Plaza Hotel

Plaza Hotel
Seen from the corner of 5th Ave. and 58th St.
Map
Former namesWestin Plaza
Alternative namesThe Plaza
EtymologyGrand Army Plaza
General information
TypeLuxury hotel and condominiums
Architectural styleFrench Renaissance-inspired château style
Address768 Fifth Avenue
Manhattan, New York
Coordinates40°45′52″N 73°58′28″W / 40.7645°N 73.9744°W / 40.7645; -73.9744
Construction startedJuly 1, 1905
OpenedOctober 1, 1907
Renovated1919–1921 (annex), 1929, 1943–1945, 1964–1965, 2005–2008
Cost$12.5 million[i]
OwnerKatara Hospitality
ManagementFairmont Hotels and Resorts
Height251.92 ft (76.79 m)
Technical details
Floor count18[1]
Lifts/elevators11
Grounds53,772 sq ft (4,995.6 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Henry Janeway Hardenbergh (original)
Warren and Wetmore (annex)
DeveloperU.S. Realty Company
Main contractorGeorge A. Fuller Company
Other information
Number of rooms282 hotel rooms
181 condominiums
Public transit accessSubway: N, ​R, and ​W trains at Fifth Avenue–59th Street
Website
www.theplazany.com
Plaza Hotel
New York City Landmark No. 0265, 2174
Location768 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York
Built1907
ArchitectHenry J. Hardenbergh; Thomas Hastings, et al.
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals (château style)
NRHP reference No.78001878
NYSRHP No.06101.001804
NYCL No.0265, 2174
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 29, 1978[5]
Designated NHLJune 24, 1986[6]
Designated NYSRHPJune 23, 1980[2]
Designated NYCLDecember 9, 1969 (exterior)[3]
July 12, 2005 (interior)[4]

The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, and is between 58th Street and Central Park South (a.k.a. 59th Street), at the southeastern corner of Central Park. Its primary address is 768 Fifth Avenue, though the residential entrance is One Central Park South. Since 2018, the hotel has been owned by the Qatari firm Katara Hospitality.

The 18-story, French Renaissance-inspired château style building was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh. The facade is made of marble at the base, with white brick covering the upper stories, and is topped by a mansard roof. The ground floor contains the two primary lobbies, as well as a corridor connecting the large ground-floor restaurant spaces, including the Oak Room, the Oak Bar, the Edwardian Room, the Palm Court, and the Terrace Room. The upper stories contain the ballroom and a variety of residential condominiums, condo-hotel suites, and short-term hotel suites. At its peak, the Plaza Hotel had over 800 rooms. Following a renovation in 2008, the building has 282 hotel rooms and 181 condos.

A hotel of the same name was built from 1883 to 1890. The original hotel was replaced by the current structure from 1905 to 1907; Warren and Wetmore designed an expansion to the Plaza Hotel that was added from 1919 to 1921, and several major renovations were conducted through the rest of the 20th century. The Plaza Operating Company, which erected the current building, operated the hotel until 1943. Subsequently, it was sold to several owners during the remainder of the 20th century, including Conrad Hilton, A.M. Sonnabend, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Donald Trump, and a partnership of City Developments Limited and Al-Waleed bin Talal. The Plaza Hotel was renovated again after El Ad Properties purchased it in 2005, and the hotel was subsequently sold to Sahara India Pariwar in 2012 and then to Katara Hospitality in 2018. The hotel has been managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts since 2005.

Since its inception, the Plaza Hotel has become an icon of New York City, with numerous wealthy and famous guests. The restaurant spaces and ballrooms have hosted events such as balls, benefits, weddings, and press conferences. The hotel's design, as well as its location near Central Park, has generally received acclaim. In addition, the Plaza Hotel has appeared in numerous books and films. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the hotel's exterior and some of its interior spaces as city landmarks, and the building is also a National Historic Landmark. The hotel is also a member of Historic Hotels of America.


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  1. ^ "The Plaza Residences". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  2. ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYCL (1969) p. 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYCL p. 3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference nris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nhlsum was invoked but never defined (see the help page).