Long before it became one of New York’s most iconic destinations for champagne and celebration, The Champagne Bar began as a remarkably exclusive outdoor restaurant known as the Champagne Porch. Introduced with The Plaza Hotel’s opening in 1907, the seasonal venue occupied what is now the hotel’s Fifth Avenue entrance and featured just ten tables, […]

Some legacies are written in history books. Others are carried forward through the places, traditions, and enduring symbols that define a city. As The Plaza approaches its 119th anniversary on October 1, we find ourselves reflecting on the remarkable role the hotel has played in New York’s story since opening its doors in 1907. For […]

Some of The Plaza’s most memorable stories were never planned. On February 9, 1956, Marilyn Monroe arrived at the hotel alongside Laurence Olivier to promote their upcoming film, The Sleeping Prince, later released as The Prince and the Showgirl. The press conference, held in the space that is now The Terrace Room, was expected to […]

Behind the carved oak paneling and beneath its gilded ceiling, The Oak Room remains one of The Plaza’s most storied spaces. Since opening on January 13, 1945, the storied space has welcomed notable figures, creative visionaries, and generations of guests drawn to its distinctive atmosphere and remarkable character. Today, while The Oak Room serves as […]

Few symbols are as distinctly New York as the taxi. For more than a century, cabs have been woven into the fabric of city life. Less well known is the role The Plaza played in the story of their arrival. When The Plaza opened on October 1, 1907, it quickly became one of the city’s […]

Today marks the anniversary of A Hard Day’s Night, the film that captured The Beatles at the height of their meteoric rise and introduced audiences to the phenomenon that would define a generation. Months before the film’s release, Beatlemania arrived at The Plaza. In February 1964, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr […]

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we’re taking a closer look at the history behind one of New York City’s most storied corners. Long before The Plaza became an icon of New York hospitality, this corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South was already a place where people gathered, celebrated, and embraced the city’s […]