At IPW 2025, New York City dazzled media and travel professionals with a powerful vision for the future—one that celebrates the city's reinvention in every corner. Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, unveiled a wave of high-profile hotel openings, led by the grand return of the Waldorf Astoria in September 2025, fully restored with modern luxury. The highly anticipated Faena New York, featuring South American culinary star Francis Mallmann, promises to add distinctive flair to the city’s hospitality scene.

New entries like the Xadia Hotel near Bryant Park and fresh options in Queens, such as The Westin Flushing LaGuardia and The Rhyland Hotel, further elevate the traveler experience through innovative design, accessibility, and sustainability.

The city is also reigniting its cultural heart. The Met is reopening its Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, reimagining African and Oceanic art with natural light and contemporary design. Meanwhile, The Frick Collection returns to its historic Fifth Avenue mansion with an inaugural exhibition dedicated to Vermeer. The Delacorte Theater in Central Park also makes a triumphant return, staging a new production of Twelfth Night starring Lupita Nyong’o and Peter Dinklage.

Several major reopenings and expansions are on the horizon, including the Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the New Museum, and future landmarks like the Civil Rights Museum in Harlem and the Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx.

The city’s 2025 arts calendar reinforces New York’s identity as a vibrant and diverse global capital. From a cosmic narrative featuring Pedro Pascal at the American Museum of Natural History, to exhibitions exploring queer art, graffiti, literature, and sustainability, the five boroughs are brimming with creativity. With dynamic offerings citywide, New York stands ready to welcome the world with more energy, imagination, and warmth than ever before.