The Plaza Hotel, Early 1900s NYC

Opened in 1907 at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, The Plaza Hotel quickly became one of the most prestigious addresses in New York. Designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the hotel embodied Beaux-Arts elegance with its ornate façade, grand ballrooms, and lavish public spaces. In the early 20th century, the Plaza symbolized Gilded Age wealth and high society; industrialists, politicians, European nobility, and cultural figures passed through its doors. The Palm Court became famous for afternoon tea, while the Grand Ballroom hosted elaborate dinners and charity galas that defined Manhattan’s social calendar. During the 1920s and 1930s, the hotel remained a center of glamour and influence, appearing in literature and popular culture and serving as both a residence and gathering place for the elite. Its prominence reflected New York’s rise as a global financial and cultural capital in the early 1900s.

Read more about the Plaza Hotel's History.