The New York hotel best known for its history as the haunt of famous writers in the 1920s will close for three months beginning on the first of the year.
The entire hotel will undergo construction as part of a major, multi-million dollar renovation from Jan. 1 to April 30. The work will include new infrastructure such as plumbing, heating, and cooling systems; improved elevators and a complete redoing of the 174 guest rooms, said Gary Budge, general manager of the property.
The Algonquin was where Dorothy Park, Gertrude Stein, John Barrymore and others—who dubbed themselves "The Vicious Circle"—were members of what became known as the Algonquin Round Table, a gathering of the most well-known writers in New York City in the 1920s.
“We think [the renovation] will restore the luster of the hotel,” said Drew Williams, an executive with property owner Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors. "This investment will preserve the iconic hotel's history as the literary and theatrical nerve center of Manhattan and make the hotel a newly vibrant destination that will be competitive with the finest hotel properties in the city."
