Thompson Central Park New York Hotel
| Thompson Central Park New York | |
|---|---|
 The hotel's main entrance, 56th Street | |
 | |
| Former names | Le Parker Meridien, Parker New York |
| General information | |
| Address | 119 West 56th Street |
| Town or city | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′51.9″N 73°58′42.5″W / 40.764417°N 73.978472°W |
| Opened | March 13, 1981[1] |
| Renovated | 2020–2022 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 42[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Philip Birnbaum[3] |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 587 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Thompson Central Park New York is a 587-room[4] hotel located at 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Located near Central Park, the 42-story hotel building houses restaurants, a gym, and other retailers.[2]
History
[edit]The hotel opened on March 13, 1981, as the Hotel Parker Meridien New York.[1] The hotel opened on Friday the thirteenth, a date considered lucky in France. Because the date is considered unlucky in the US, however, the actual grand opening celebration was held a week later, on Friday March 20, 1981. The hotel was developed by the New York-based Jack Parker Corporation and managed by Air France's Meridien Hotels division. In 1979, the New York City Department of City Planning gave Parker permission to construct a 40-story building, eight floors past the 32-story maximum for a building with that lot area, provided that the corporation add a public atrium. The hotel was later slightly renamed, becoming Le Parker Méridien New York. The atrium seating was removed in 1990, and subsequently restored after a "high-profile" campaign by the New York City Department of Buildings.[5] Under the Parker Corporation's management, Le Parker Meridien was one of the few luxury hotels in the city that accommodated wild animals as guests.[6] In 2012, the hotel's coffee bar was flooded with concrete following a construction accident at a neighboring building.[7]
The hotel, along with its sister Le Parker Méridien property in Palm Springs, left Le Méridien (by that point, a division of Starwood) in January 2018, and the hotel was renamed Parker New York Hotel. GFI Capital Resources Group and Elliott Management Corporation purchased the hotel for approximately $420 million in 2019. The companies planned a $100 million renovation, along with the conversion of a portion to private residences,[8] and the potential addition of 67 luxury condos atop the existing structure.[9][10] The hotel joined the Thompson Hotels division of Hyatt as Thompson Central Park New York on November 1, 2021.[11] In September 2024, Gencom bought the hotel for around $310 million.[12][13]
Facilities
[edit]
One of the hotel's restaurants is Burger Joint, a "speakeasy-style burger hut" behind the hotel's lobby curtain.[14] The restaurant opened in 2002 and has since expanded to other locations. Burger Joint was ranked number two in Eater New York's list of the "27 Top Burgers in NYC".[15] People often queue in the restaurant's entrance corridor, which is marked by a simple neon sign of a hamburger.[16]
Reception
[edit]Douglas Rogers of The Daily Telegraph rated the hotel 8 out of 10 and summarized, "At first glance this Midtown hotel seems like a nondescript commercial tower block, but once inside a myriad of resort-like treats await. Aside from sprawling guest rooms there's a barbershop, makeup salon, spa, rooftop pool and – the ultimate gem – world famous Burger Joint."[17] Parker New York ranked number 118 on U.S. News & World Report's list of "Best New York City Hotels".[18] Jessica Colley Clarke of Fodor's rated Le Parker Meridien as 4.5 out of 5 stars,[19] and Frommer's rated Parker New York 2 out of 3 stars.[20]
The Evening Standard's Lauren Keary included the Parker in her list of "best pools in NYC".[21] Lorna Parkes of The Independent described the hotel as "a Hyatt with subtle style" and a "secret burger joint".[22] The Daily Telegraph's Tracy Kaler included the Parker in her 2020 list of "8 fabulous family-friendly hotels in New York".[23]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "The city's newest luxury hotel, the Parker Meridian Hotel,... – UPI Archives". United Press International. March 13, 1981. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ a b Jelski, Christina (January 27, 2019). "The Parker sold, management changed". Travel Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Dunlap, David W. (November 28, 1996). "Philip Birnbaum, 89, Builder Celebrated for His Efficiency". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ "Thompson Central Park N.Y. Opens in Midtown Manhattan". Travel Agent Central. November 1, 2021.
- ^ Dunlap, David W. (August 25, 1993). "A Chair Is Still a Chair and a Deal Is Still a Deal; After a Three-Year Absence, Public Seating Is Restored to Le Parker Meridien Atrium". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Finkelstein, Katherine E. (December 27, 1999). "Hotel Guests With Fur, and Boas; A Few Select Places Will Let a Snake Curl Up in Style". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Harris, Elizabeth A. (April 18, 2012). "Neighbor's Wet Concrete Floods Hotel Cafe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Morris, Keiko (January 24, 2019). "Developer of Ace and NoMad Hotels Scoops Up Parker New York Hotel". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Cunningham, Cathy (February 5, 2019). "Allen Gross' $420M Bet on the Parker New York". Commercial Observer. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "The A-Word Comes to Billionaires' Row: Affordability". Habitat. February 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Thompson Central Park New York Hotel Opens". Hotel News Resource. November 1, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Cryan, Elizabeth (September 17, 2024). "Gencom pays $308M for Thompson Hotel in New York debut". The Real Deal. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ Coen, Andrew (September 17, 2024). "Gencom Closes $300M Buy of Thompson Central Park Hotel With $230M Loan". Commercial Observer. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Burger Joint | New York City, USA Restaurants". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "27 Top Burgers in NYC". Eater New York. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Marshall, Andrew (January 21, 2019). "Culinary tourism: 10 must-try dishes in 10 different countries". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ "Parker New York". The Daily Telegraph. July 22, 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Parker New York". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Le Parker Meridien Hotel Review". Fodor's. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Parker Hotel in New York City". Frommer's. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ Keary, Lauren (July 22, 2019). "Need to cool off? 11 of New York's best rooftop pools". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Parkes, Lorna (November 27, 2019). "Our guide to a Christmas fairytale in New York". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- ^ Kaler, Tracy (January 18, 2018). "8 fabulous family-friendly hotels in New York, from characterful suites to indoor adventure kits". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
