10065 Travel Guide
Movie Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Auction Hotels / → All Tags
The Plaza Athenee Hosts A Moment of Movie History
The Plaza Athenee proudly hosted one of Hollywood's oldest relics yesterday: Dorothy's ruby red slippers from the 1939 set of The Wizard of Oz. And we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of 'em. Skipping the accompanying Afternoon Tea ceremony, we headed straight to back of the hotel's dining room, Arabelle, to photograph the precious shoes, which were enclosed in a glass case, looking slightly faded but dazzling as ever.
Just like Obama's turkey that passed through DC two weeks ago, these babies were only in town on business as they made their way to the auction house. That's right—on December 16, the slippers will go up for auction with a starting price of (only) $2-$3 million.
Insane Hotel Packages / Manhattan Hotels / Plastic Surgery Hotels / → All Tags
Want To Get Treated Like A God At The Pierre? First, You Have To Get Plastic Surgery
Last summer, we told you about the Mad Men package at The Pierre—which mainly involved a bottle of champagne, a restaurant voucher and a couple of DVDs. This year, the five-star Central Park-facing hotel has gone for a much more....um, specific demographic.
Any room in the hotel can now be converted into a recovery room for post-op plastic surgery patients. While convalescing, guests receive 24-hour service, a private escort, and a dedicated "Life Stage Personal Enhancement Team"—their words, not ours. We admit, we've never undergone plastic surgery ourselves, though if you're considering it as an option, now might be a great time to start. Between personal escorts and in-room masseuses, you'll soon forget about those bandages altogether!
Hotel Crime / Hotel Housekeeping / Hotel News / Political Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Another Housekeeper in Danger; This Time at The Pierre
You would think that Dominique Strauss-Kahn would be a lesson for all pervy politicians with hotel-hopping habits but no, it seems not to have registered with at least one man of power.
Egyptian businessman Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar, the former chairman of Egypt's Bank of Alexandria, was arrested on Sunday for locking a housekeeper at the ritzy Pierre Hotel in his $900 a night suite and sexually assaulting her. From NBC New York:
Law enforcement officials tell NBC New York that when the maid arrived at room 1027 with three boxes of tissues, Omar answered the door wearing a "silk-type" garment and asked her to place them on a table near the bed.
According to law enforcement officials, Omar then grabbed the maid in a bear hug and began to kiss and fondle her, grabbing her breasts and rubbing against her.
She resisted and said "I'm not here for this," officials said. He then locked the door to prevent her from leaving, before asking for her phone number, according to officials. When she gave him a number, police said, he let her out of the room.
Summer Cocktails / Hotel Cocktails / Fashion's Night Out / Taj Hotels / → All Tags
Twist & Pout (And Drink The Cocktail) At The Pierre's Two E Bar
Who's thirsty? It's time for another installment of our Summer Cocktails series. All summer long we've been profiling fun new summer drinks served at hotels around the world, and even though summer is coming to a close you should still feel free to share your favorite hotel cocktail recipes with us. And, as always, @reply us when you're wasted!
Today's cocktail does double duty in that it's not just a Summer Cocktail, it's also part of Fashion's Night Out. This fancy beverage will be served up at The Pierre's Two E Bar/Lounge next Friday, September 10, when fashion fans are getting down at at FNO party from 6–11 p.m.
Hotel Restaurants / Manhattan Hotels / Luxury Hotels / → All Tags
Le Caprice at The Pierre Now Open to All
While exclusivity might be the name of the game for the Boom Boom Room downtown at The Standard, uptown at The Pierre that strategy hasn't fared so well for its Le Caprice restaurant, a London spin-off.
The New York Post reports the restaurants has now joined New York's Restaurant Week and is even open for reservations on OpenTable, a far cry from last December when nearly every night was blocked out with tables at the manager's discretion--meaning "not for you." The Post's Steve Cuozzo writes:
But last week, using Opentable.com, I found tables for four available at 8 p.m. at Le Caprice for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, and at 9 on Tuesday. Two of us walked in without a reservation Wednesday at 8:45 and were seated at a table for four within minutes. Diners in the gleaming room looked more “Jersey Shore” than St. James.
Hotel Spies / Manhattan Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags
Gracious Grandparental Living at The Plaza Athenee
Our very own hotel Agent Zero returns with yet another review. Her not-real name is Myra Ellen and she's our version of Alex Goran who travels once a week for business, usually along the Eastern seaboard. Every so often, she'll be dropping in with her latest hotel and travel observations. In this episode, she tries out a new hotel in Manhattan.
Sometimes in life, a night at your grandparents' house can make everything better. And if your grandparents' house happens to be the Plaza Athenee on the Upper East Side, you'd be extra lucky.
The hotel has nearly-completed an expansive renovation. (It looked like the last remaining construction is with the hotel spa, not that I had time for that on this trip, or seemingly ever.) It is a small-but-stately, gracious hotel that is as opposite of trendy as I can imagine. And on this occasion that was both good and welcome.
Hotel Restaurants / Celebrity Scoop / Taj Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
Anna, Martha and J.Lo Have Eaten at Le Caprice in The Pierre. Have You?
The official opening of Le Caprice in the Pierre Hotel was on Monday, but well before then a string of celebrities had already graced the deco-styled restaurant. As an outpost of the London Le Caprice, in the same stable as fellow London hotspots The Ivy and Annabel’s, the celeb contingent makes sense. Stars love nothing more than being first to try something, even if it does involve putting deliciously rich food in their mouths.
Anna Wintour threw a Vogue book party there, while J.Lo, Marc Anthony and Naomi Campbell dined with shoe god Christian Louboutin at the opening celebration. So far only renderings have been available of the black-and-white dining room, lined with David Bailey photographs—however we do note a heavy use of mirrored panels, which the A-list is sure to adore.
Hotel Cocktails / Fashion Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Bars / → All Tags
One Night Only: The Pierre Hotel's 'Fashion's Night Out' Cocktail
Looking to get drunk and then drop a lot—and we mean a lot—of money? Then The Pierre is the right hotel for you during New York's Fashion Week in mid-September. You see, on September 10, which is the eve of Fashion Week, stores and fashion designers throughout the city are throwing open their doors for a night of shopping specials and city-wide events.
Stores will have discounts, and a few luxury shops will have notable special happenings. For example, Chanel on 57th Street is having a design-your-own-bag studio. To get you all loose with your charge card, The Pierre has invited a cocktail specifically for Fashion's Night Out. It's called the "GinGin" and it's $14. It sounds pretty refreshing: fresh cucumber juice, fresh mint, Hendrick's gin, and Canton Ginger liqueur garnished with a cucumber wheel.
Hotel Restaurants / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Manhattan Hotels / Taj Hotels / → All Tags
Le Caprice Crosses Le Atlantic to Join The Pierre
Le Caprice, London
The latest news to come in about the Pierre: the quintessentially upper crust New York hotel is injecting a bit of British class. The restaurant formerly known as the Café Pierre is giving way to an offshoot of London’s swanky plated Le Caprice.
When it’s actually opening seems to be up in the air at the moment. The NYT says it’ll be in September, as the crowning glory to the hotel’s refurbishment. Le Caprice’s website, though, has it down for “late summer 2009.” We’re thinking it would be overly-hopeful to call September late summer – maybe July or August?
Hotel Opening Rates / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Taj Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / → All Tags
The Pierre NYC To Reopen With Hallucinatingly High Rates
New York's iconic Plaza Hotel may be having serious issues after renovation, but that isn't phasing the equally historic Pierre Hotel at all as it preps for a June 1 grand reopening. Situated on the Upper East Side amongst diamond dealers and ritzy boutiques, The Pierre is out to attract only those who can still afford the best of the best despite the recession. To prove this, they are making no deals with their room rates; expect $816 for a classic room and $1,640 for a suite--and those are the "early bird" specials!
Fashion Hotels / Manhattan Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags
The Lowell Brings Old-Fashioned Fireplace Lovin' Back to NYC
Don't worry, New York's classic Lowell Hotel is not running a Valentine's Day deal, but instead focusing on the idea of romance in New York City in late winter. In any case, it's a bit late to book anything for the dreaded V-Day at this point, so we turn to the unique features of The Lowell and their "Dinner and a Movie" package.
Popular Stories
Follow Us
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
Our Publications:
Jaunted | HotelChatter | VegasChatter
