Rising majestically at the southeastern edge of Central Park, The Plaza’s French Renaissance château-inspired façade has presided over Midtown Manhattan since 1907. The 18-storey Beaux-Arts masterpiece underwent a $450 million restoration in 2008, ensuring the hotel retained its Gilded Age splendour while integrating modern luxuries. 

Few hotels hold a place in Hollywood quite like The Plaza. Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘North by Northwest’ famously staged Cary Grant’s abduction at the legendary Oak Bar. With dark wood and old-world charm, the bar remains a frequent haunt of the world’s elite, offering classic cocktails in a sultry atmosphere.

The hotel’s iconic façade and grand lobby have graced the screens of ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, ‘Bride Wars’ and of course ‘Home Alone 2’ featuring none other than former Plaza owner – and current US President – Donald Trump. The Plaza playfully honours another iconic moment from the movie with a ‘Home Alone’ package, complete with a limousine ride around New York and its room service special, the ‘Home Alone Sundae’, a nod to Kevin’s extravagant room-service order. The hotel’s Palm Court, famous for its afternoon tea, remains one of New York’s most elegant gathering spots and is immortalised as a symbol of timeless grandeur both in literature and on screen thanks to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’.

The storytelling continues in the realm of musical history. In 1964, The Beatles checked in for their first visit to America, occupying an entire wing of the hotel and composing ‘Michelle’ within its storied walls. Jazz legends Miles Davis and Duke Ellington also found inspiration here, recording ‘Jazz at the Plaza Vol. I and II’ in the Persian Room.

Truman Capote famously held his Black and White Ball in the Grand Ballroom – a masked affair attended by Frank Sinatra, Andy Warhol and Rose Kennedy; it remains one of the most famous parties in history. And The Plaza’s above-and-beyond service is perhaps best illustrated by the visit of Princess Elisabeth Vilma Lwoff-Parlaghy of Russia, who, for five years, occupied 14 suites with a rather unusual entourage: cats, dogs, an owl, ibis, alligators, a small bear and lion cub.

Step into the storied elegance of The Plaza, New York, with exclusive VIP benefits available through ASMALLWORLD Collection.