| Thompson Central Park New York | |
|---|---|
 The hotel's main entrance, 56th Street | |
 Interactive map of Thompson Central Park New York | |
| Former names | Le Parker Meridien, Parker New York |
| General information | |
| Location | 119 West 56th Street, New York City, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′51.9″N73°58′42.5″W / 40.764417°N 73.978472°W /40.764417; -73.978472 |
| Opened | March 13, 1981[1] |
| Renovated | 2020–2022 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 42[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Philip Birnbaum[3] |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 587 |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheThompson Central Park New York is a 587-room[4] hotel located at 56th Street inMidtown Manhattan, New York City. Located nearCentral Park, the 42-story hotel building houses restaurants, a gym, and other retailers.[2]
The hotel opened on March 13, 1981, as theHotel 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 U.S., however, the actual grand opening celebration was held a week later, on Friday March 20, 1981. The hotel was developed by the New York-basedJack Parker Corporation and managed byAir France'sMeridien Hotels division. In 1979, theNew 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, becomingLe Parker Méridien New York. The atrium seating was removed in 1990, and subsequently restored after a "high-profile" campaign by theNew 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 ofStarwood) in January 2018, and the hotel was renamedParker New York Hotel. GFI Capital Resources Group andElliott 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 ofHyatt asThompson Central Park New York on November 1, 2021.[11] In September 2024, Gencom bought the hotel for around $310 million.[12][13]
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 inEater 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]
Douglas Rogers ofThe 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 onU.S. News & World Report's list of "Best New York City Hotels".[18] Jessica Colley Clarke ofFodor's rated Le Parker Meridien as 4.5 out of 5 stars,[19] andFrommer's rated Parker New York 2 out of 3 stars.[20]
TheEvening Standard's Lauren Keary included the Parker in her list of "best pools in NYC".[21] Lorna Parkes ofThe 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]
