The Whitby Hotel

The Whitby is Firmdale Hotels' second New York address, opened in 2017 on West 56th Street, and it carries every hallmark of Kit Kemp's design: color, pattern, handmade craft and a gleeful sense of curiosity. No two rooms are decorated alike, and the public spaces read like a collector's home rather than a Midtown hotel. The MICHELIN Guide awards it Three Keys, its highest honor, and singles it out as the choice for travelers with a quirkier, artsier streak than the neighborhood's usual luxury towers.

Afternoon tea is served daily, including a Design Thread tea inspired by Kit Kemp, and the Whitby Bar & Restaurant runs all day around a pewter-topped bar, with a seafood menu and live jazz on Friday evenings. There is a private cinema for screenings and a courtyard terrace for slower afternoons. It suits design lovers, couples and anyone who wants Midtown's convenience, close to Fifth Avenue, Central Park and MoMA, without its anonymity. Few hotels in this part of town feel this personal.