- The Iroquois New York
- ("the iroquois" "hotel" or "iroquois hotel" or "hotel iroquois" or "Iroquois" "44th" or "Iroquois" "forty-fourth" or "49 west 44th" or "49 w. 44th" or "49 west forty-fourth" or "49 w. forty-fourth") and "new york" NOT ("display ad" OR "classified ad" OR "advertisement" OR "arrival of buyers")
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/The_Iroquois_New_York_2020_jeh.jpg/220px-The_Iroquois_New_York_2020_jeh.jpg)
The Iroquois Hotel New York is located at 49 West 44th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is one of six hotels owned by Shimmie Horn and Gerald Barad under the Triumph Hotels brand.[1][2] The hotel is part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World,[3] a European-based referral service that sets standards for furnishings and service.[2]
Site
editThe Iroquois Hotel is on 49 West 44th Street, on the north sidewalk between Sixth Avenue and Fifth Avenue, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.[4][5] The rectangular land lot covers 9,221 sq ft (856.7 m2), with a frontage of 91.83 ft (27.99 m) on 44th Street and a depth of 100.42 ft (31 m).[5] On the same block, the Algonquin Hotel is to the west, while the New York Yacht Club Building, the Sofitel New York Hotel, and the Harvard Club of New York City building are to the east.[5][6] Other nearby buildings include the Belasco Theatre to the west; Americas Tower to the northwest; 1166 Avenue of the Americas to the north; the New York City Bar Association Building and the Royalton Hotel to the south; and the Penn Club of New York Building, General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, and Hotel Mansfield to the southeast.[5]
The adjacent block of 44th Street is known as Club Row, which contains several clubhouses.[7] When the hotel was developed in 1900, the area was filled with clubhouses, including those of the Harvard Club, Yale Club, New York Yacht Club, New York City Bar Association, and Century Association.[8][9] Prior to the development of the Iroquois Hotel, the neighborhood contained a slaughterhouse, stables for stagecoach horses, and a train yard for the elevated Sixth Avenue Line.[10] There were historically many stagecoach stables on 43rd and 44th Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues,[11] but only a few of these stables remained at the end of the 20th century,[10][11] including the Iroquois Hotel's stable.[12] The Iroquois is also one of six hotels on 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, the largest concentration of hotels on a single block in New York City during the early 21st century.[13]
Architecture
editThe hotel was designed by Harry Mulliken from the architectural firm Mulliken & Moeller.[14] The hotel consists of the 12-story main building, as well as a two-story annex to the east.[12] The annex was erected as a stable in 1865 by Benjamin Jones and Andrew Luke, who erected three additional stables between 43 and 49 West 44th Street.[11]
By 1999, the Iroquois had 105 guestrooms and nine suites, each of which had European fabrics, marble bathrooms, three telephone lines, and individual thermostats and telephones. The lobby contains polished-stone walls and a central grandfather clock; it formerly had a chrome-and-glass barber shop, which was replaced in 1999 with a library. On the third floor, there is a health club facing 44th Street, which occupies a space the size of a suite. On each story is a maid's room, as well as a room for disabled guests. In addition, six of the hotel's 12 guestroom floors are designated as non-smoking floors.[15]
History
edit1890s to 1930s
editThe Seaboard Realty Company filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings in June 1899, which called for the construction of a 12-story hotel at a cost of $150,000.[16] In an article that September, the New York World indicated that the hotel would cost $250,000 to build and another $150,000 to furnish.[17] At the time, construction had not started because of the high price of steel. Like the neighboring Algonquin Hotel, it was named after a Native American tribe that lived in New York (namely the Iroquois); however, the two hotels are not otherwise known to be related.[15] The Iroquois was completed in 1900.[12] That December, the Seaboard Realty Company agreed to sell the Iroquois to a client of A. W. McLaughlin & Co.[18][19] for about $325,000.[20] The McLaughlin firm's client acquired an adjacent two-story stable at 47 West 44th Street in October 1901,[21] and the stable became part of the hotel.[11]
When the Iroquois opened, it operated as an apartment hotel, rather than a short-term hotel.[11] The Iroquois was near six clubhouses,[9][22] as well as the upscale Delmonico's and Sherry's restaurants.[9][10] The New York Daily News later described the hotel as "a bright star in the clubby constellation of W. 44th St".[23] During the Great Depression the hotel was able to maintain its reputation as a "refined, well-kept hotel".[14] The New York League of Business and Professional Women relocated to the hotel's annex in April 1934.[24]
1940s to 1970s
editWilliam H. Peterken of the Iroquois Hotel Corporation leased the Iroquois for ten years in 1940, at which point the hotel could accommodate 350 people per night. Peterken planned to spend $25,000 on renovations.[25][26] The hotel was auctioned off in November 1942 to settle a $230,000 debt.[27] The Office of Price Administration, an agency of the U.S. government, accused the Iroquois's operators of overcharging rent in 1944.[28][29] Louis Schleifer's Gibraltar Security Corporation bought the Iroquois in 1947,[30][31] but Schleifer resold it to David Rappoport of the Midland Investing Corporation four days later.[32] At the time, the hotel had 153 rooms with 94 baths.[31] William Seidenfeld and Nathan Feinberg of the Nibis Corporation leased the Iroquois in 1948, with the intention of converting the three-story annex to a showroom.[33] The Iroquois Operating Corporation filed alteration plans in 1951, indicating that it would build a restaurant at the hotel for $5,000.[34]
Boutique hotel
editIn 1987, Jan Wallman opened a cabaret and nightclub at 49 West 44th Street.[35]
In 1996 Horn took over the ownership of the hotel, which had been in his family's possession since 1959.[2] Shimmie Horn spent $13 million to renovate the hotel so it could better compete with the Algonquin, Sofitel, and Royalton. Rather than close the hotel completely, Horn renovated two floors at a time. He demolished a second elevator shaft to make space for additional rooms, and he replaced a barber shop in the lobby with a library. In addition, the Judy's cabaret on the ground floor of the main building was combined with Alonzo's Restaurant in the adjacent stable.[15] After the renovation, the Iroquois became part of a group called Small Luxury Hotels of the World.[15][36] At the time, the hotel's room rates ranged from a minimum of $275 for a room to a maximum of $345 for a suite.[37]
Notable tenants
editIn 1949, the hotel was the headquarters of the National Council of the Arts, Sciences and Professionals. James Dean lived at the hotel for two years from 1951 to 1953 in room 83 (later known as room 803).[38] The female lead in Peter Link's Broadway musical Earl of Ruston (1971), Leecy R. Woods Moore, also temporarily lived at the hotel in 1971.[39]
Critical reception
editA writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that the James Dean Suite was a "sybaritic indulgence that James Dean could never have experienced back in those years before the hotel was restored to its recent present-day status as one of the world's finest small luxury hotels".[37]
References
editCitations
edit- ^ "Interview: New York City's Newest Boutique Hotel Brand Is Banking on Neighborhood Appeal". Skift. February 25, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ a b c Holusha, John (March 21, 1999). "Commercial Property / The Iroquois, on West 44th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues; From a Budget Hostelry to a Small Luxury Hotel". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "The Iroquois, Luxury Hotel in New York City, USA". www.slh.com. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ White, Norval; Willensky, Elliot; Leadon, Fran (2010). AIA Guide to New York City (5th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 272. ISBN 978-0-19538-386-7.
- ^ a b c d "59 West 44 Street, 10036". New York City Department of City Planning. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ^ Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 6.
- ^ Friedman, Andrew (January 7, 2001). "Neighborhood Report: Midtown; A Bouquet of Boutique Hotels Sprouts Along Club Row". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Servant Problem Solved". New-York Tribune. November 23, 1902. p. 11. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "The Algonquin". The Sun. November 9, 1902. p. 7. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Landmarks Preservation Commission 1987, p. 2.
- ^ a b c d e Gray, Christopher (April 1, 2001). "Streetscapes/44th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues; In Center for Clubhouses, Remnants of Small Stables". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ a b c Gayle, Margot (October 23, 1988). "Decidedly Not New Wave". Daily News. p. 235. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ Kramer, Louise (May 28, 2001). "Hotels, eateries ease West 44th's building block". Crain's New York Business. Vol. 17, no. 22. p. 4. ProQuest 219158681.
- ^ a b Turkel, Stanley (October 18, 2011). Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781463443405.[better source needed]
- ^ a b c d Holusha, John (March 21, 1999). "Commercial Property / The Iroquois, on West 44th Street Between Fifth and Sixth Avenues; From a Budget Hostelry to a Small Luxury Hotel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "In the Real Estate Field". The New York Times. June 6, 1899. p. 12. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 95675332. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "$250,000 Bachelor Hotel for West Forty-fourth Street". The World. September 30, 1899. p. 11. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "Gossip of the Week". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 66, no. 1710. December 22, 1900. p. 868 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "Real Estate Transfers". The New York Times. December 29, 1990. p. 12. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 95965107.
- ^ "In the Real Estate Field". The New York Times. December 21, 1900. p. 14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "Gossip of the Week". The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide. Vol. 68, no. 1753. October 19, 1901. p. 493 – via columbia.edu.
- ^ "Servant Problem Solved". New-York Tribune. November 23, 1902. p. 11. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Krajicek, David J. (January 15, 2012). "One for the books". Daily News. p. 45. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "Women's Unit Takes Space in Iroquois Annex: Lower Broadway Theater Leased by Syndicate; Antique Dealers Rent". New York Herald Tribune. April 27, 1934. p. 37. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1114835846.
- ^ "W. H. Peterken Concern Leases Iroquois Hotel: Syndicate Takes 44th Street Property for Ten Years; Business Renting Brisk". New York Herald Tribune. July 24, 1940. p. 31. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1249819830.
- ^ "Iroquois Hotel Leased: Peterken Management to Spend $25,000 in Alterations". The New York Times. July 28, 1940. p. 115. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 105294822. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "Big Hotel in 44th Street Will Be Sold at Auction". New York Herald Tribune. November 15, 1942. p. 78. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1264409293.
- ^ "OPA Cracks Down on 22 Hotels, 6 Apartment Houses in Rent Drive". The New York Times. November 19, 1944. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ "22 Hotels Sued By O. P. A. for Rate Violations: 6 Apartment Houses Also Named; Agency Seeks $58,400 in Damages". New York Herald Tribune. November 19, 1944. p. 34. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1257453689.
- ^ "12-Story Iroquois Hotel Sold to Louis Schleifer". The New York Times. May 14, 1947. p. 44. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 107966409.
- ^ a b "Schliefer Firm Acquires Hotel; In West 44th St: Gibraltar Corp. Purchaser 12-Story Iroquois Property; Other Deals Closed". New York Herald Tribune. May 14, 1947. p. 37. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1322166380.
- ^ "Schleifer Resells Hotel On 44th St. After 4 Days". The New York Times. May 19, 1947. p. 36. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 107935038.
- ^ "Iroquois Hotel is Leased". The New York Times. January 23, 1948. p. 39. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 108131996. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
- ^ "Building Plans Filed". The New York Times. August 23, 1951. p. 48. ISSN 0362-4331. ProQuest 112183923.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (February 20, 1987). "In New York Cabarets, The Old Is Strikingly New". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ Trucco, Terry (2017). "The Iroquois New York". Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Mendoza, George (April 30, 2000). "Algonquin, Iroquois, Mansfield Hotels Live Up to Legendary Status". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. 81, 85. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Barron, James (February 17, 1998). "Public Lives; A Chief Chosen By Iroquois Hotel". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ Klemesrud, Judy (April 27, 1971). "She Was Perfect Grandmother for the Rock Musical Part". The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
Sources
edit- Algonquin Hotel (PDF) (Report). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. September 15, 1987.
External links
edit40°45′21″N 73°58′55.3″W / 40.75583°N 73.982028°W
- [[Category:Midtown Manhattan]] [[Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1900]] [[Category:Hotels established in 1900]] [[Category:Hotels in Manhattan]] [[Category:1900 establishments in New York City]]