ortho-Acylation attempt of benzenesulfonamide afforded the corresponding hemiaminal as major product. The in situ reduction of the reaction mixture, reported herein, directly provided 2-hydroxyalkyl benzenesulfonamide, an important pharmacophoric element for designing drug-like scaffolds. Its application is demonstrated through designing a novel series of 1,5-diarylpyrazoles for cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition.