May 16, 2006

Gramercy Park Hotel to open in August, with keys

Ian Schrager is on track to reopen the Gramercy Park Hotel in August, including a perk that residents sometimes pay millions to acquire -- a key to the park.

All 185 hotel rooms and suites will come with a key* to use Manhattan's only private park, Gramercy Park, a representative for Ian Schrager Company told NewYorkology.

Room rates will start around $500 a night and will also include access to the roof terrace. The hotel will have a spa, two bars and a restaurant opening in the fall that will be run by Alan Yau, (he who "reinvented Chinese food in Britain.")

In its early heydey, the legendary hotel hosted the wedding of Humphrey Bogart and served as the home of the Kennedy family (including an 11-year-old, future President Kennedy.) The renovated hotel will share the historic building, and the hotel services, with Schrager's luxury condo development called 50 Gramercy Park North.

The hotel's web site, which has been up and down in recent days, is not yet booking reservations. The Gramercy Park Hotel is located at 2 Lexington Ave., map.

Related: history of the Gramercy Park neighborhood

*Update: After this item was posted, another hotel spokeswoman called NewYorkology to clarify that all hotel guests will have "access" to a park key through the conceirge. See details here:

Gramercy Park Hotel clarifies park key 'access'
Gramercy Park Hotel: plenty of private park keys

Earlier: NYC's best new hotels are co-tels - even Hard Rock
Ian Schrager's overhauled Gramercy Park Hotel plan

May 16, 2006 03:57 PM in Downtown, History, Hotelology

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