They skipped the bells, whistles and champagne last September when JW Marriott took over management of the Essex House, the gracious 1931 tower overlooking Central Park and operated most recently by Dubai-based Jumierah Hotels.
Last night they made up for it. Read more
Be seated.
For years the lobby at the Belleclaire bothered me.
The Belleclaire was the W of its day, as cool as they came in 1903. Read more
Not-so-heavy metal, 1970s style.
North by Northwest, one of my favorite movies, was on television recently. Which got me thinking about the United Nations General Assembly Building, a magnificent international style classic just seven year old when the movie was released in 1959. Which got me thinking about the Millenium UN Plaza, the once-gleaming, twin-towered hotel designed by architect Kevin Roche and planted across the street from the United Nations in 1976. Read more
In the hidden room.
A suite is supposed to have more than one room, but what about a secret room? Read more
Louis Rigal murals — and a silver-leaf ceiling.
Less is more is rarely the first thought that leaps to mind when you enter the Park Avenue lobby of the Waldorf-Astoria. This massive expanse is one of the most superb examples of Art Deco design in town.
The deco is decorative – allegorical murals by French artist Louis Rigal, gilded ceiling reliefs of frolicking naiads and stags, a floor mosaic of the Wheel of Life made from 150,000 tiny tiles. Read more
They don’t hand out gold statues for Best Dressed Scaffolding. But if they did we’d vote for the courtyard at the New York Palace. Read more
A little more to the left . . .
Actually, the Belleclaire is getting an entire new lobby (and not a moment too soon).
But a chandelier this big commands more attention than a throw pillow. And we happened to stop by as it was being positioned into place. Read more
Leggy desk.
It takes a certain bravura for a hotel to name its rooms Spectacular, Fantastic and WOW.
W hotels have done this for over a decade, of course. Still, one person’s WOW is another’s meh. And what happens when age sets in, as it inevitably does? Nothing looks as forlorn as a trend-conscious hotel pushing ten without a facelift or, at the very least, fresh clothes and make-up. Read more
The spruced up Roger.
Roger Williams always seemed an oddball name for a New York City hotel, especially one with a breezy, modern air. We’re not in Rhode Island, after all. And just when I finally discover what’s behind the name, they go and change it. Read more
A few weeks ago, while the Algonquin was still closed for renovations, we passed by the hotel. The front door was open, so we walked in.
The lobby was a construction site. But looking beyond the drop cloths and ladders we saw what we’d always seen – dark wood-paneled walls, stoic wood columns and hand-painted sconces straight out of the Edwardian era. As we scampered out, a workman yelling that we didn’t belong there, we smiled. It was clear the Algonquin hadn’t gone minimal or modern or been reimagined by Philippe Starck. Maybe they’d even keep the cat. Read more