Tag Archive for: Algonquin hotel

The Happiest, Merriest Holiday Decorations at New York City Hotels, 2021 Edition

Things aren’t quite normal yet, but New York City is back and so are its hotels, dressed to dazzle and lighting the way to a scintillating  holiday season — inside and out (some of the cleverest decorations adorn building exteriors).  Camera in hand, we captured 10 delectably decked halls, walls, even sidewalks at hotels all over Manhattan — and added a special guest property from California because who doesn’t love gingerbread houses?

Happy Holidays! Read more

The Happiest, Merriest Holiday Decorations at New York City Hotels, 2019 Edition

It’s cold outside. Dark, too. But an army of New York City hotels stands at the ready with an instant antidote to the gloom. Lights! Trees! Ornaments! Photo ops!

Whether it’s in response to the drumbeat of turbulent news or just a reflexive urge to be hospitable, the city’s hotels seem especially merry and bright this year. And that’s reason to cheer. So before the year’s up, take a few minutes to admire the choreographed exteriors, then duck into as many lobbies as you can. Or scroll down and drink in what we saw. Read more

Last Chance to Catch ‘The Hirschfeld Century’ at The Algonquin Hotel

If you find yourself in Algonquin country, ie West 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, between now and March 31, do yourself a favor and stop by the famed hotel. For the second time in two years, more than 30 characters hailing from Hollywood, Broadway and the hotel’s storied Round Table days gaze down from above the wood paneling in the lobby and in the adjoining Blue Bar. Read more

Celebrating the Iconic Line Art of Al Hirschfeld At The New-York Historical Society — And the Algonquin Hotel

Those who think in black and white are buzzing about the newly opened The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld at the New-York Historical Society. During his jaw-dropping 75 years as a New York Times linesman, Hirschfeld’s inimitable renderings captured the essence of his boldface subjects — actors, musicians, artists, dancers and other cultural denizens — with an added helping of wit. Not surprisingly, collectors clamored for his original drawings. A cool 100 of them are on view — a sly wink to the number of years he lived. Look for Ella Fitzgerald, Ringo Starr and Hirschfeld’s timeless self-portrait from 1985 for starters. Read more

One More Tete-a-Tete For The Fabled Vicious Circle At The Algonquin Hotel

Al Hirschfeld was never a member of the Vicious Circle, the storied gathering of writers, actors and wags who traded lunchtime barbs around a round table at the Algonquin Hotel. But it’s easy to imagine he might have been.

He knew the group’s acid-tongued members personally, including critic Alexander Woolcott, playwright Gerald S. Kaufman, New Yorker editor Harold Ross and serial quipper Dorothy Parker. Read more

A First Look at The Algonquin’s Refurbished Lobby

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

Matilda Meets the Marriott: The Algonquin Gets a New Partner

You’d never know it to look at them, but the Marriott Marquis, a brute, 1980s John  Portman behemoth, and the Algonquin, a demure, history-drenched Edwardian, share something besides easy proximity to Times Square. Read more