Tennis meets tableside excess as luxury hotels transform the US Open into Manhattan’s most expensive sporting spectacle.
Crystal Courts and Caviar Dreams
Baccarat Hotel has installed a crystal-netted ping pong table in its Petit Salon, because apparently regular nets lack the proper sparkle for tennis season. The hotel’s Crystal Courtside Experience runs through September 7, featuring a tasting menu that pairs fried chicken with caviar and grilled cheese with shaved truffles. You’ll find mini lobster rolls alongside New York cheesecake, all served with tennis-themed cocktails in the Grand Salon.
Meanwhile, The Lowell Hotel has crafted a $38 club sandwich—rotisserie chicken, smoked duck, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado aioli—that costs more than most restaurant entries. Their $27 specialty cocktails complete the experience, because regular tournament pricing apparently wasn’t steep enough.
Helicopter Transfers and $45 Lip Balm
The Mark Hotel’s penthouse suite features a private rooftop mini tennis court, starting at $1,770 per night. Guests receive branded tennis accessories and a $45 lip balm—yes, lip balm that costs more than dinner for two.
The Fifth Avenue Hotel’s packages begin at $1,100 nightly, including round-trip airport chauffeurs and pre-made Honey Deuce cocktails at check-in. Equinox Hotel offers Blade helicopter transfers directly to the tournament’s VIP entrance, because sitting in traffic like mere mortals would ruin the mystique.
Lotte New York Palace takes luxury further with their $3,395 per night “Game, Set, Sparkle” package, complete with a 14-karat white gold diamond tennis bracelet and premium pickleball seats.
From Sport to Social Currency
According to luxury hotel executives interviewed by Haute Living, the industry has seen a “surge” in luxury package bookings, crediting tennis’s transformation from country club sport to cultural phenomenon. The US Open has evolved into what these insiders call a “hot-ticket socialite event,” where experiencing the tournament matters less than being seen experiencing it correctly.
This shift reflects broader trends in experiential travel, where affluent guests seek immersive luxury that extends far beyond courtside seats. Tennis has become Manhattan’s answer to Art Basel or Fashion Week—a cultural moment that justifies extraordinary spending on elevated experiences that blur the lines between sport, dining, and social theater.
