Thompson Central Park New York Hotel

40°45′51.9″N 73°58′42.5″W / 40.764417°N 73.978472°W / 40.764417; -73.978472OpenedMarch 13, 1981^[1]Renovated2020–2022Technical detailsFloor count42^[2]Other informationNumber of rooms587Websitewww.hyatt.com/hotel/new-york/thompson-central-park-new-york/lgatp

The Thompson Central Park New York is a 587-room^[3] hotel located at 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Located near Central Park, the 42-story hotel building houses restaurants, a gym, and other retailers.^[2]

History

The hotel opened on March 13, 1981, as the Hotel 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 US, however, the actual grand opening celebration was held a week later, on Friday March 20, 1981. The hotel was developed by the New York-based Jack Parker Corporation and managed by Air France's Meridien Hotels division. In 1979, the New 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, becoming Le Parker Méridien New York. The atrium seating was removed in 1990, and subsequently restored after a "high-profile" campaign by the New York City Department of Buildings.^[4] 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.^[5] In 2012, the hotel's coffee bar was flooded with concrete following a construction accident at a neighboring building.^[6]

The hotel, along with its sister Le Parker Méridien property in Palm Springs, left Le Méridien (by that point, a division of Starwood) in January 2018, and the hotel was renamed Parker New York Hotel. GFI Capital Resources Group and Elliott 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,^[7] and the potential addition of 67 luxury condos atop the existing structure.^[8][9] The hotel joined the Thompson Hotels division of Hyatt as Thompson Central Park New York on November 1, 2021.^[10]

Facilities

One of the hotel's restaurants is Burger Joint, a "speakeasy-style burger hut" behind the hotel's lobby curtain.^[11] The restaurant opened in 2002 and has since expanded to other locations. Burger Joint was ranked number two in Eater New York's list of the "27 Top Burgers in NYC".^[12] People often queue in the restaurant's entrance corridor, which is marked by a simple neon sign of a hamburger.^[13]

Reception

Douglas Rogers of The 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."^[14] Parker New York ranked number 118 on U.S. News & World Report's list of "Best New York City Hotels".^[15] Jessica Colley Clarke of Fodor's rated Le Parker Meridien as 4.5 out of 5 stars,^[16] and Frommer's rated Parker New York 2 out of 3 stars.^[17]

The Evening Standard's Lauren Keary included the Parker in her list of "best pools in NYC".^[18] Lorna Parkes of The Independent described the hotel as "a Hyatt with subtle style" and a "secret burger joint".^[19] The Daily Telegraph's Tracy Kaler included the Parker in her 2020 list of "8 fabulous family-friendly hotels in New York".^[20]

References

External links

• Official website