by Suzanne Sharff
GET ACQUAINTED
The Plaza Hotel is to New York City like champagne is to caviar. The legendary duo completes each other like love and marriage. Anchored at 5th and Central Park South, its location is as iconic as its architecture and history. The property celebrated its 115th birthday in 2022 and continues to exemplify the pinnacle of sophistication, luxury, and romance while retaining a youthful spirit, undoubtedly inspired by its most celebrated guest, Eloise.
HERE’S THE SCOOP
Fifth Avenue’s five-star, grande dame houses divine celebratory spots such as The Champagne Bar, an opulent, marble-clad room brimming with specialty coffees, festive bubbly, gourmet fare, and the sultry sounds of live jazzy music. The Palm Court is the essence of the hotel’s storied history, with mentions in literary classics such as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Renovated by Thierry Despont in the spirit of renowned Central Park, The Palm Court and its unique decor and oval trellised bar is an enchanting destination to linger over breakfast, afternoon tea, or evening libations. Continue your celebration in one of the refined 282 guestrooms and suites filled with plush furnishings and, in my opinion, some of the most exquisite mosaic-tiled filled bathrooms I’ve ever encountered in the City.
BIG DAY DETAILS
What could be more glamorous than exchanging vows among the walls that have hosted famous designers, celebrities, dignitaries, and royals?
• Grand Ballroom – a landmark venue where the most lavish galas have played out over the years, including the “Black & White Ball,” once hosted annually by the controversial writer Truman Capote. CPS Events creates fantastical, storybook events in this stunning space that accommodates 500 for a seated dinner and up to 1,000 for cocktail hour.
• Terrace Room – an architectural treasure featuring crystal chandeliers in the likeness of those in the Palace of Versailles, designed by Charles Winston, brother of prominent jeweler Harry.
• Oak Room – for a more intimate affair where the power players once tippled among frescoes featuring Bavarian castles and where notable film director Alfred Hitchcock filmed a pivotal scene in the adrenaline-inducing North by Northwest.
NOTE TO SELF
Capture your big day at The Plaza Hotel’s entrance which played the backdrop in the wistfully gone wrong love story of Katie and Hubble in The Way We Were, starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Other notable films include the blockbuster holiday favorite Home Alone 2, Sleepless in Seattle, and Bride Wars. Of course, no movie will ever be as legendary or memorable as your wedding story at The Plaza Hotel.
