New York's Plaza Hotel turning into condos
 

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I found this out when I tried to reserve a room at the Plaza for when I take my daughters to American Girl Place in May. :(

It's so sad! The Plaza is a beautiful old hotel; and a venerable NY landmark.

That makes me sad because I never got to have a drink in the Palm Court. So maybe I should just buy a condo there LOLOL.:p

C'mon, I'll meet you up there! :) Then we'll hit the shopping on Madison and Fifth Aves. Woo hoo! :D

Let's Go!!

Take me! Take me!

As many times as I've been in NYC, I've never done lunch or drinks at the Plaza!!

I've always said that I want my wedding there. Now it's definitely not going to happen. :(

Not like it was going to happen anyway but I can dream.....

Everything changes in NYC. Sign of the Dove, the Russian Tea Room, and Lutece are closed. Now the Plaza is changing. At least it's not being knocked down. So is the Plaza closed for renovations now? If not, I'll stop by and have a drink.

There are hundreds of people protesting these changes.

when I was visiting some close family friends in northern NJ a few years ago, we went into NYC for the day and had lunch and drinks at the Plaza. It was so nice.

Damn, thats disappointing. I used to meet my Dad for drinks in the Oak bar and my Mom for Champagne and tea sandwiches in the Palm Court. One of my favorite restaurants was the Oak Room which had great Chefs, world class atmosphere, and fantastic food. I haven't been to the Plaza for over a year and it looks as though I have lost the opportunity.

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Late breaking news. I just saw a story on TV that explained about the conversion of the Plaza to condos and said that the Lobby, including the Palm Court and the Oak Bar would be retained unchanged, and that the Oak Room would probably be retained as well.

Well, that's more like it!! If I get there this summer, maybe I can visit after all.

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OK, tell me when you plan to be there and I'll try to arrange to be in the City then. Meet you in the Palm Court? Veuve Cliquot sound good? Any GC Plaza fans interested?
Actually, I'm very much hoping that I will be able to be in the City then as it looks like I might be back in the "Green Suit" soon after graduation next month. I am hoping to stick around long enough to sit the bar exam before Uncle Sam calls me back, but there are no guarantees. Since I had a command the last time around I will probably get stuck in a staff job. A tad bit safer, but...
So, here's to Champagne and a delayed reporting date.

My company is doing a strategic alliance with a NJ company (just across the river), and I will officially be working for the new guys, although still here in Denver.

I'm hoping that I'll have more trips to NY.

When I worked for NBC and then TCI, I used to get to The City fairly often -- and I miss it.

Mrs. DA and I had desert and drinks at the Plaza a few years ago.

Tres elegent.

The Plaza is the only building in New York, not designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, that the master architect loved.

If you came here to NYC this summer, we can go to the Plaza, sip champagne, and tell funny stories. It will be fun! :D

Everyone is invited! :)

That's sad. I had brunch at Palm Court last November - it was lovely. :(

Veuve huh? Big spender over here.

-Rudey

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Under the new deal, 348 hotel rooms and the Grand Ballroom, Palm Court, Oak Room and Oak Bar will remain open.

Plaza Hotel revamp curtailed
Friday, April 15, 2005 Posted: 11:44 AM EDT (1544 GMT)


NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The planned renovation of Manhattan's famed Plaza Hotel, which raised howls among New Yorkers enamored with its history, will be sharply curtailed under a compromise with new owners unveiled on Thursday by the city's mayor.

For nearly a century, the Plaza has received celebrities, diplomats and the very wealthy. It was a hangout for literary giants like Ernest Hemingway and Dorothy Parker, and was the home of precocious children's book character Eloise.

New owners Elad Properties had planned to convert it largely to shops and apartments, but in a deal brokered by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the company will now retain almost half the hotel rooms and its lavish public spaces.

The tentative deal between Elad and union workers will save at least 350 of 900 jobs at the hotel that overlooks Central Park, the mayor said.

Israel-based Elad bought The Plaza last year for $675 million and planned to spend $350 million to put in shops, sell condominiums and close all but 150 of its 805 rooms.

Under terms of the deal, the Plaza will close for renovations for up to two years. When it reopens, it will have 348 hotel rooms and its Grand Ballroom, Palm Court, Oak Room and Oak Bar will remain open.

It will have 150 condominium housing units and small retail sites on its lower floors.

Elad's plans had raised a chorus of objections from New Yorkers who held weddings and bar mitzvahs there and frequented its bars to relax with a drink.

Around the world, children know it as the home of Eloise, the heroine of children's fiction who roller-skates through its halls and irks its stodgy guests.

"I'm elated," said Joseph Lamont, a Plaza bellman for 17 years. "The children and families really love this hotel.'"

Elad and the union bargained for five days, ending their talks early on Thursday, the union said.

"This is a result that truly is a victory for everyone. The ownership is truly delighted," said Lloyd Kaplan, spokesman for Elad.



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