| The Empire Hotel | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} | |
 The Empire Hotel | |
 Interactive map of The Empire Hotel | |
| General information | |
| Location | 44 West 63rd Street, New York City |
| Coordinates | 40°46′17.2″N73°58′57.9″W / 40.771444°N 73.982750°W /40.771444; -73.982750 |
| Opening | 1922 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 11 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 426 |
| Number of suites | 50 |
| Number of bars | 1 |
| Website | |
| empirehotelnyc | |
TheEmpire Hotel is aboutique hotel located alongWest 63rd Street (at Broadway), in theNew York City borough ofManhattan. The Empire Hotel has 426 guestrooms, including 50 suites.
The Empire Rooftop is an 8,000 square foot lounge situated atop the hotel.[1]
The site housed a seven-story structure, built in 1889, which Herbert DuPuy purchased in 1908. In 1922, he demolished the original building and built a 15-story structure that would become The Empire Hotel.[2]
According to hotel historianStanley Turkel, on December 5, 1923, The Empire Hotel opened[3] with its enduring[2] red neon signage reading "Hotel Empire" erected on the rooftop. Room rates in 1935: $2.00 per day – a room with private toilet and lavatory for one person; $2.50 per day – a room with private toilet and lavatory for two people; $3.00 per day – a room with private bath for one person; $3.50 per day – a room with private baths for two people; $5.00 per day – suites of parlor, bedroom and bath. Garage service in 1935: garage storage for guest car 50 cents per day, service to and from hotel 25 cents each way. The general manager in 1935 was Edward B. Bell.[3]
In 1938, Patrick J. Murphy was hired as the resident manager. The next year, Guy P. Seeley was hired as the resident manager and Otis H. Culver was hired as assistant manager. In 1943, Daniel H. McCarriagher became the new owner. Plymouth Hotel owner Leslie L. Paul took ownership during the 1950s, and the hotel was redecorated and a new dining room was constructed on the lobby floor, along with an air-conditioned cocktail lounge and coffee shop.[3]
TheIridium Room Jazz Club gained fame for its weeklyLes Paul concerts in the basement of the hotel, where it thrived for many years.[4]
The New York hotel remained unaltered from 1922,[2] until it was refurbished in 2007 by interior designers Goodman Charlton.[5]
The Empire Hotel was featured prominently throughoutThe CW's teen drama seriesGossip Girl, being owned by the characterChuck Bass (Ed Westwick). In January 2010, it was reported that the hotel had seen a five- to 10-percent increase in bookings due to the exposure it gained from the show.[6] A menu withGossip Girl-themed cocktails was also created.[7]
The hotel was also featured in the pilot episode of theStarz crime drama seriesPower, where Ghost (Omari Hardwick) meets Felipe Lobos (Enrique Murciano).[citation needed] The hotel was also featured in three "letter hoisting" films in the 70's forSesame Street.[citation needed]
The red neon sign that shines intoKramer’s apartment inan episode ofSeinfeld parodies, and was inspired by, the Empire Hotel's sign.[8]
Scenes for the TV showDexter: Resurrection were filmed on location at the hotel.[9]
Iridium is perhaps most famous for its relationship with guitar legend Les Paul, who has been performing Monday nights at Iridium since April 1995.
