October 15, 2023

New York Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Hotel sits at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. It opened in 1907 and has been running ever since, through two world wars, the Depression, multiple owners, a three-year closure for renovations, and all the changes that happened to New York in between.

The building you see today is actually the second Plaza on that spot. The first one lasted fifteen years before three men — a financier named Bernhard Beinecke, a hotelier named Fred Sterry, and Harry S. Black from Fuller Construction — decided to tear it down and build something bigger. They spent $12 million, which was an enormous sum back then. Construction took twenty-seven months.

Henry Janeway Hardenbergh was the architect. He had already designed the Dakota apartment building on the Upper West Side, the one where John Lennon lived and was shot. Hardenbergh liked white brick and marble, and that's what he used for the Plaza's exterior. The hotel ordered 1,650 crystal chandeliers before opening.

Ownership Over the Years

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building a city landmark in 1969. In 2005, they added the main interior spaces — the Oak Bar, Palm Court, Grand Ballroom, lobbies — as interior landmarks.

The Palm Court

The Palm Court opened with the hotel in 1907. It was called the Tea Room back then. The name changed in the 1930s. The ceiling is a stained-glass dome, original from 1907.

Architect Thierry Despont redesigned the space in 2013. He added four palm trees, an oval bar, and trellis details. He said he was thinking of Central Park, trying to bring the feeling of the park indoors.

There's a dress code — no shorts, no athletic wear, no ripped jeans. People have been turned away at the door for not meeting it.

A server at the Palm Court mentioned that weekends and holidays get crowded, weekday mornings are quieter. Birthday celebrations are common. They'll give you a little crown but the staff won't sing.

Reservations require a credit card. Cancel within 72 hours and there's a $75 charge per person.

Eloise

Kay Thompson published a children's book called "Eloise" in 1955. The story follows a six-year-old girl who lives on the top floor of the Plaza with her nanny, a pug named Weenie, and a turtle named Skipperdee. Thompson was living at the Plaza when she wrote it. Hilary Knight did the illustrations.

The book sold nearly a million copies in ten years. Thompson and Knight wrote four sequels. A portrait of Eloise hangs in the hotel lobby. There's an Eloise Suite with pink and white decorations, Eloise-themed bedding and towels. The Palm Court has a children's tea menu named after the character.

In 1998, the American Library Association designated the Plaza a Literary Landmark because of the book.

Movies

Alfred Hitchcock shot "North by Northwest" at the Plaza in 1959. That was the first major film production to shoot on location at the hotel. Before that, Hollywood mostly built sets on soundstages.

Films shot at the Plaza after that include:

In "Home Alone 2" from 1992, Kevin stays at the Plaza and runs up a big bill at the Palm Court. That scene brought in a lot of tourists wanting to recreate it.

The hotel has turned down some productions. Others got permission with conditions attached.

Staying There Now

Fairmont Hotels has managed the Plaza since 1999. The owners are Sahara Group and Kingdom Holdings, which is based in Saudi Arabia.

Frank Lloyd Wright lived in Suite 223-225 for six years while he was working on the Guggenheim Museum. The Beatles stayed six days in February 1964. The Grand Ballroom hosts weddings and events.

Guests need to be 18 to check in alone. Dogs are allowed. Parking and valet available. Rates change with the season.