#253 - The Algonquin in NYC

Hosting Guests Since 1902

Don and I finally spent a night in this fabulous Manhattan hotel. The Algonquin has been hosting guests for 123 years.

I was feeling giddy as we headed to the iconic hotel, on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It had been a treat watching out the windows, while our Uber driver dealt with traffic stress. We arrived to see the hotel tucked away on a quiet Midtown block, just a short walk from Times Square.  
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​12-Story Hotel

It had been 22 years since we visited with our kids. I hoped The Algonquin wouldn't look worn or modernized. I hoped there would be no scaffolding or construction, hiding the limestone and brick.

I was delighted to see the 12-story hotel, looking as lovely as I remembered.​

Heading In

We were dropped in front of the etched doors.

I looked through the glass and tried to recall. The lobby seemed brighter than it did in 2003.

Sleeker

I remember the area near the front desk being dimly lit. Everything looked fresher and and newer.

I remember our teen kids being excited when they spotted the hotel cat, lounging on top of an old trunk.

For over a century, rescue cats have come to live at The Algonquin. The last 12 have either been named Matilda or Hamlet. There have been 8 Hamlets and the first evidently was given his name by actor John Barrymore. Barrymore was a hotel resident himself for a period. He also played the role of Hamlet in 1922. 
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Hamlet's House

I don't remember seeing this grand cat house, back in 2003.

As we checked in with Maria I asked about the house, as well as the cat door behind the desk.

Maria had to break the news that I wouldn't be spotting a cat during our stay. Hamlet XIII had recently moved on, but not to kitty heaven.

He was getting up in years and needed a quieter home. Before long the hotel will have a new furry resident. Always rescue kitties.
 
Hamlet's Residence

Maria pointed to a sitting area, just past the newspaper racks... which I remembered from before. 

I took a peek and enjoyed the cozy space, where the orange-striped Hamlet ruled, in recent years. Were the steps in the window, for Hamlet to climb?

​I spotted the prominent sign on another shelf. More steps and some round holes. I imagined Hamlet climbing through those circles, like a ghost cat walking through walls.

I noticed the cat bookends, too. I wish I'd taken a peek at those books.

I should have found a cozy chair and read a book, or scribbled some poems on  paper. After all, this hotel is now a National Literary Landmark.

I told Maria that the comfy library space looked a lot sleeker than I remembered. I was excited when I learned she was working at the hotel back then. (she looked way too young) She told me her daughter was just 3 then and the hotel staff had been like a family to her. She worked her way up to this position.  

Special Gift

The hotel was fairly quiet, so I was able to tell Maria about what I remembered from our brief visit years ago. I told her our 2 kids were now grown and feeling envious of our stay. I said maybe next year we'd return and bring the kids, spouses and 2 granddaughters with us! She smiled and disappeared.

Maria returned with a gift bag. Inside was a stuffed Hamlet cat and some bookmarks. She was sad that she only had one stuffed kitty left. No worries, because Don got on it. He found another on the internet, so we could gift both little girls.

Lobby

Before heading to our room, the grand piano caught my eye. I could just imagine some of the hotel's theatrical guests over the years, gathering around this piano (or another) with martinis and singing voices. 

The space where the piano sat, confused me a bit. If my memory is correct, this area was set up with dining tables and our family ate a Thanksgiving meal that didn't involve any turkey. The kids were a bit bummed out with the absence of the their usual favorites. I was pretty entertained as I watched some of the guests. At least 2 dined alone, with books. I guessed they were hotel residents.

​White and Bright

Looking towards the sitting area in the front of the hotel, I was drawn to the large window. I pictured our family sitting near that window, before we sat down to to dine. 

Maria confirmed that the lobby area had brightened a few years back. The oak paneled walls were refurbished and painted white. She admitted that some regular guests complain about the change.

Good and Bad

I could easily be one of those complainers... never wanting things to change. I remember loving the dim coziness.

But the light paint made it easier to appreciate the designs in the arch and ionic columns. The artwork featuring the original members of The Algonquin Round Table, was also easier to see.

Original Clock

I don't actually remember this gorgeous clock, but it's as old as the hotel. Hamlet used to sleep on top. How did he get up there?

I learned later that the clock must be wound daily. It would have been fun to have witnessed the daily routine.

Letters Written by Writers

I imagine some interesting letters have been dropped into this mailbox, in the past 123 years!

Numerous literary notables have been guests and residents. William Faulkner, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, James Thurber, Sinclair Lewis and Maya Angelou in more recent times. I'm sad I didn't at least mail a postcard!

Going Up!

After checking out the lobby, we took the elevator to the 8th floor.

I did take the stairs a few times, just for fun. How many shoes have climbed those steps and created dips in the marble?

The halls felt more cozy than glamorous. There were wonderful pieces of art. Lots of  vintage New Yorker covers, cartoons ands illustrations.

Dorothy Parker Message

I especially loved that each door had a quote. This great one is from poet/critic Dorothy Parker. She was the hotel's most iconic guest.

Parker was one of the founders of Agonquin's Round Table literary group. Pretty amazing for a woman in the 1920s. She also lived at the hotel. There are many who claim her ghost haunts the hotel. 

Our Room

Don and I were thrilled to book a room in this historic, well-located hotel, for under $300! We of course booked the cheapest room possible, but Maria kindly upgraded us to a King room.

We couldn't have been happier. I loved having a bigger bed.

I loved having a little NY themed artwork.

I even loved the odd shape of our room.

​Views

I loved the view of the cool staircase, through the open door. 

I can't say I loved the view from our window, but we were totally happy to have a quiet room that faced no streets.

The bathroom was fairly spacious for an old hotel. The window was nice for extra light and the small glass table top was helpful. Helpful bars? Glad we don't need those yet.

Enjoying the Lobby

​We only had one night to enjoy, so we headed down to the community spaces.

The cozy seating by the front window brought back memories.

The etched glass looked pretty from inside and out.

2003

This is the only photo I have of the evening when our family came to enjoy dinner, years ago. We had arrived early so we could do some people watching with some wine and cokes and nuts.

You can see the dark woodwork and heavy drapes. You can see Don's legs struggling with the low chair. If you look carefully you can see the brass bell on the table, that we could tap for service.

I sat down to pose for a photo, since I wasn't in the old one. I texted it to the kids. 

The table bell had been replaced with a more modern thing with a button. We decided to hold off a while on cocktails and go for some caffeine first. 

Al Hirschfeld's Round Table 

We sipped our coffee and chatted with a very pleasant server who was cleaning tables. I asked about the famous Round Table, where critics, writers and "wits" gathered regularly from 1919 to 1929. Al Hirschfeld's art from 1962 depicts the scene well. ​He was a longtime regular at the hotel. 

I asked the kind server if the Round Tabe still existed. He invited me to come have a look.

Men at the Table

I followed him past the Blue Bar and he pointed to the round table, where 3 men were happily engaged in conversation. They looked like they could be part of a 2025 version of The Vicious Circle group. However I'm guessing these guys were a lot friendlier than the participants who gathered daily around the table in the twenties.

I would have been way too intimidated to sit down with those witty characters, a century ago. Luckily these guys were very welcoming. They said they had no Dorothy Parker at their table, so I offered to take her spot for a moment. They said they'd been meeting regularly at the table since before the pandemic. Nearly as long as the original Vicious Circle group. 

Celebs of Long Ago

Don and I headed up the stairs to dress for dinner and made a stop when we spotted this sitting room.

I was tempted to try out the smaller piano, but I looked at photos instead.

​Ethel Barrymore looked very young and fancy, in her portrait.

James Thurber's pose with glasses, intrigued me. I read that he was associated with the Round Table group, but got annoyed with the sassy banter at times.

Blue Bar Since 1933

Don and I headed back down at 6:30 and stopped for a drink before heading out. The Algonquin's Blue Bar may look modern now, but it opened in 1933, at the end of Prohibition.

There was a nice crowd gathered, but we found 2 seats at the bar. (this photo was much later) 
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Hirschfeld

My eyes were drawn to the blue lighting. Especially on the illuminated screen.

There was an ever-changing slideshow of Al Hirschfeld's carcicatures.

It was fun being surrounded by the images I remember from childhood, in the New York Times.

My parents always got the Sunday Times. I didn't care about the news, but I always searched the Theatre Section, eager to spot one of Hirschfeld's drawings.

I didn't care that much about the Broadway show that was depicted, or the caricatures of famous stars. I cared about finding the name of his daughter NINA, hidden in the art! 

​Learning From the Menu

Even the bar menu was filled with Hirschfeld artwork. And some fun options, like a bottle of Dom Perignon for $495.

Some of the cocktail's names were fun.  Round Table, Matilda, Hamlet VIII.

I liked spotting some celeb faces. Jack Lemmon with a martini and cig!

Dorothy Parker peeking out of the Men's Room.

It says here that Dorothy Parker never paid her hotel bill!

Here's a fun quote! "Let's get our of these wet clothes and into a dry martini."

Cheers!

Our bartender Colas was wonderful. He'd been tending at the Blue Bar for over  30 years. 

When he gave Don his The Algonquin, (Dewer's whisky, dry vermouth & pineapple) I asked about his favorite celebrity sightings. He mentioned George Clooney and Leo DiCaprio. 

Nina

I struck up a conversation with the woman seated beside me. She was from Germany and had stayed at The Algonquin numerous times. We chatted about the hotel cats.

We swapped some hurricane stories. Turns out she'd lived in Houston for a while. When we exchanged names and contact info, I was excited to learn her name was Nina! She wasn't aware that her name was hidden in the numerous Hirschfeld caricatures that surrounded us!

​Location

Don and I headed off to dinner at 8:30 and found out just how conveniently located our hotel was. 

On our walk to dinner in Koreatown, we got to enjoy some festive holiday decorations.

We spotted the Empire State Building, Macy's windows and Bryant Park. I'm surprised we could even afford a hotel where we could walk to Times Square and Central Park!

Quiet After 11

We returned after 11. All was quiet in the bar and restaurant, on that Sunday night.

I snapped a photo to compare with an old Algonquin postcard I'd gotten on Ebay.

I'm not sure exactly where this photo was taken. But I love comparing the styles and colors.

Morning

The lobby was also quiet in the early morning.

I was sad we couldn't linger over coffee at the Round Table or in the comfy chairs beneath the Hirschfeld art.

I did have enough time to let Little Hamlet have a moment in the cat house.

I wish I'd gotten a photo of the bellman's face when he did a double take. He laughed and said he thought Hamlet had returned for a moment.
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What's Notable?

We couldn't have been happier with our brief stay! The staff was professional and friendly. Not a bit intimidating, as I somehow remember from 22 years ago.

The hotel was comfortable, classy and the location was perfect. The unique history was the icing on the cake. Oh how I wish my parents were alive to share their memories. I happen to know they have some!

​I can't wait to return!
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