The key facts

  • The Plaza will close in January 2027, and the facade restoration will take at least four years.
  • The hotel is among the 288 properties of Historic Hotels of America selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  • Management cites heritage preservation requirements and the safety of guests, staff, and the community.

A Four-Year Closure

The Plaza hotel, for more than a century one of the iconic landmarks of Fifth Avenue in New York, will close to guests in January 2027. The reason will be a large-scale facade restoration which, according to Euronews, will take at least four years.

Statement from Management

In an official statement, the hotel's management noted that the project reflects the complexity of maintaining a property of such significant architectural and historical value: heritage preservation requirements, long-term care of the building, as well as the safety of guests, staff, and the local community are taken into account. According to the management, the scale and complexity of the facade works require detailed planning, coordination with stakeholders, and strict compliance with historic preservation regulations.

Historic Status

The Plaza is included in the list of Historic Hotels of America and is one of only 288 properties selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States.

History and Cultural Heritage

The hotel, styled after a château of the French Renaissance, opened in 1907 and quickly became a city symbol. It is mentioned in the novel "The Great Gatsby" and serves as the setting for the series of books about Eloise. The films "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (with a cameo appearance by Donald Trump, who owned the hotel at the time), "Crocodile Dundee," and "Sleepless in Seattle" were shot at the hotel. Among the famous guests from the earliest days were The Beatles, Liza Minnelli, and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The traditional afternoon tea at The Palm Court, according to the publication, remains a must-do item on the itinerary for many tourists in New York.