Faena New York has been named ‘Best New Hotel’ at the 2026 Virtuoso Global Awards, the company has announced. The award marks further recognition for Faena’s New York project and comes at an early stage of its journey in Manhattan.
Located in West Chelsea, at 500 West 18th Street, Faena New York brings to the city the vision of hospitality developed by the firm in destinations such as Buenos Aires and Miami Beach. The hotel is situated next to the High Line and offers an experience where accommodation blends with art, culture, gastronomy and wellbeing.
The project thus retains some of the hallmarks that have defined Faena’s creative universe: interiors with a distinctive visual identity, a strong presence of art, and a programme designed to integrate the hotel into the cultural and social life of its surroundings.
Art and design as part of the experience
Art plays a prominent role in the Faena New York concept. Among the names associated with the project is the Argentine artist Diego Gravinese, whilst the hotel’s spaces incorporate various art installations and pieces as part of its identity.
The rooms and suites, designed by Faena Design Studio, feature large windows and views of various parts of Manhattan, including the Hudson River and the High Line.
The combination of architecture, design and contemporary art reflects a concept of hospitality that Faena has developed over recent decades, seeking to extend the guest experience beyond conventional accommodation.
Francis Mallmann brings Argentine cuisine to Manhattan
Gastronomy is another of the establishment’s cornerstones. La Boca at Faena by Francis Mallmann is run by the renowned Argentine chef and draws inspiration from Argentina’s culinary heritage and, in particular, the Buenos Aires neighbourhood from which the restaurant takes its name.
The menu combines Spanish, Italian and Patagonian influences with Mallmann’s signature approach to cooking with fire. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor of the hotel and rounds off its offering with live music.
With this project, Mallmann continues his collaboration with Faena and brings one of the most recognisable elements of the brand’s South American identity to the New York establishment.
More than 1,500 square metres dedicated to wellness
The offering is rounded off by the Tierra Santa Healing House, Faena New York’s wellness centre. Located on the hotel’s basement level, it covers approximately 1,580 square metres and draws inspiration from ancient South American wellness traditions combined with contemporary treatments and technologies.
Its facilities include a hammam, sauna, infrared sauna, steam room and a range of thermal experiences.
The Tierra Santa concept forms part of the Faena universe and positions wellbeing as one of the cornerstones of the hotel experience, alongside art, gastronomy and culture.
A new chapter for Faena
The arrival in New York expands the international presence of a brand that began to develop its unique vision of hospitality and urban development in Buenos Aires and subsequently extended its model to Miami Beach.
West Chelsea now marks a new chapter in this journey. Faena New York joins the ranks of the world’s leading luxury tourism destinations with a concept that retains the brand’s Latin American influence whilst adapting it to the cultural context of Manhattan.
Being named ‘Best New Hotel’ at the 2026 Virtuoso Global Awards reinforces the property’s international profile and positions the New York project amongst the recent openings to watch in the high-end hospitality sector.
