Plaza Hotel

A Peek Inside the Plaza Hotel in New York (with Video)

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Video

The Plaza Hotel recently reopened the newly renovated Palm Court.

Luxist recently sat down with Shane Krige, general manager of New York's famous Plaza Hotel, to discuss (see video below) and view the newly renovated landmark building across from New York's Central Park.

The hotel, which will celebrate its 103rd anniversary in October, underwent a complete restoration which cost more than $450 million. Every guest room was completely renovated and provide elegant accomodations inspired by the richly decorative style of Louis XV. Every guest bathroom is finished with inlaid earth stone mosaics in floral motifs and 24-carat gold plated faucets and accessories.

The Royal Plaza Suite, as seen in the video, is a magnificient three-bedroom, three-bathroom suite accessed by private elevator and located in a private area of the hotel overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. The exquisitely designed living room features a grand piano while the gracious dining room seats up to 12 guests. There's even a wood-paneled library stocked with titles hand-selected by Prosper Assouline, the founder of Assouline, the luxury book publisher. The state-of-the-art kitchen outfitted with Viking appliances is ideal for guests who travel with a personal chef.

As part of the restoration, the Palm Court was returned to its original design not seen for years. Its newly launched afternoon tea service is not to be missed. Known as the heart and soul of The Plaza, the Palm Court is a vast landmark space bordered by mirrored doors, fleur-de-peche marble columns and crowned with a domed yellow-and-green skylight. The $6.5 million restoration included the re-creation of the original 1,800 square foot stained-glass lay light that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The airy, romantic space within the legendary hotel is nothing short of breathtaking.

Tags: assouline, AssoulinePublishing, awards-main, luxist-awards, Plaza Hotel, Prosper Assouline, Shane Krige

Free Macarons on Macaron Day in New York City

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Free macarons on Macaron Day in New York.

Dubbed the "new cupcake" its time to celebrate macarons during the second annual Macaron Day, which will be held on Sunday, March 20. Many of the finest bakers and chocolatiers, including François Payard and La Maison du Chocolat, will be celebrating the occasion by giving away free macarons to their customers. In 2010, François Payard organized the first Macaron Day in New York City. Macaron Day coincides annually with Jour du Macaron in Paris.

On Macaron Day, stop by any participating shop to receive free samples of macarons, the famed French treats. Confirmed participants for thus far include, François Payard's FC Chocolate Bar at The Plaza Hotel and François Payard Bakery, Almondine Bakery (two locations in Brooklyn), Bisousciao. Macarons, Bouchon Bakery, Butterfield Market, Cannelle Patisserie (Queens), Desserts by Michael Allen (Brooklyn), Cours la Reine (Brooklyn), Desserts by Michael Allen (Brooklyn), Dessert Truck Works, Georgia's Café & Bakery, La Maison du Chocolat (three locations in Manhattan), La Renaissance Pâtisserie Française (Scarsdale, NY), Mad-Mac, and Macaron Café (2 locations in Manhattan). Participating locations will provide one macaron per customer, with quantities limited by location.

Gallery: Macaron Day NYC

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The Plaza in New York Offers iPads in all Guest Rooms and Suites (with Video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Plaza is offering iPads in each of its guest rooms and suites. The program, which launched in January, makes the landmark hotel on Central Park South the first hotel in the world to provide guests services and room controls using iPads and Intelity's ICE (Interactive Customer Experience) software to all of its guests.

The Plaza's iPads feature a multimedia video welcome and provide guests easy, touch screen access to control their entire hotel experience. At the touch of a screen, guests are able to order room service, make restaurant reservations, communicate directly with the concierge, request wake-up calls, explore NYC destination guides, and even check airline schedules and print boarding passes (which are promptly delivered to their room). Guests can even use the iPad to control the lights in their room as well as the heat and air conditioning systems.

"Before in the guest rooms, we had another digital panel that controlled the lights, the temperature and some guest services," Shane Krige, general manager of The Plaza explained to Luxist. "But it wasn't sophisticated enough for what we wanted to do. So we teamed up with Intelity to devise the software for the program."

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NYC & Company Announces Third Night Free Promotion at 16 Luxury Hotels

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

NYC & Co. Announces Third Night Free Promition at 16 Luxury Hotels including The St. Regis

Planning to visit New York this winter? If you're planning a trip between the dates of January 2 and March 7 and want to stay in a luxury hotel, here's how to get a third night for free.

NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, has announced that 16 hotels in The Signature Collection, a group of New York City's luxury hotels, will participate in The Signature Collection Third Night promotion this winter. From the St. Regis New York (as seen above) and The Plaza Hotel, to the Setai Fifth Avenue and The Chatwal New York (new participants this year), the participating hotels include some of the finest luxury hotels that Manhattan has to offer.

The program gives visitors a complimentary third night at participating hotels after they book and pay for two consecutive nights between January 2 and March 7, 2011. The Third Night program is being extended for a week this year, through March 7, to coincide with ART x NYC, a week filled with some of the biggest art events of the year, including The Armory Show and The Art Show, plus numerous gallery exhibitions, museum shows, tours and studio visits.

Detailed booking information for the winter promotion is available on NYC & Company's website; rooms can be booked directly through the participating hotels.

"This winter we want to encourage visitors and residents to get exceptional savings by taking advantage of the Third Night deal with many of our Signature Collection luxury hotels," says George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. "We are pleased to extend this year's program through March 7 to accommodate visitors who are in town for the week of events surrounding ART x NYC."

The 16 hotels participating in this winter's Third Night promotion include:

Tags: awards-main, ChatwalNewYork, Lowes Regency, luxist-awards, Mandarin Oriental New York, New York hotels, NYC Co., Plaza Hotel, St. REgis New York, The Carlyle, The London, The Peninsula, The Pierre, The Ritz-Carlton, The Setai Fifth Avenue, The Sherry Netherland, The St. Regis New York, travel promotions, Trump International Hotel Tower, Trump SoHo New York

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The Plaza Hotel's Oak Bar Wins Luxist's Editors' Choice Award (with Video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

The Plaza Hotel's Oak Bar wins the Luxist Awards Editor's choice award for best bar.

One evening at the Oak Bar in New York's Plaza Hotel, a patron noticed a diamond ring on the floor and alerted the manager. Remembering that a customer seated in the area had just departed, the manager called the room number on the bill. Within minutes the guest was downstairs to collect her ring-and promptly ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon for the manager as a token of thanks. "You don't understand," she said. "That ring is worth over $1 million."

Such is the aura of the Oak Bar, Luxist's Editors' Choice award winner for best in entertainment. Nestled in the northwest corner of the Plaza Hotel, the bar has been serving well-heeled guests-with a few extended breaks for prohibition and various renovations-for over a century.

Walk into the ancient room today and you'll find rich wood paneling surrounding sumptuous banquettes, vast murals of Central Park mirroring the actual park that sits on the other side of enormous picture windows, and on any given night a clientele whose collective wealth is likely enough to buy a medium-sized country.

Gallery: The Oak Room At The Plaza Hotel, New York

The Oak Bar in the Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel, New York

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Celebrity Chef Todd English to Host Cooking Demonstration at The Plaza Food Hall

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

On Thursday, November 18th Celebrity Chef Todd English will host a holiday-themed cooking demonstration at The Plaza Food Hall in the Concourse level of the Plaza Hotel in New York. The event will run from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Called "Happy Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres", the cooking demonstration and tasting will be free and open to the public. English will teach guests how to make festive appetizers for easy, elegant holiday entertaining, preparing Lobster Popovers, Plaza Food Hall Prime Rib Sliders and Chestnut Soup with Nantucket Bay Scallops.

A departure from the usual cocktail fare, these appetizers are unique and delicious while easy to make. Guests will have the opportunity to sample the hors d'oeuvres and take away recipes so that they may try their hand at making them at home.

Gallery: Todd English Food Hall

The Sushi Bar at The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

The Front Entrance of The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

The Noodle Bar at The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

The Ocean Grill at The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

The Pizza Station at The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English

Tags: awards-main, cooking, demonstration, luxist-awards, Plaza Hotel, recipes, The Plaza, The Plaza Food Hall, The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English, The Plaza Hotel, Todd English

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Classic Cocktail Recipes from the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Classic cocktail recpioes from the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has reinterpreted authentic cocktail culture for a new generation with a new Classic Cocktail Menu highlighting time-honored libations that are perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

For over 100 years, bartenders in many of the heritage brand's bars and lounges, from The Plaza hotel's Oak Bar (winner of the Luxist Awards' Readers Choice Award for Best Hotel Bar) to The Savoy in London, have helped invent, design, refine and serve drinks that can only be described as classic.

This fall's new menu will be whipped up by the best mixologists in the business, who have been extensively trained in the art of the cocktail. Taking inspiration from many classic cocktail eras, Fairmont's most famous recipes for delicious cocktails across the brand are available online. Expert bartenders have posted photos, tips and tricks for making lip-smacking libations that date from colonial times right up to the present. See the slideshow below for recipes for making your own classic cocktails at home and be sure to check out the video below in which Orlando Rivera, head bartender at The Plaza's Oak Bar talks to Luxist about how classic cocktails have made a comeback.

Gallery: Classic Cocktail Recipes from the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Tags: awards-main, classic cocktails, cocktail recipes, cocktails, entertainment-pedia, luxist-awards, main-pedia, Manhattan, Orlando Rivera, Plaza Hotel, recipes, sidecar, The Savoy

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The Newly Renovated Plaza Hotel (with Video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits

Luxist recently sat down with Shane Krige, general manager of the Plaza Hotel, to discuss (see video below) and view the newly renovated landmark building across from New York's Central Park. The hotel, which will celebrate its 103rd anniversary in October, underwent a complete restoration which cost upwards of $450 million.

As part of the restoration, the Palm Court was returned to its original design not seen for years. Its newly launched afternoon tea service is not to be missed. Known as the heart and soul of The Plaza, the Palm Court is a vast landmark space bordered by mirrored doors, fleur-de-peche marble columns and crowned with a domed yellow-and-green skylight. The $6.5 million restoration included the re-creation of the original 1,800 square foot stained-glass lay light that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The airy, romantic space within the legendary hotel is nothing short of breathtaking.

Tags: awards-main, luxist-awards, Palm Court, Plaza Hotel, Todd English

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Assouline: Designer Chic at the Plaza

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books, Luxury Shopping

Tucked away on the mezzanine level of New York's Plaza Hotel is a beauty of a boutique. Assouline,best-known for superb coffee table books that you actually want to read not just admire, is a treasure trove of art, design, fashion, and photography books. If you have ever wondered how Ralph Lauren, Donna Karen, and some 100 other top American designers live, new this fall from Assouline is American Fashion Designers at Home by Rima Suqi. Another stellar publication for fashionistas who yearn or own one of the best Swiss timepieces is Piaget by Franco Cologni. He documents why this Swiss watch company has maintained its pre-eminence since its founding in 1874.

Gallery: Assouline at The Plaza

Tags: assouline, AssoulinePublishing, fashion designers, house gifts, Marcel Proust, new york city real estate, new york city shopping, Oscar Niemeyer, plaza, plaza hotel, trend setters, wedding gifts

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Plaza Hotel Debuts the Eloise Suite Designed by Betsey Johnson

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Plaza Hotel Debuts the Eloise Suite Designed by Betsey Johnson

On August 16, The Plaza Hotel will debut its one-of-a-kind Eloise Suite, designed by celebrated fashion designer Betsey Johnson.

Johnson has designed an exclusive Eloise Suite that blends luxury and whimsy for a charmingly original result. It is Johnson's first-ever hotel collaboration. The suite channels the ebullient spirit of The Plaza's most famous "resident," Eloise, the precocious six-year-old in Kay Thompson's classic 1955 book, who lived with her Nanny, pet pug Weenie and turtle Skipperdee at The Plaza and had the unfettered run of the place.

"'I absolutely loooove The Plaza!' as Eloise would say," says Betsey Johnson. "Now I hope she says, 'I absolutely loooove my new room decorated by Betsey Johnson! She's so pink, so fun...neon, and stripes, and flowers, and yipes!!! ...petticoats, princess crowns, and even pink chandeliers! Ahhhh...absolutely home-sweet-home. Hey Eloise! Me and my grandkiddos want a sleepover with you real soon! Thanks to my absolutely most favorite hotel, The Plaza, for inviting me to decorate Eloise's room!"

Tags: Betsey Johnson, Eloise, Eloise Suite, Plaza Hotel

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Steve Wynn All In At The Plaza

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

Casino king Steve Wynn is doing a little high-profile buying in New York City. Josh Barbanel of the Wall Street Journal reports that Wynn has picked up a four-bedroom duplex condominium with a private elevator and a 24-foot-long terrace facing Central Park. The deal closed for around $23 million, slightly shy of the $24 million asking price. The WSJ article says that Wynn also bought all of the furnishings in the unit. It had been filled with custom-made Italian furniture built by Giorgetti by architect Gal Nauer who was responsible for the redesign of the Plaza's interior space. The nine-room apartment on the 20th floor of the Plaza has a circular staircase and a rooftop extension with a terrace facing Central Park. There is also a 27-foot-wide living room facing the park.

This penthouse has been a matter of some dispute. In 2007, the first prospective buyers of the apartment signed a contract to pay $31 million for the penthouse but when they toured the apartment in 2008 they were not pleased and filed court papers suing for their $6.2 million deposit. Court papers from that case disparaged the design of the unit referring to it as a "warren of dimly-lit and cheaply furnished rooms." A state judge dismissed the lawsuit last fall but the deposit is still in escrow pending appeal. "Unsold and unsellable" said a complaint filed in March and yet here we are in July and it is in fact sold. Should the owner, El-Ad Properties, manage to keep the $6.2 million deposit and Wynn's money, it would have pretty close to the amount of the original 2007 deal.

Wynn, who also owns homes in Sun Valley, Idaho and Las Vegas. He previously owned a unit at 820 Fifth Avenue which hit the market last year for $25 million.

Tags: new york city real estate, new york real estate, plaza hotel, steve wynn

Oak Bar Creates Mel Gibson Cocktail

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Want a drink that just might be a career-ender? Meet the Mel Gibson. The Plaza Hotels's Oak Bar in the Oak Room, a recent Luxist Awards winner for best hotel bar, has come up with one whopper of a drink. The Mel Gibson is a "bi-polar cocktail" that is a stomach-churning blend of Van Gogh vodka, Bols Genever Gin, Vermouth, club soda, and cocktail onion juice. The drink sells for $19 enough to elicit a rant perhaps from even the most mild-mannered drinker.

[via Black Book]

Tags: cocktail, mel gibson, oak bar, oak room, plaza hotel

The Plaza Hotel's Palm Court Opens for Afternoon Tea Service

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

As part of the Plaza Hotel's $450 million, three year restoration, the Palm Court has reopened and its newly launched afternoon tea service is not to be missed.

Known as the heart and soul of The Plaza, the Palm Court is a vast landmark space bordered by mirrored doors, fleur-de-peche marble columns and crowned with a domed yellow-and-green skylight. A recently completed restoration returned the room to its original design not seen for over fifty years. The $6.5 million restoration included the re-creation of the original 1,800 square foot stained-glass lay light that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. It was covered up in the 1950s and not exposed until the renovation brought it back to life. The Palm Court's renovation also introduced new lighting and furnishings. The airy, romantic space within the legendary hotel is nothing short of breathtaking.

Tags: Afternoon Tea, awards-main, luxist-awards, Manhattan, New York City, Palm Court, Plaza Hotel, Tea

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Todd English's Food Hall Opens at the Plaza Hotel

by Amy Cortese (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Todd English and his executive chef, Mike Suppa, pose with the catch of the day at the Food Hall's Ocean Grill.

Central Park South is about to get some European flair with the opening this Friday of The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English. Part market, part restaurant, it is inspired by colorful European markets such as the San Lorenzo Mercato Centrale in Florence and the food hall at Harrod's in London. It's also the first of an influx of European-style food emporiums about to invade New York.

On a sultry, pre-Memorial day evening, chef and restaurateur Todd English offered up a sneak peek of the new venue, which is located on the concourse level of the Plaza Hotel. Let's just say, Eloise never had it so good.

Tags: plaza food hall, plaza hotel, todd english

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The Oak Bar Wins the Luxist Awards Readers' Choice Award for Best Hotel Bar

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Plaza Hotel's Oak Bar wins the Luxist Awards readers' choice award for best hotel bar.

The Oak Bar in The Oak Room, a New York landmark and iconic meeting spot is the winner of the Luxist Award for Best Hotel bar.

Located on the first floor of New York's fabled landmark, The Plaza Hotel, The Oak Bar is one of the most romantic meeting spots in Manhattan. The Oak Bar serves as an informal gathering place for New York's luminaries, with distinctive cocktails and a separate bar menu along with the classic view of Central Park South from its windows.

Bringing old-world glamour to the 21st century, The Oak Room was originally designed by Henry Hardenbergh in 1907 as a bar for men only. It closed during Prohibition and re-opened in 1934 as a full service restaurant. The Oak Room is known for its detailed wood-paneled walls and barrel-vaulted ceiling. The three carved niches feature beautiful murals of German feudal castles with one mural featuring the former Cornelius Vanderbilt II mansion, which is now the location of luxury goods department store, Bergdorf Goodman.

Gallery: The Oak Room At The Plaza Hotel, New York

Tags: awards-main, best hotel bar, cocktail lounge, hotel bar, Luxist-awards, Oak Bar, Oak Room, Plaza Hotel, winners-entertainment

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