Hotels can be more than just a place to stay for a few nights. Many of them have stories to tell, reflected in their impressive lobbies, their restaurants, their hallways and elevators and of course in their rooms. In New York, a hundred hotels bear witness to a very interesting past.
The city has more than 700 hotels, some of them such as: the legendary Waldorf AstoriaThe church, consecrated in 1931, is currently being renovated. The “golden age” of New York hotels included the Plaza, which opened across from Central Park in 1904; to the Pennsylvania, which became one of the largest in the world with 2,000 rooms in 1919, or to the New York with its advanced technology in 1930.
The advent of mass tourism led to more and more hotels being built. For example, the 1963 Hilton New York, known for its functional design and large convention centers. Then the era of “boutique hotels” began, such as the more intimate and “designer” Hotel Morgans (1984).
Today, many of the city’s best hotels are housed in iconic buildings. An example of this is the Knickerbocker, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and declared a city historic landmark in 1988.
New York has more than 700 hotels of unparalleled quality. And with terraces with city views, like this one at the Z NYC Hotel on Long Island.
A selection of New York sizes
The page Travel and leisure has compiled a list of the ten most historic hotels in New York. Including the oldest one that is still active and several that hosted famous people in their rooms or were the setting for unforgettable films. Also the one that would have been the “cradle” of the original Bloody Mary.
1. The Plaza
The imposing facade of the Plaza Hotel at 5th Avenue and 59th, right in front of the beginning of Central Park./ Drew Angerer / Getty Images/ AFP.
It opened in 1907 and since then famous faces such as John Lennon, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Lloyd Wright have walked through its doors and appeared in several films including: Love Tune, Home Alone 2 or The Great Gatsbyto name just a few.
In 2008, a $450 million restoration restored it to all its glory. The exact address is 5th Avenue and 59th Street in New York. Its facade faces the source of Central Park. If you would like to know more, we recommend visiting their website.
2.The New York EDITION
New York, hotels. The New York EDITION with its watch on something./Image from the Atrapalo website.
It is housed in a clock tower originally built in 1909 as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
Today the building, which was the tallest in the world in 1913, is a 273-room luxury hotel with stunning views of the city skyline and Madison Square Park. It is located at 5 Madison Ave. If you would like to make a reservation or find out more, we recommend the website.
3.Lotte New York Palace
New York Hotels Lotte New York Palace Manhattan Image from the hotel website
The building was originally designed as a complex of townhouses in 1882 before the Archdiocese of New York, which owned the property, approved the construction of a tower behind the building in the mid-1970s.
It opened in 1980 as The Helmsley Palace. The new owners renamed it Lotte New York Palace in 2015. It is located at 455 Madison Ave. If you want to book the hotel or find out more about the hotel, you are recommended to search on its website.
4.Gramercy Park Hotel New York
New York Hotels Gramercy Park Hotel Own image of the New York Hotel
Popular with musicians, celebrities and politicians, it was built in 1925 on the site where Edith Wharton was born. Later, among others, Humphrey Bogart, John F. Kennedy, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Bob Marley were guests here.
The art collection includes works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. It is located on Lexington Ave. 2. For those who want to know more or make a reservation, we recommend visiting their website.
5.JW Marriott Essex House New York
New York Hotels JW Marriott Essex House New York Terrace Balcony Image – Hotel Official Website
Housed in a 1931 Art Deco building overlooking Central Park, it is one of America’s historic hotels.
It captures this history in its decoration with geometric carpets, silver leaf wall coverings and crystal chandeliers. It is located at 160 Central Park South. If you would like to know more or book, we recommend the website.
6. The Carlyle
New York Hotels The Carlyle Image from Tripadvisor travel site
It was completed in 1930 and has since welcomed numerous celebrities such as President Harry S. Truman, Princess Diana, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.
It is famous for its discretion and elegance. It’s located on 35 East. 76th St. For those who would like to make a reservation or find more information, we recommend their website.
7.The Pierre
New York hotels. The Pierre, A Taj Hotel is in an incredible location: at the birthplace of Central Park with its lake and enchanting forests./ View from Tripadvisor website.
It opened in 1930 in the context of the Great Depression (a crisis that shaped the United States and the world thereafter) and speakeasies.
His regular guests included Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn (who lived in the hotel during filming Breakfast at Diamonds), Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand and Andy Warhol. In 1981 it was declared a historical monument. It’s at 2 East. 61st St. If you want to book or are looking for more information, we recommend taking a look at their website.
8.Algonquin Hotel
New York, hotels. Algonquin Hotel Times Square./ Image from Booking.com website
This building was converted into a hotel in 1902 as short stays were more profitable.
The hotel became famous for hosting the Round tablea group of writers who met in 1919, including the magazine’s creator New Yorker.It is the oldest operating hotel in the city. It is located on 59 West. 44th St. For those wanting to book or find out more, we recommend their website.
9. The St. Regis New York
New York hotels. Another incredible place in the Big Apple: The St. Regis New York./ Image from the Tripadvisor website.
Founded in 1904 by John Jacob Astor IV, a few years before he died in the accident Titanic. Some claim that the original Bloody Mary was born here in the 1930s.
Among its famous guests is the incomparable Spanish painter Salvador Dalí. It is located on 2 East. 55th St. For those who want to book or find out more about the place, we recommend the website.
10. The Knickerbocker
New York hotels. The Knickerbocker, on 44th St./Image from Tripadvisor website.
Like the St. Regis, it was built in 1906 by John Jacob Astor IV and served as a party venue until the advent of Prohibition.
The property was converted into offices in 1920 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 was declared a New York City landmark in 1988. It reopened in 2015 as a luxury hotel. It is located at 6 Times Square, on the corner of 42nd Street and Broadway. To reserve or find out more, we recommend you visit the website.
New York has more than 700 hotels of unparalleled quality. And with terraces with city views, like this one at the Z NYC Hotel on Long Island.
The imposing facade of the Plaza Hotel at 5th Avenue and 59th, right in front of the beginning of Central Park./ Drew Angerer / Getty Images/ AFP.
New York, hotels. The New York EDITION with its watch on something./Image from the Atrapalo website.
New York Hotels Lotte New York Palace Manhattan Image from the hotel website
New York Hotels Gramercy Park Hotel Own image of the New York Hotel
New York Hotels JW Marriott Essex House New York Terrace Balcony Image – Hotel Official Website
New York Hotels The Carlyle Image from Tripadvisor travel site
New York hotels. The Pierre, A Taj Hotel is in an incredible location: at the birthplace of Central Park with its lake and enchanting forests./ View from Tripadvisor website.
New York, hotels. Algonquin Hotel Times Square./ Image from Booking.com website
New York hotels. Another incredible place in the Big Apple: The St. Regis New York./ Image from the Tripadvisor website.
New York hotels. The Knickerbocker, on 44th St./Image from Tripadvisor website.
