Four Seasons Hotel New York
Encyclopedia
Four Seasons Hotel New York is a luxury
hotel in New York.
, a prominent American real estate developer, assembled 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of vacant property on 57th Street between Madison and Park Avenue. Robert H. Burns, founder of Regent International Hotels, approached Harunori Takahashi, owner of EIE International Corporation company to build a luxurious hotel on the property.
When the hotel was announced in January 1989, it was to have a main tower of 46 stories and a smaller tower of some 20 stories, with a total of 400 rooms. Completion was planned for late 1991. Construction was financed by a loan from a consortium of six Japanese banks, led by the Long-Term Credit Bank. The others were the Ashikaga Bank, Mitsubishi Trust and Banking Corporation, Mitsui Trust and Banking Company, Nippon Credit Bank, and Sumitomo Trust and Banking Company. The hotel was named Regent New York Hotel and managed by Regent International Hotels of Hong Kong, in which EIE International had a 30 percent interest.
When the Japanese real estate market imploded
in 1990, the hotel was sold to the Four Seasons group to recover from bad loans. Today, the hotel is owned by Ty Warner
Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. and operated by Four Seasons.
At 682 feet (208 m) tall and 52 stories, it is the tallest hotel in New York City
, the third tallest in the U.S., and the twenty-first tallest in the world. In 2007, the Four Seasons New York opened the Michelin
star restaurant: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
and Frank Williams
collaborated as the architects for the design of the Four Seasons Hotel. In 2004, in collaboration with Peter Marino, Pei came out of retirement to re-design the 52nd Penthouse Suite floor. This is especially significant since Peter Marino is known to refuse collaboration in any hotel or resort development projects.
I. M. Pei was also the responsible for the interiors of the public spaces in the hotel.
Luxury resorts
A luxury resort is an expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars. Luxury resorts often boast many visitor activities and attractions such as golf, watersports, spa and beauty facilities, skiing, natural ecology and tranquility. Because of the extent of...
hotel in New York.
Building
In the 1980s, William ZeckendorfWilliam Zeckendorf
William Zeckendorf, Sr. was a prominent American real estate developer. Through his development company Webb and Knapp – for which he began working in 1938 and which he purchased in 1949 – he developed a significant portion of the New York City urban landscape.-Career:Zeckendorf's...
, a prominent American real estate developer, assembled 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) of vacant property on 57th Street between Madison and Park Avenue. Robert H. Burns, founder of Regent International Hotels, approached Harunori Takahashi, owner of EIE International Corporation company to build a luxurious hotel on the property.
When the Japanese real estate market imploded
Japanese asset price bubble
The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991, in which real estate and stock prices were greatly inflated. The bubble's collapse lasted for more than a decade with stock prices initially bottoming in 2003, although they would descend even further amidst the global crisis in 2008. The...
in 1990, the hotel was sold to the Four Seasons group to recover from bad loans. Today, the hotel is owned by Ty Warner
Ty Warner
H. Ty Warner is an American toy manufacturer and businessman. He is chairman, CEO, sole owner and founder of Ty Inc., which manufactures and distributes Beanie Babies, Beanie Baby 2.0s, Ty Girlz, Pluffies , LI'L Ones, Beanie Boos and other plush items...
Hotels and Resorts, L.L.C. and operated by Four Seasons.
At 682 feet (208 m) tall and 52 stories, it is the tallest hotel in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the third tallest in the U.S., and the twenty-first tallest in the world. In 2007, the Four Seasons New York opened the Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
star restaurant: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.
Design
The hotel first achieved fame for its luxurious interiors. I. M. PeiI. M. Pei
Ieoh Ming Pei , commonly known as I. M. Pei, is a Chinese American architect, often called a master of modern architecture. Born in Canton, China and raised in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Pei drew inspiration at an early age from the gardens at Suzhou...
and Frank Williams
Frank Williams (architect)
Frank Williams was an American architect who worked as a lead architect on nearly 20 buildings in Manhattan, including Trump Palace Condominiums, 515 Park Avenue, and the W hotel in Times Square. Williams graduated from UC Berkeley in 1961, and received a masters from Harvard in 1965...
collaborated as the architects for the design of the Four Seasons Hotel. In 2004, in collaboration with Peter Marino, Pei came out of retirement to re-design the 52nd Penthouse Suite floor. This is especially significant since Peter Marino is known to refuse collaboration in any hotel or resort development projects.
I. M. Pei was also the responsible for the interiors of the public spaces in the hotel.
Awards
- The hotel maintained a spot on the Conde Nast TravelerCondé Nast TravelerCondé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
Gold List for ten consecutive years. . - Also the hotel has a reputation for appearing on both the AAA Five Diamond Award list and the Mobil Travel Guide Five Star list every year since its opening in 1994.