Kiwi Curated
The Famed and Historic Grand Dames of New York City
by Monika MarkovinovicNew York is a city of icons—the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, all those yellow cabs. But you haven’t truly experienced the city that never sleeps until you’ve checked-in to one of its iconic hotels. With the Big Apple slowly awakening, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and rediscovering the grand dames of the New York City hotel world.
The Famed and Historic Grand Dames of New York City
Since opening its doors in 1926, InterContinental New York Barclay has been intertwined with the city’s vibrant history. Originally part of Grand Central Terminal’s urban design plan, the hotel, flush with Federalist-style touches, was significant in the renaissance of Midtown East. It became a favorite among movie stars, dignitaries and the literary world, including author Ernest Hemingway who chose the hotel as his temporary residence while working on his novel For Whom the Bells Tolls.
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A cornerstone of New York City’s glamour and fame since its inception in 1930, The Pierre earned frequent patronage from fashion icons and silver screen superstars like Coco Chanel, Elizabeth Taylor, Andy Warhol and Audrey Hepburn, who lived at the hotel while shooting Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Initially modeled after Versailles, the 41-story marvel boasting neo-Georgian accents, marble floors and opulent halls played host to ultra-chic social events and high-profile galas, garnering The New York Times’ recognition as one of the city’s “most spectacular gathering spaces.” In 1981, the hotel was designated as a New York historic landmark by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.
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A haven of refined elegance created by John Jacob Astor IV in 1906, The Knickerbocker Hotel played host to the world’s biggest names in entertainment, politics and high society. Its iconic Beaux-Arts design, glamourous European luxury and welcoming American hospitality made it the place to be, while its legendary barroom became known as “The 42nd Street Country Club” where names like Rockefeller and Fitzgerald once gathered. Its arrival at the crossroads of 42nd Street and Broadway transformed Times Square into a tourist destination. But the onset of Prohibition marked the end for the hotel and its lavish parties. Open for just 15 years, the property closed and was converted into offices. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designed as a New York City landmark in 1988. Today, it is once again one of Manhattan’s premier luxury hotels.
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The Plaza Hotel has welcomed guests from around the world to Central Park South for more than 100 years. Once described as the greatest hotel in the world, the luxury respite has been one of New York’s most celebrated addresses since its debut in 1907. The most extravagant social affairs, as well as classic Hollywood films, have all used the legendary hotel as their setting. It’s where Truman Capote’s famous Black and White Ball (what some consider the most famous party in New York history) took place, and F. Scott Fitzgerald set part of The Great Gatsby here. It has been featured in a number of legendary movies, including Sleepless in Seattle and Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, and was even the first place The Beatles stayed at during their first visit to the United States.
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The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Clash—the legendary Gramercy Park Hotel was a stomping ground for some of rock and roll’s biggest names. Designed by Robert T. Lyons and constructed by famous developer brothers Bing and Bing, it opened its doors in 1925 and indeed has a legendary history. Humphrey Bogart got married on the hotel’s rooftop and Yankee legend Babe Ruth was a regular at the bar. In the Seventies, Blondie’s Debbie Harry lived in room 501, and in the Eighties, U2 were long-term guests.
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A Madison Avenue jewel that’s forever woven into the fabric of New York City, Lotte New York Palace is beloved by New Yorkers and visitors alike. What began as six neo-Italian Renaissance townhouses built in 1882, became a striking 55-story hotel called The Helmsley Palace Hotel which was completed in 1981 after the Archdiocese of New York, who owned the land, allowed for a tower to be built behind the building. The hotel was operated by developer Harry Helmsley’s wife until 1992. In 2015, it was renamed Lotte New York Palace.
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Since its 1930 debut, The Carlyle has been a New York institution, presiding over the city from Madison Avenue. Named after the popular and controversial essayist Thomas Carlyle, it has since played host to the famously discreet, including President John F. Kennedy and actress Marilyn Monroe. The hotel was the reported meeting place of the famed pair and Kennedy was said to have snuck Monroe through secret tunnels up to his 34th-floor suite after his 1961 inauguration (many referred to the hotel as “New York White House” within his administration). Designers such as Dorothy Draper and Thierry Despont assisted in decorating the rooms and suites, while Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans contributed the original murals on display in Bemelmans Bar.
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The St. Regis New York was founded by John Jacob Astor IV in 1904, a few years before he died aboard the Titanic. As one of Manhattan’s most alluring luxury hotels, the Beaux Arts-style hotel became a favorite of celebrities, such as John Lennon and Salvador Dali, as well as fictional icon James Bond. For cocktail connoisseurs, the King Cole Bar is said to be the birthplace of the Bloody Mary.
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