Ruby Hotels, the urban lifestyle brand within IHG Hotels & Resorts‘ premium portfolio, is set to open its first New York City property in 2027 following the signing of a new deal for a 187-room hotel on Manhattan’s Avenue of the Americas.
The property, to be known as Ruby New York City, will occupy a converted 18-storey building dating from the 1930s. A comprehensive renovation is set to begin later in 2026, transforming the historic structure into what the brand describes as a flagship for its U.S. expansion.
Second U.S. Signing in Months
The New York deal marks the second U.S. signing for Ruby Hotels within a matter of months, following an earlier agreement for a forthcoming property in Chicago. Both hotels are projected to open in 2027, signalling a rapid acceleration of the brand’s North American growth.
Local developer AC Developers will own Ruby New York City, with Aimbridge Hospitality overseeing operations. The partnership continues an existing relationship between AC Developers and IHG, whose voco hotels brand recently opened its largest Americas hotel in a 32-storey Times Square property also owned by the same developer.
Location and Design
Ruby New York City will sit steps from Herald Square, the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. The hotel’s 187 rooms are designed around what the brand calls an “everything you need, nothing you don’t” philosophy, combining signature beds, rainfall showers and premium finishes with efficient use of space.
A 24/7 lobby bar will serve as a social hub for both hotel guests and local visitors, a format that has become a defining feature of Ruby Hotels‘ European properties across cities including London, Amsterdam and Vienna.
Jolyon Bulley, CEO Americas for IHG, said the New York signing reflected the company’s momentum in bringing the brand’s distinctive experience and flexible model to major U.S. urban markets. “With two properties now planned in iconic, gateway cities, we’re just beginning to unlock Ruby’s growth potential,” said Bulley.
Andrew Weiss, co-founder of AC Developers, said New York City was the ideal home for a brand that balances lifestyle appeal with value. “We welcome the opportunity to bring the first Ruby hotel to New York in collaboration with IHG,” said Weiss.
Global Expansion Underway
Founded in Germany in 2013, Ruby Hotels currently operates or has in its pipeline around 40 properties, predominantly across major European cities. The brand’s 2026 global signings also include its first planned hotel in Belgium and new properties in Germany and Italy.
IHG has set a target of growing the Ruby Hotels brand to more than 120 properties globally over the next decade, with a longer-term goal of exceeding 250 hotels within 20 years. The New York and Chicago signings represent the brand’s first steps into the U.S. market, one of the most competitive hotel landscapes in the world.
The wider IHG presence in New York is also expanding. Lifestyle brand Kimpton recently opened two new Manhattan properties, Kimpton Era Midtown and Kimpton Ashbel New York on Park Avenue, while the Crowne Plaza brand is set to return to Times Square later in 2026 with a newly converted hotel.
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