ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY OF A NEW YORK LANDMARK

The Plaza Hotel in New York, now managed by Fairmont, was the dream of financier Bernhard Beinecke, hotelier Fred Sterry and Harry Black, president of the Fuller Construction Company. The trio bought a 15-year-old property of the same name on the site and set about building a 19-storey edifice that became one of the most famous hotels in the world. Construction took two years, and no expense was spared. The largest single order in history for gold-encrusted china was placed with L Straus & Sons and no fewer than 1,650 crystal chandeliers were bought. Since it opened its doors it has changed hands a couple of times, played host to some very famous names and been the setting for classic films, from Cary Grant-starring North By Northwest to 2013 remake The Great Gatsby.

Today it is still a gem among the US hospitality industry and a night’s stay there with breakfast will cost around $825.

Timeline:

1883: Construction begins on the first Plaza Hotel on the former site of the New York Skating Club

1890: The first Plaza Hotel opens on October 1 1905: The first hotel is demolished to build a bigger Plaza

1907: The second Plaza Hotel opens at a cost of $12.5m on October 1

1943: Conrad Hilton and Atlas Corporation buy the Plaza for $7.4m

1964: UK pop group The Beatles arrive for a six-day stay 1988: Then-businessman Donald Trump acquires the hotel for $390m

2008: The Plaza reopens after a three-year refurbishment programme costing $450m and Fairmont takes over management of the establishment