THE NEW YORK ART JOURNAL
Luxury hotels near MoMA: four Fifth Avenue addresses with a story
Sleep in MoMA's first home, drink under a mural with a millionaire's face, or cross the street from your room to the museum. Four luxury hotels near MoMA, with walking times.
In this article
The Museum of Modern Art did not start on 53rd Street. In 1929 it opened inside a brand-new office tower at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, built by the philanthropist August Heckscher, who advertised its floors with letters claiming his corner would always be the most valuable in New York. MoMA moved on. The tower, now the gilded Crown Building, became Aman New York in August 2022. You can sleep in the building where modern art first arrived in Manhattan, then walk seven minutes to where it lives now.
That is the pleasure of staying here: the luxury hotels near MoMA are full of stories of their own. One has a bar mural in which a millionaire insisted on being painted as a king. Another faces the museum from across the street. Here are four, with walking times calculated on real streets.
The four compared
Walking times are calculated on the street network from each hotel to MoMA's entrance on 53rd Street, and to the Met and the Frick on the Upper East Side. All four are within a 35-minute walk of the Met, or a short taxi ride up Fifth Avenue.
| Hotel | To MoMA | To the Met | To the Frick | Why stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baccarat Hotel | 1 min | 33 min | 21 min | Directly across from MoMA |
| The Peninsula | 4 min | 30 min | 17 min | Rooftop Pen Top, Forbes Five Star |
| The St. Regis | 5 min | 30 min | 18 min | King Cole Bar and the Bloody Mary |
| Aman New York | 7 min | 28 min | 15 min | MoMA's first home, 1929 |
Baccarat Hotel: the one across the street
- 28 West 53rd Street
- About 1 minute to MoMA, 33 to the Met
The Baccarat is the answer to the search "hotel next to MoMA". It sits on West 53rd Street opposite the museum, and the walk is shorter than most hotel corridors. The house style is that of the French crystal maker, and the Grand Salon serves afternoon tea and evening drinks.
There is a Spa de La Mer alongside the pool, the perfect antidote to a long morning in the galleries, and the signature suites come with a dedicated Attaché.
Honest drawback: 53rd Street is busy and the view from lower floors is of the street, not the skyline. Ask for a high floor.
Check availability on the official site: Baccarat Hotel New YorkPlain link to the hotel’s own website. No commission.
The Peninsula: a freshly reimagined Fifth Avenue classic
- 700 Fifth Avenue
- Forbes Travel Guide Five Star
- About 4 minutes to MoMA, 30 to the Met
The Peninsula sits at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, four minutes from MoMA. A property-wide refurbishment by the New York studio Bill Rooney Studio began in January 2024 and has refreshed its 219 rooms and suites, the lobby, the Palm Court and the rooftop lounge, Pen Top.
Pen Top is the reason to stay: an evening drink above Fifth Avenue after a day of Picasso and Van Gogh is hard to beat. Afternoon tea is served in the Gotham Lounge.
Honest drawback: It is a large hotel on a very busy corner. If you want intimacy, Aman or the Baccarat feel more private.
Check availability on the official site: The Peninsula New YorkPlain link to the hotel’s own website. No commission.
The St. Regis: a king with a millionaire's face
- 2 East 55th Street
- About 5 minutes to MoMA, 30 to the Met
Most visitors miss this: the king above the bar is a portrait. In 1906 John Jacob Astor IV paid Maxfield Parrish US$5,000 to paint Old King Cole for his Knickerbocker Hotel on Times Square, on one condition: the king had to have Astor's face. Parrish, raised a Quaker, was reluctant to paint for a bar at all, but took the commission. When the Knickerbocker closed, the mural moved to Astor's other hotel, the St. Regis, where it has hung above the King Cole Bar since the 1930s.
The bar has a second claim to fame. In 1934, its barman Fernand Petiot perfected a vodka and tomato juice cocktail that the hotel renamed the Red Snapper, so that the name "Bloody Mary" would not offend its refined clientele. Order one under the mural.
Honest drawback: The King Cole Bar is popular in the evening; go early or expect to wait for a seat.
Check availability on the official site: The St. Regis New YorkPlain link to the hotel’s own website. No commission.
Aman New York: sleep in MoMA's first home
- Crown Building, 730 Fifth Avenue at 57th Street
- About 7 minutes to MoMA, 28 to the Met, 15 to the Frick
Built in 1921 by Warren & Wetmore, the architects of Grand Central, the Crown Building was MoMA's first home in 1929. Aman began restoring it in 2017 with the architect Jean-Michel Gathy, and opened Aman New York in August 2022.
Of our four it is the closest to the Frick and the Met, and it feels like a retreat above the Fifth Avenue crowds. It is the choice for travellers who want MoMA in the morning and the Upper East Side museums in the afternoon.
Honest drawback: It is the furthest of the four from MoMA, though still only seven minutes on foot.
Check availability on the official site: Aman New YorkPlain link to the hotel’s own website. No commission.
MoMA insider tips for hotel guests
Staying a few blocks away is only half the advantage. These habits make the most of it.
Official MoMA tickets and hoursOfficial website. No commission.
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission.Questions before you go
Which hotel is next to MoMA?
The Baccarat Hotel at 28 West 53rd Street is directly across the street, about a one-minute walk from the entrance.
What are the best luxury hotels near MoMA?
The Baccarat, The Peninsula, The St. Regis and Aman New York are all within a seven-minute walk.
Where was MoMA originally?
MoMA opened in 1929 in the Heckscher Building at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, now the Crown Building and home to Aman New York.
Is MoMA free on Fridays?
Uniqlo Friday Nights, 17:30 to 20:30, are free for New York State residents only, with tickets reserved in advance. Other visitors pay standard admission.
How much is MoMA admission?
Adults US$30, seniors US$22, full-time students US$17, and children 16 and under free.
Reviewed . Walking times calculated with OpenStreetMap routing on 18 October 2026. MoMA hours and prices checked on moma.org on 17 October 2026. Hotel details from official hotel sites.