New York ยท Central Park South
The Plaza
Henry J. Hardenbergh's 1907 hotel facing Central Park, a National Historic Landmark where Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt was the first guest to sign in.
- Built
- 1907Built 1905-07 as a hotel to Henry J. Hardenbergh's design (LPC); opened October 1, 1907. Warren & Wetmore added a 58th Street addition in 1921.
- Style
- French Renaissance Revival
- Architect
- Henry J. Hardenbergh (1921 addition: Warren & Wetmore)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Rooms
- 282
- Area
- Central Park South
- Credentials
- National Historic Landmark; Local landmark; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
The current Plaza replaced an earlier 1883-90 hotel on the same Fifth Avenue site, which new owners Fred Sterry, Harry S. Black and Bernhard Beinecke largely took down to build a far larger hotel. Henry J. Hardenbergh designed the French chateau-style building, which opened on October 1, 1907, with Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt as the first guest to sign in. Conrad Hilton bought the hotel during World War II; later owners included Westin (1973) and Donald Trump, and El Ad Properties spent $450 million renovating it after buying it in 2004, converting part of the building to residences. Truman Capote’s Black and White Ball was held here, and Kay Thompson and Frank Lloyd Wright both lived in its suites.
Good to know
- Pets welcome
- Address: 768 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Things to do
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Sources (4)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.