What happens when you check into a hotel that’s next to a construction site? I thought about this when I walked by the Franklin Hotel, an Upper East Side boutique, on a recent spring day. I hadn’t been by the hotel in a while and was astounded by what I saw. A futuristic 19-story glass-front […]
Everyone knows artist Grant Wood (1891-1942) for his iconic depiction of a deadpan Iowa farmer, pitchfork in hand, standing beside a stern, yellow-haired woman wearing an apron. But did you know that in 1932, just two years after he painted “American Gothic,” Wood created a series of murals portraying Iowa farm life for a hotel […]
If all goes as expected, The Plaza Hotel — overnight home to Christian Dior, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Beatles, backdrop to movies like North by Northwest and Crocodile Dundee and playground for the impish Eloise — is about to change hands once again for an eye-popping $600 million. It’s just not clear who the […]
April 22 is still Earth Day, even in a pandemic. And with 50 years under its eco-conscious belt, Earth Day 2020 is momentous even if it’s somewhat under the radar for obvious reasons. Looking ahead to a time when it’s safe to travel and New York City hotels once again throw open their doors, here’s […]
And to think they were destined for the dumpster. On Thursday night, an auction was held for 52 original doors from the Hotel Chelsea that were discarded when renovation began in 2012 and harvested by a resourceful former homeless man. And prices shot through the proverbial roof. To wild applause from bidders and onlookers in […]
At the stroke of midnight on July 31, 2011, the Hotel Chelsea, the outrageous, art-filled property that checked in legendary guests like Tennessee Williams, Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol and Madonna, closed its doors for a renovation that was supposed to last one year, an estimate that proved wildly optimistic. Nearly seven years on, the 1885 […]
We’re always happy to hear about new hotels, particularly innovative properties with unexpected amenities. Which brings us to the news release we received today that Ace hotels plans to open their first forest outpost in West Linn, Oregon. Billed as “an experiment in urban arcology,” the planned Ace Hotel Hobbit House is set to open […]
This year’s Academy Awards offer an added element of suspense: will they announce the correct Best Picture winner on the first try? If you want to be with a crowd when that happens — and for all the tears, theatrics, dresses and quips from Jimmy Kimmel unfolding beforehand — these New York City hotels are […]
When Blackstone Group sold the fabled Waldorf Astoria to a little-known Chinese insurer in 2014 for a record-breaking $1.95 billion, it looked like a done deal. But this week brought news that Blackstone is thinking about buying back the landmark Park Avenue hotel.
It’s dream time for dog lovers. On February 12 and 13, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show unfurls, and the world’s top dogs descend upon the city. You can buy a ticket to the big show at Madison Square Garden. Or you can save your money, hang out in the lobby of a hotel that […]