The Peninsula New York
This twenty-three story building was constructed in 1905 under the name of Hotel Gotham and bankrupted three years thereafter. Blame has been given to its close proximity to the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church who obstructed the sale of liquor. Fortunately for the Peninsula New York, as it was renamed upon reopening in 1988, the laws were subsequently reinterpreted. Drinks flow freely in the Peninsula’s Bar at Clement and its rooftop bar Salon de Ning.
During lunch hours, the restaurant Clement draws throngs of midtown professionals in addition to hotel guests. Its sleek gray and brown decor, enhanced by clusters of diversely shaped wall mirrors and vast windows overlooking Fifth Avenue, conveys an airy, polished feel. It is confidently understated. The Peninsula lobby, on the other hand, takes a much more sensational approach. The entering visitor faces a broad carpeted staircase that ascends with stately symmetry at center before splitting into left and right branches. On the day I walked in, the stairs were flanked with two magnificent, exceptionally tall arrangements of flowers. Marble walls adorned by Corinthian pilasters as well as a glittering chandelier overhead lend this lobby the feel of a grand ballroom.
