Tag: The Plaza Hotel View All Tags
Tags: The Plaza Hotel / Hotel News / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Events / Hotel Tours / → All Tags
Get Into The Plaza For Free With a New Architectural Tour
Still not keen to spring for a night at The Plaza Hotel despite our secret discount? There may still be a way into the grand dame without having to endure the painful silence of its Retail Collection: free architecture tours!
Beginning this week, the revered old property will launch twice-weekly public tours of its spaces, such as The Oak Room, The Palm Court and the Grand Ballroom, as well as peeks behind some closed doors. Led by architectural historian, author and teacher Francis Morrone, the 45-minute tours will happen Tuesdays and Saturdays at 3pm, and will be limited to 20 people who must reserve a spot by calling The Plaza Boutique at 212-588-8012.
As you can be sure we're all over this and itching to get our toes in those private spaces, expect a full tour report in the future. For now, however, we recommend giving them a ring to schedule your own Plaza spelunking.
[Photo: richdrogpa]
Tags: The Plaza Hotel / Snapshot / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel News / Hotel Shops / → All Tags
Business at The Plaza's Shops Does Not Appear to Be Booming
What was once the Palm Court Restaurant
This weekend, we were out and about in Manhattan when we decided to pop in and take a little peek at the Plaza Hotel to see how things were going. If you'll recall, we've been a little bit worried about how this New York icon's been faring since the post-renovation re-opening. We've seen the nightmarish rates, we've heard about the restaurant closings and chef replacements, the doorman left and the underground retail plaza is supposedly in trouble too.
But when we walked into the lobby, it was packed with tourists snapping photos. Surprisingly, the front desk area also seemed to be packed with guests checking in and out — which is a good sign.
The currently-closed Palm Court restaurant (pictured) is set up as an "exhibit" that, according to the sign by the resto, is "a cultural oasis amid the hustle and bustle of New York where one can come to contemplate the synergistic relationship between old and new." The sign also said that the restaurant will re-open, supposedly, in the "upcoming months" and in the meantime we're invited to spend an afternoon in the Plaza's Retail Collection. So we did.
Tags: The Plaza Hotel / Hotel News / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Shopping / → All Tags
Are the Retail Shops Going to Peace Out of The Plaza?
Good lord. It's getting exhausting counting up all the reported issues at the once-grand, now-faltering Plaza Hotel in Manhattan. First there was the overpriced re-opening, the unflattering reviews, the new full-time tenants totally unsatisfied with their living quarters for which they'd shelled out many a pretty penny. There were lawsuits, there were more lawsuits. Palm Court Restaurant bowed out, the exec chef at the Oak Room was replaced (perhaps those not-so-nice reviews had something to do with it). Even the freaking doorman jumped ship.
And now the very foundation of the building (er, the retail shops underneath it) — The Plaza Retail Collection — seems to be cracking up.
Tags: The Plaza Hotel / Refereeing Hotel Reviews / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Renovations / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Would Eloise Even Recognize the Plaza Anymore?
Okay people, what is going on at The Plaza? Since the iconic Manhattan hotel closed, underwent a major reno and reopened with more condos and out-of-control room rates, there have been some reports of some, er, challenges.
We thought we were being too hard on the Plaza when it first re-opened; we weren't exactly shy about talking about how the room rates were too high and, to us, things weren't looking too good on the inside. The first reviews after the reopening called the place "embalmed rather than enlivened," then some new full-time tenants of the building were not pleased with the conditions of their multi-million-dollar condos; there were lawsuits, then the developers were biting back. Mess.
Tags: Hotel Staff / Manhattan Hotels / The Plaza Hotel / → All Tags
After 40 Years, the Plaza's Longest-Serving Doorman Retires
If you've been a guest or resident at the iconic Plaza Hotel any time since 1963, you've surely encountered Ed Trinka, the gentleman who's spent the last 4 decades as the Plaza's Fifth Avenue doorman. Today, we bid farewell to him: today is his last day of work (on his 65th birthday) and, unlike any other hotel worker ever, he says, "I never had a bad day in all the years."
He spent 40 years at the fabled lodging's Fifth Avenue entrance, relocating to its doorway facing Central Park South during the property's renovation and partial conversion to condominiums.
Years ago, the hotel gave him a nametag that mistakenly read Edward, even though his full name is Edwin. He came to embrace the errant nametag, neglecting to correct people when they called him Edward and even naming his own son Edward.
Aw; we know, right? The hotel will say a proper goodbye to Trinka this afternoon: a champagne send-off in the Oak Room, where he'll be presented with a free stay at the hotel he's worked as since he was a teenager.
[Photo: Jason Kessler/CNN]
Tags: The Plaza Hotel / Hotel News / Manhattan Hotels / Las Vegas Hotels / Viva Vegas / Hotel Hype / → All Tags
The Plaza's Vegas-fied Cousin Gets the Green Light
The Plaza -- yes, that Plaza -- has been under so much stress lately: the $400 million dollar renovation and shift toward a more residential focus was one thing, but now there are lawsuits flying around over the exorbitantly-priced condos that turned out to be a lil' crappy. Plus, you know, people are already selling their brand new Plaza digs or people aren't really buying those condos at all.
Naturally, the Plaza kinda took a strategic approach to coping with such stressful times: they're goin' to Vegas. Word.
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
Our Publications:
Jaunted | HotelChatter | VegasChatter
