Tours of Hotel Plaza's Restored Landmarked Public Rooms a Smash Hit of the Season

Tours of Hotel Plaza's Restored Landmarked Public Rooms a Smash Hit of the
Season

NEW YORK, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The free tours of the spectacularly restored
landmarked public rooms at the Hotel Plaza by noted architectural historian
and teacher, Francis Morrone, are among the season's biggest hits, with
current tours fully subscribed and reservations being taken for well into the
summer.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090601/NY25426 )

Mr. Morrone, author of eight books, describes the storied spaces, including
the Edwardian Room, the Grand Ball Room, the Oak Room and Bar, the Terrace
Room and the Palm Court, as "the finest set of public rooms of their eras in
America."

The Plaza has undergone a $400 million lobby to roof renovation with the
landmarked spaces "restored to their original glory," according to Miki
Naftali, president of El-Ad Properties and owner of The Plaza.

"We are certainly proud of what we accomplished and are pleased to invite the
public in to see for themselves, to engage them and to reassure them that the
legend continues," he said.

The behind-the-scenes tour reveals fascinating social and architectural
tid-bits. For example, Mr. Morrone describes an extraordinary party at the
Edwardian Room, once again reflecting its 1907 grandeur and imposing presence.
Guests included the great American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife
Zelda, who capped their celebrations with an early morning dip in the adjacent
Pulitzer Fountain. The extraordinary Grand Ball Room, sparkling once more as
it did in its heyday as New York's ultimate scene for notable social events
and lavish weddings, was the scene for Truman Capote's famed Black and White
Ball. All the guests were masked and only the most distinguished and elegant
were invited, including Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall and Andy Warhol.

Mr. Morrone points out that the chandeliers of the Terrace Room, made by the
bother of Harry Winston, are duplicates of those at the Palace of Versailles.
Perhaps the most spectacular architectural achievement is the re-creation of
the imposing yet delicate stained-glass ceiling of the Palm Court - providing
New Yorkers with a view of the great room as conceived by architect Henry
Hardenbergh and not seen in more than six decades. A favorite stop is in front
of the full-length portrait of the hotel's most famous guest, Eloise, the
perennial six-year-old, and her pet dog and turtle.

Reservations are required. For details, please call (212) 546-5477.

SOURCE The Plaza

Shannon Lynch, +1-212-575-4545, for The Plaza