Who hasn't come and gone at this place? It is like the Waldorf Astoria that way. And just as the Waldorf has its Towers with permanent residents, part of this building was turned over to condos too.
Have to go to Wikipedia for a little history here (not too much I hope).
The Plaza Hotel, located in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, is a landmark 20-story luxury hotel with a height of 250 ft (76 m) and length of 400 ft (120 m) that occupies the west side of Grand Army Plaza, from which it derives its name, and extends along Central Park South in Manhattan. Fifth Avenue extends along the east side of Grand Army Plaza. The Plaza Hotel is recognized as a Historic Hotel of America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Contents
Grand Army Plaza
On the south side of the Plaza (between 57th and 58th Streets) once stood the French Renaissance château of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, designed by George Browne Post; rising behind its gated front court, it was the grandest of the Fifth Avenue mansions of the Gilded Age. Bergdorf Goodman occupies its site.
History
The Plaza is the second hotel of that name on the site. The French Renaissance château-style building was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh and opened to the public on October 1, 1907. At the time, it cost $12.5 million to construct. When the hotel opened, a room at the Plaza Hotel was only $2.50 per night (equivalent of $62 today). Today, the same room costs from $695 upwards.[4]The Plaza was accorded landmark status by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1969; it was designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1986.[2][5][6] The Waldorf-Astoria is the only other New York City hotel to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Long the site for famous performers and guests, it has also been the meeting place for important political meetings. The nationally known singers Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli, Kay Thompson, Sandler and Young, Andy Williams, and Peggy Lee played the Persian Room; unaccompanied ladies were not permitted in the Oak Room bar; and women favored the Palm Court for luncheons and teas. The Beatles stayed at the Plaza during their first visit to the United States in February 1964.[4] On November 28, 1966, in honor of the publisher Katharine Graham, the writer Truman Capote hosted his acclaimed "Black & White Ball" in the Grand Ballroom.
In September 1985, ministers of developed countries met at the Plaza to consult on finance issues and affirmed their agreement by signing the Plaza Accord. It served as an agreement among the finance ministers of the United States, Japan, West Germany, France and Britain to bring down the price of the U.S. dollar against their currencies.
The hotel offers tours of its interior to the public.
Ownership changes and renovations
After Trump's divorce from wife Ivana Trump, the Plaza's president, Trump sold the hotel for $325 million in 1995 (equivalent of $490 million today) to Troy Richard Campbell, from New Hampshire. He sold it in 2004 for $675 million (equivalent of $820 million today) to Israeli-owned Manhattan-based developer, El Ad Properties.
El Ad bought the hotel with plans of adding residential and commercial sections. Since The Plaza Hotel is a New York landmark, Tishman Construction Corporation, the construction management company hired to complete the renovations and conversions, had to comply with landmark regulations.[10] El Ad temporarily closed The Plaza on April 30, 2005, for extensive renovations.[11] Beginning May 2005, the Plaza's contents were available to the public via a liquidation sale. The Plaza reopened on March 1, 2008,[12] offering 282 hotel rooms and 152 private condo hotel units; it is managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. Diamond retailer Lev Leviev put in the first bid for a Plaza apartment at $10 million.
In November 2008 the Plaza Hotel unveiled its retail collection, an underground mall featuring luxury brands such as Vertu and Demel Bakery (closed as of March 2010), an Austrian-owned business. In 2010 the Plaza Food Hall opened in the underground mall, run by Chef Todd English.[13]
On 31 July 2012, India's business group Sahara India Pariwar agreed to buy a 75% controlling stake for $570 million from El Ad Properties.[14]
In popular culture
Literature and publications
- It was the setting for Kay Thompson's series of Eloise children's books published in the 1950s, about a young girl who lived at the hotel.
- The novel Anonymous Rex has the main character, Vincent Rubio, checking into the hotel at great expense after threatening the front desk clerk.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby (1925), features the characters Nick Carraway and Jordan Baker having a conversation in the tea garden at the Plaza Hotel.
- Also it was one of the main settings in the series, by Meg Cabot The Princess Diaries, It was where Mia's Grandmother or Grandmere lived in the book.
- It was the setting for a children's book on manners, "The Golden Rules of Etiquette at the Plaza for Discerning Children of All Ages" by Tom Civitano, Lyudmila Bloch, and Rosemary Carroll (2004)
- It was a base camp used by the demigods in The Last Olympian in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (2009). The Pomona statue appears.
Films and television
The hotel has been featured in numerous motion picture productions set in New York. See film backdrop and television backdrop, below.Film backdrop
- The Plaza was featured notably in the original 1956 TV film Eloise, starring Evelyn Rudie as Eloise, the child who lived "on the top floor", with cameo appearances by Conrad Hilton and Eloise author Kay Thompson.
- Although the hotel had appeared briefly in earlier films, it made its major film debut in the 1959 film North by Northwest.
- The building appeared in the 2008 videogame, Grand Theft Auto IV, but the name of the building is the Emissary and is non enterable.
- Barefoot in the Park (1967)
- Funny Girl (1968)
- Plaza Suite (1971)
- The Way We Were (1973)
- Love at First Bite (1979)
- Arthur (1981)
- They All Laughed (1981)
- Cotton Club (1984)
- Brewster's Millions (1985)
- Crocodile Dundee (1986)
- Big Business (1988)
- Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
- King of New York (1990)
- Scent of a Woman (1991)
- In Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), then-Plaza owner Donald Trump appears, directing the main character Kevin to the lobby. In one of the film's more memorable scenes, when the hotel staff accuse him of credit-card fraud, Kevin eludes them by sliding through the Plaza's lobby into a waiting elevator. To make the scene logistically possible, the film crew had to remove the wall-to-wall carpeting, exposing the original tiles. When Trump saw the beautiful mosaics, he instantly fell in love with the look and insisted it remain that way after filming, which it did until renovations in 2005 began.
- Flodder in America! (1992)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- It Could Happen to You (1994)
- The Associate (1996)
- Almost Famous (2000)
- Inside the Osmonds (2001)
- Hollywood Ending (2002), a Woody Allen film.
- Eloise at Christmastime (2003), a live-action film adapted from the eponymous 1958 children's book written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight
- Eloise at the Plaza (2003), a live-action film based on the Eloise series of children's books drawn and written by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight
- The Plaza Hotel is seen in the intro of the film Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York (2006)
- In Bride Wars (2008) with Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway's character was shot in the Grand Ballroom, the Terrace Room, and in corridors and the Palm Court. The film also shows the lobby and exterior.
- "The Great Gatsby"(2013), Nick, Jay, Daisy, and Tom talk in a suite at the hotel.
And now on to Yelp....where people love it but some say they could run it bette
The Plaza Hotel
175 reviews
Rating Details
768 5th Ave
(between 58th St & 59th St)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 759-3000
(between 58th St & 59th St)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 759-3000
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
5 Av/59 St (N, Q, R)57 St (F)5 Av/53 St (E, M)
- Price Range:
- $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Paid
175 reviews for The Plaza Hotel
Review Highlights What's this?
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"Staff at the spa, restaurants, and Palm Court were fantastic." In 54 reviews -
"We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea experience." In 40 reviews -
"I jogged through Central Park every morning to start my day." In 20 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
175 reviews in English
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Review from Angela M.
- 5 friends
After staying at the St. Regis, I can compare with the Plaza.
The Plaza wins for comfortable bed and bedding, comfortable room set up, more sun enters room, a more welcoming lobby area, friendly maids and great maid service.
St. Regis wins in location to major stores, gym services and concierge services were incredible! My husband believes that the rooms at St. Regis were more updated than the Plaza, but I feel that they were equal in that sense.
My husband prefers the St. Regis, I prefer the Plaza (if only they could recruit some St. Regis concierge staff the Plaza would be perfect!).1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/3/2013
A 3.5 if I could.....
AMBIANCE is beautiful! The chandeliers in the lobby are so gorgeous. Hotel… Read more »
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Review from Danielle G.
- 61 friends
Went back with my mother and was disappointed by the snobbery of the staff. I wanted to recreate the wonderful time I had with my friend to my mother who was visiting from LA. We could not get anyones attention after we were seated and when we did, they completely ignored my mother (who was paying for the tea!)
Perhaps the management has changed, perhaps it was an off day, but not sure if it was really worth the money. It certainly left a bad taste in my mother's mouth.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/26/2010
Went here today for a last minute High Tea after a morning visit to MoMA. Showed up at 12:30 and… Read more »
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Review from Kenny B.
- 16 friends
This place gets 5 stars simply for the fact that Kevin McCalister stayed here on HOME ALONE 2!!! One of my favorite movies of all time! And its pretty nice as well lol
I just visited this hotel because I love Home Alone and because it probably costs an arm and a leg to stay here. Before we even walked in, I was greeted by too extremely friendly door men. Very classy lobby and dining room right when you walk in.
The lighting and fixtures in this hotel were extravegent and it is probably very expensive to stay (just looked it up about $700/night) here but who knows one day it could happen. -
Review from Mara E.
- 0 friends
We had taken our girls for a broadway show and summer weekend. As they had enjoyed the Eloise cartoon series we booked the Eloise suite.
Unfortunately, almost every step of the 1200.00 per night was far below the service we have received at the Four Seasons OR the St Regis. All three elevators were out of service for one of the 2.5 days of our trip. Staying on the 17th floor and it being 97 degrees out , made the stairs a difficult option.
These things can happen and I'm sure the hotel wasn't delighted about it either...HOWEVER as guests we saw ZERO effort to apologize or make up for a rather significant inconvenience . No complimentary treats for the children, or any 'ability' to refund any part of the bill for lack of access to our room for hours on end.
We were told that it should never happen again and would be considered for a room upgrade at our next visit?
Also there was supposed to be a butler that checks in on you who never showed up. One of the rooms in the suite wasn't even cleaned from the previous guest. Nor was there any introductory tour of the rooms which typically accompanies such a suite. Room service orders were incorrect and the staff simply did not return until the next day!
This was all discussed with the manager and again the room upgrade at a future visit was offered. It's a beautiful building with a great location, but in our experience if something goes wrong.. they do not care! -
Review from Alison M.
- Elite '13
- 24 friends
This hotel is fantastic.
The location is absolutely great. It's on 5th avenue New York City so it's right in the middle of everything and all the best shopping.
It is right across from Central Park and the Apple store and Bergdorf Goodman.
All the best shopping is nearby - Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Co., Bvlgari, Ferragamo, etc. etc. it goes on and on. It's a short walk (about 10-15 minutes) from Times Square and a quick 10 minute $7 cab ride there.
There are also tons of restaurants nearby.
Alright, enough about the location.
The hotel itself is beautiful. It's old and classic and it shows. I read that it has been recently renovated and it's been well done. The hotel maintains the classy feel of something that has aged well and is elegant while not being dated and faded. One of the only ways I could tell this was an old hotel were the very small elevators but even they had beautiful wood work, mirrors and crystal chandeliers.
The room was the deluxe rose suite. It was a pretty large room with a king sized bed with lush feather pillows on it. It was heaven. It had a sitting area, a chaise lounger in front of the bed - two closets - and a large bathroom with the lovely vine mosaic tile work and gold detail everywhere.
The service was excellent. They hailed us cabs in the rain out in front of the hotel and opened our doors and closed them for us as we got in. They carried all our bags for us. They opened and closed doors.... it was what is expected from a hotel that boasts luxury at it's best.
We ate breakfast our final day in the Palm Court - which is beautiful. The food was so-so. I've stayed at some high class hotels in my time: the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, the Waldorf-Astoria in Rome, etc. and the breakfast here that was offered continental was not on the level of this hotel. The eggs were runny and the pastry selection consisted of a few hard muffins and some other small croissants and such, not great. I was disappointed. It was $35 a person which is about standard but for that price at other hotels I've had far better food. Not happy with that. My friend did order from the menu and got some very good french toast.
Still - the hotel is excellent and the next time I take a weekend trip I'll stay here - I may just not have the breakfast. -
Review from Stephanie F.
- Elite '13
- 143 friends
I LOVE afternoon tea. Mini sandwiches, scones, tea and the sheer stuffiness of it all delights me! There's nothing I like better than feeling as though I'm one classy gal.
My aunt brought my sisters and I to the Palm Court at the Plaza as a holiday treat. It was wonderful. I felt as though I were at the height of civility! We had reservations for a Sunday afternoon at 2. We arrived a little earlier just to check out the hotel a bit. Living in NYC doesn't really allow you to enjoy the more touristy but still wonderful aspects of the city so I really appreciated having this classic NY experience.
The staff at The Palm Court were all wonderful. I ordered The Fitzgerald Tea for the Ages. I paired it with the Tuscan Pear tea. In afternoon tea, you always eat sandwiches first, scones second and desserts last. I read that once on an afternoon tea etiquette website. And since I was having tea at The Plaza, I wanted to be nothing but class. (Even though I'm truly not hahaha)
The sandwiches were really amazing. I really appreciated the Maine lobster sandwich, the quail egg one and the caviar smoked salmon one. The waiter also gave us extra scones! I was surprised at how incredibly full I was. I found myself stuffed after eating all the courses. The scones seemed endless! The marmalade was so perfect. I never wanted afternoon tea to end.
I will definitely come back for another afternoon tea experience. The Palm Court at The Plaza just exceeded every expectation of mine!Listed in: The Yelp 100 Challenge -
Review from Sean R.
- 115 friends
Gogeous and everything I expected. What a NYC treat right at the park -
Review from Mai han V.
- 7 friends
A little run down but still classic and charming. When we stayed there they were renovating the place so hopefully it's better now! -
Review from Al D.
- Elite '13
- 53 friends
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