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THE PLAZA HOTEL RENOVATED luxe life lives again by James Gaddy, NYC & CO. All photos by Whitney Cox, except where noted
Photo: Jim Franco. The Plaza Hotel is nearly as famous for its fictional residents as its real ones.A portrait of Eloise, the children's book heroine brought to life by Persian Room lounge singer Kay Thompson, occupies a prime spot outside the Palm Court on the south promenade while photos of the Beatles and Marilyn Monroe get space in the back. And now, with the three year restoration by El-Ad Properties complete, the hotel that hosted both Truman Capote's "Party of the Century" and Donald Trump's wedding to Marla Maples is open to the public again Indeed, the original plans of the greatest designers and decorators in New York, such as Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, Warren & Wetmore and Alavoine, look like they just emerged from the Plaza's own Caudalie spa. Even if an overnight stay is not in the plan the Plaza's public space still feels like a million bucks whether you're having a glass of champagne in the lobby or a steak in the Oak Room where legend says that the frescoes inspired Walt Disney to build his own castle at Disneyland.The following tour of the public spaces leaves no doubt as to why the Plaza has earned the acclaimed status of national historic landmark—the only hotel in the City to own such a distinction.
Photo: Elena Michaels Hotel Lobby and Champagne Bar The most noticeable part of the renovation involves a completely new hotel lobby which has been moved from the north side of the hotel to the easternmost part of the building. The original lobby is now used for private residences. A small champagne bar pays homage to the champagne terrace that sat in the same spot when the hotel opened in 1907. Nearby, replicas of the lobby elevator doors from 59th Street serve as a subtle, elegant complement to the check-in desk and concierge which itself is surrounded by large mirrors, cream colored curtains, chandeliers and palm trees.
Hotel Foyer Rose Club As part of the new lobby the Rose Club occupies the mezzanine above the check-in desk and overlooks the new champagne bar. Designed by Gal Nauer, the club is inspired by the Opera Nationale in Paris. Crushed red velvet couches and leopard print pillows are bathed in purple lights encased in the ceiling like giant orbs. Behind the bartenders a three tiered case of top shelf liquor glows.
The Rose Club • Courtesy,The Plaza Palm Court Surrounded on three sides by a promenade and separated from the Terrace Room by the folding mirrored doors behind it, the Palm Court boasts the most immediately gratifying part of the restoration: the re-creation and installation of the stained glass ceiling. Former owner Conrad Hilton removed the original when he installed central air-conditioning. Botti Studio used a Hardenbergh sketch, black and white photos and shards of glass found during the cleanup to create the new design. The Palm Court remains closed for now, but management hopes to open for tea again before the end of the year.
The Palm Court Edwardian Room Try to count the number of permutations that the Edwardian Room has undergone—Prohibition era tea room, 1970s discotheque, Adam Tihany designed restaurant before finally being restored to its original condition: an English medieval cabin hall. It's a reminder that while the "lodge" aesthetic may be hip downtown the Plaza did it first and still does it best. Originally designed by William Baumgarten in 1907 the restored version accentuates the room's panoramic views of Fifth Avenue; intricately painted, exposed beams overhead and a beautiful, rarely seen mosaic floor. Management hopes to reopen the space soon.
The Edwardian Room Oak Room and Oak Bar A century's worth of smoke has been removed in the Oak Room revealing detailed carved wood that remains clearly defined even among the highest reaches of the restaurant's two storied ceiling. Designed by famed Parisian firm Alavoine & Co., the restaurant's interiors evoke a hilltop Rhineland castle where frescoes decorate the western wall like a picture window. Is it any surprise that Walt Disney himself lunched here? The Oak Bar, which was added to the hotel after Conrad Hilton bought the Plaza in 1945 and then made famous in the opening scene of Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, retains its reputation as one of the most romantic meeting spots in the City.
The Oak Bar Grand Ballroom The room that Truman Capote called "the most beautiful room in New York City" has been renewed with a top-tobottom cleaning that cost management $14 million by itself. A kitchen was also added.The extensive mirrors, cream and green colors, and gold incrustations are the clearest, most luxurious interpretation of the 1920s Gilded Age aesthetic. It's a room where fantasy and reality easily overlap. Truman Capote held his famed Black and White masked ball there in 1966, and 20 years later, Donald Trump chose it as the setting for his wedding to Marla Maples.
The Grand Ballroom Terrace Room The Terrace Room was added to the Plaza in 1921 and designed by Warren & Wetmore, the architects of Grand Central Station known for their impressive perspectives.The room is separated from the Palm Court by mirrored folding doors that, when opened, create a dramatic view from Grand Army Plaza through the Palm Court and up the terraced steps to one of the firm's trademark stone fountains. The chandeliers, designed by Charles Winston, whose brother Harry was the famed Fifth Avenue jeweler, were modeled on photographs of chandeliers from the Palace of Versailles while the hand painted Renaissance style vaults have undergone an amazing transformation now that the discolored shellac and grimy residue have been removed.
The Terrace Room
Photo: Elena Michaels Fountain The fountain immortalized by F. Scott Fitzgerald's impromptu swim (he also set scenes from The Great Gatsby in the hotel), located between Fifth Avenue and the hotel entrance, contributes a large part of the hotel's cachet. Donated with specific instructions from Joseph Pulitzer before he died, the fountain is part of Grand Army Plaza which was designed by Thomas Hastings who also built such Fifth Avenue icons as the Frick mansion and the New York Public Library.The statue in the fountain titled "Abundance" was designed by the sculptor Karl Bitter and was the last work he created before his death in 1915.
The Plaza Fountain • Photo: Julienne Schaer Shops at the Plaza A key part of the Plaza's restoration was adding 160,000 square feet of retail space. In the mezzanine across from the Rose Club, French bookseller Assouline features a wide range of art, photography, fashion and design editions while the subterranean Grand Concourse has dozens of shops offering luxury goods and delectable foodstuffs. You can buy suits from Seize sur Vingt, dinner plates from Rosenthal curated by Karl Lagerfeld and slices of Sachertorte at Demel Bakery. During Christmas the grand piano at the bottom of the escalator will serenade your gift buying with holiday carols.
Shops at the Plaza • Photo: Marley White
Photo: Elena Michaels |
