Name: The Plaza Hotel
Address: 768 Fifth Avenue, NY NY
Architect: Henry J Hardenbergh
Style: French Renaissance Revival
Description: The legendary Plaza Hotel of New York City, located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in Midtown Manhattan, officially opened its doors on October 1, 1907. Designed by architect Henry Hardenbergh in a lavish French Renaissance style, the 19 story structure replaced an earlier hotel on the same site and was built with no expense spared costing approximately $12 million at the time and furnished with 1,650 crystal chandeliers and a historic order of gold encrusted china from L Straus & Sons. From its early days, the Plaza was as much a residence as a hotel, hosting social, political, and cultural elites including Vanderbilt family members, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frank Lloyd Wright, the Beatles, and presidents and kings.
Over the decades, The Plaza has become an enduring symbol of Gilded Age opulence and cinematic glamour. It has appeared in numerous films, including Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, Home Alone 2, The Great Gatsby, and Plaza Suite… and inspired the beloved Eloise series of children’s books. The hotel was designated a New York City Landmark in 1969 and a National Historic Landmark in 1986, with interior spaces such as the Palm Court, Oak Room, Grand Ballroom, and Terrace Room granted landmark status in 2005. After closing in 2005 for a $450 million restoration and partial conversion into luxury condominiums, The Plaza reopened in stages by 2008, preserving its historic elegance while reintroducing contemporary luxury amenities and its legendary services.
Related Buildings:
The San Remo
The Dakota, New York NY
More Reading:
Murder! Scandal! Bankruptcy! The History of the Plaza Hotel
The Plaza Is A Nostalgic Look At The History Of New York’s Most Famous Hotel
What became of the first, short-lived Plaza Hotel