You Won't Be Hearing From This Algonquin Piano Anytime Soon
I spy with my little eye...
It was another midtown wander that brought us to this hidden gem—a Weber baby grand piano tucked away on the second floor of the Algonquin. Accessible via elevator or staircase (the tiny marble steps made us feel like we were in a hobbit hotel), this quaint "second" lobby is where you can find the bathrooms, a coffee station, and the conference rooms. Also a good alternative in case you're allergic to cats.
This isn't to be confused with the piano in the Oak Room, which we reverently included in our list of awesome hotel lounge acts. Barbara Carroll can't have all of the Algonquin's ivories to herself, but it's somehow fitting that the 109-year-old hotel should keep two pianos on hand (at least that we've counted). So why is this one looking so lonely?
As its location suggests, this piano doesn't get much use anymore, though staff member Yvette recalls its previous heyday in the Algonquin's historic lobby:
"There was a time when someone came to the lobby during the week and played light background music on the piano. Eventually, about two or three years ago, they did away with that. Some people—especially the older crowd—do call and ask about the live piano music once in a while."
Guess music-lovers will have to cross the street to the nearby Royalton to get their fix.
[iPhone Photo: HotelChatter]
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