unapologetically audacious and head-turning addition to West Chelsea that’s as well suited for conviviality and cocktails as catching up on sleep. Devotees of Scandi minimalism likely won’t feel at home in the over-the-top dreamscape. Although some (ahem, this writer) might argue that anyone squeamish about aesthetics that pack more punch and personality than clean lines, light wood and a Marie Kondo lack of embellishment probably needs exposure therapy to bolder, richly textured design even more than the rest of us. And, by that logic, Alan Faena’s stage-worthy new hotel is the perfect place for an overnight – dripping in evocative art, mega-watt moments galore and revelry stitched into the red velvet fabric. If you have cash to splash, toss on a sparkly ensemble or something in an animal print, order up a $28 Faena Spritz and go have a great time.
Faena New York is located at 500A W 18th St, New York, NY 10011, United States.
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