Renaissance Hotels debuted its fifth property in New York City with the opening of Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel on November 13, 2023. It is the first full-service hotel to open in Harlem in 100 years.

“Harlem is a historical epicenter of art, cuisine, music, and culture and is of the upmost importance that we stay true to the authenticity of the locale – from the details in the design to our daily programming and entertainment,” said Jennifer Connell, global brand leader, Renaissance Hotels. “In bringing the Renaissance Hotel brand to this famed neighborhood, we are inviting travelers near and far to enjoy all this community has to offer.”

Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel offers 211 guestrooms and suites, an onsite restaurant with bar and lounge seating, and more than 9,000 square feet of event space spread across five rooms.

The property sits in the Victoria Building, previously home to the Victoria Theater. Opened as a vaudeville venue in 1917, it was later used as a cinema before falling into disuse.

Conceptualized by AJC design, its transformation into a hotel conserves the theater’s outer facade, marquee, outdoor ticket booth and handsome staircase at the building’s entrance. Inside, design details include custom, artistic renditions of some of the neighborhood’s most iconic musical legends – Billie Holiday, Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway – as well as a contemporary art piece of Harlem on the library ceiling.

The guestrooms (107 single rooms, 101 doubles and three suites) feature walls adorned with quotes from the poet and social activist Langston Hughes, and views of Harlem and Central Park.

Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel’s onsite restaurant, The Victoria, features a marble bar and fifth floor mezzanine that overlooks the heart of the hotel. Helmed by executive chef Bobby Bouyer, it serves a menu of modern global cuisine seen through the lens of cuisine of the Gulf region of the American South. For example, its signature Hot Chicken Sandwich is dunked in a combination of Chinese chili-crisp with Berberé, an African spice blend.

The hotel’s bar offers an extensive, imaginative cocktail program as well as a wide selection of wine. It will also be home to nightly jazz performances called Evenings at Renaissance.

The Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel is located on 125th Street, just steps from the storied Apollo Theatre and a short walk to Central Park.

Renaissance Hotels is a Marriott Bonvoy brand.