History of The Pennsylvania Hotel

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  • 1917 Pennsylvania Railroad commissioned the prominent architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White to design and construct a hotel.
  • 1919 The Statler Hotel Pennsylvania opens its doors. The original Hotel had 2,200 bathrooms, 3,537 beds, and the world's first high rise elevators.
  • 1919 Renowned hotelier Ellsworth Statler, later named "Hotel Man of the Century" by the American Hotel Association, is contracted to manage the property.
  • 1919 The Statler Hotel Pennsylvania is considered The original Pennsylvania Station, facing 7th ave.the largest in the world until 1927.
  • Late 1930's/40's Considered one of the most popular nightclubs in New York. The Café Rouge at the Hotel was home to the "Big Bands" at their height. The Hotel's telephone number, "Pennsylvania 6-5000," is immortalized by the Glenn Miller hit tune and is New York's longest continually used telephone number. It remains the same to this day!
  • 1949 The Hotel is purchased outright by the Statler Company.
  • 1954 Conrad Hilton, owner of the Hilton Hotel Corporation, consummates the largest merger in hotel history when he assumes ownership of the property and renames it the Statler Hilton.
  • 1979 Dunfey Hotels Corporation acquires the Hotel and changes its name to the New York Statler.
  • 1983 Realizing its potential, Ascot Associates purchase the Hotel through a joint venture owned by Penta Hotels, a four star European hotel company backed by Lufthansa German Airlines, British Airways, and Swissair and by Abelco, a partnership of New York based real estate developers. The hotel is christened as the New York Penta Hotel.
  • Mid 1980's The New York Penta undergoes a major restoration program, incorporating many classic Stanford White features, such as a computerized reservation system and redecoration to the interior and exterior of the building.
  • 1990's The hotel becomes part of the Best Western and Ramada franchises.
  • Late 1990's The original historical name is brought back to life, New York's Hotel Pennsylvania, and the Hotel becomes an independent entity, under the ownership of Vornado Realty Trust.
  • 2001 New York's Hotel Pennsylvania undergoes a major restoration.
  • 2002 New York's Pennsylvania officially registers "World's Most Popular Hotel" after records show the Hotel has hosted over 27 million visitors.
  • 2003 New York's Pennsylvania launches the Penn 5000 Club geared towards business travelers.
  • 2004 New York's Pennsylvania celebrates 20th Anniversary as "Host Hotel for Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show."