Algonquin, New York, United States
Hotel Overview
The Algonquin is New York's oldest operating hotel, opened in 1902. It's best known for hosting Dorothy Parker's Round Table lunch club, which drew in '20s literary greats for a decade. Still a hotspot for artists, writers and actors, The Algonquin is historic without being dated: Kindles are available to guests as well as free Wi-Fi.
The facilities
The '20s and '30s-styled Oak Room holds reservation-only evenings that combine dinner and cabaret - Harry Connick jnr, Diana Krall and Jamie Cullum have launched their careers here. A special Jazz Brunch is held on Sunday.
Dine at the Round Table restaurant, and move on to Blue Bar - which comes reccomended by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter. Elsewhere, a lobby lounge serves snacks, cocktails and teas, and a gym is open to help you work off the excess(!)
The rooms
There's a few historic gems amoung the 174 rooms - Noel Coward's favoured suite was named after him in 2005, and Lerner's Suite was the site where My Fair Lady was written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.
Rooms are modern and luxurious, with flatscreen TVs and 350-thread-count sheets. Groups and Families should check in to the Premiere Suite, which has two bedrooms, a 42" TV and deep soaking tubs in the bathrooms.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Who stays here?
Historic guests - to name but a few- include Jackie O, Gertrude Stein, Orson Welles and Noel Coward. Anthony Hopkins, Tom Stoppard and Diana Rigg have stayed in recent times.
Come for...
- Cabaret in the Oak Room
- A Kindle with your favourite book loaded on it
- Indulging your literary-loving side
Not Suitable for...
- Avoiding artsy types (if you so desire)
Children
Cots are available.
Eating in
The Oak Room offers suppers and jazz, while the Round Table restaurant serves up retro dishes inspired by Algonquin's past menus.
The Press Say
"The hotel has remained synonymous with literary greats." The Guardian 07