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Who Owns Hotel Chandler? Not Simon van Kempen

Where: 12 E 31st St [map], New York, NY, United States, 10016

Apparently, after Tuesday night's episode of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New York City" aired, some people have been claiming that Alex's hubby Simon van Kempen — whom we know as the General Manager of the Hotel Chandler in NYC — allowed himself to be introduced by someone as the owner of the Chandler. Knowing a thing or two about, um, the vast differences between owning and operating a hotel, we raised an eyebrow...and then we went digging.

Turns out: yeah, no. Simon does not, as we suspected, own the Hotel Chandler. He is the General Manager (and has been for quite some time), but the hotel belongs to a company called Triumph Hospitality (unless, that is, Triumph has not updated its website to reflect their latest portfolio in a long, long time). Triumph, spearheaded by a hotelier named Shimmie Horn, also owns the Iroquois New York, the Washington Jefferson Hotel and the Hotel Belleclaire.

The Chandler opened its doors in 2001 under the name Le Marquis; but in 2004, the hotel changed its name "following the amicable resolution of a dispute with another party."

Got any more info on the curiously secretive behind-the-scenes hierarchy at the Hotel Chandler? Let us know.