October 2, 2007

US & Canada | US | New York

Parklife: Manhattan-Style

By Nicole Cotroneo

The Art-Deco diamond of Central Park South regains its lustre.

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Leaves are starting to fall in New York, but signs of new life have sprung around Central Park South. Jumeirah Essex House just unveiled its $90 million makeover, two years after becoming the Dubai hotelier’s first American property. The 76-year-old hotel has returned to its roots, evoking the “golden age of travel” with new Art Deco-inspired interiors. Outside, Jumeirah is now teaming up with centralpark.com for a menu of podcast-led walking tours. Still, Jumeirah’s yet to fill the void left by celeb-chef Alain Ducasse, who’s moved over a block-and-a-half to the St. Regis to open a new restaurant, Adour, later this fall. (Jumeirah plans to roll out its own “destination restaurant” next year.)

Meanwhile, their Fifth Avenue neighbor, The Plaza Hotel, just celebrated its 100th birthday in grand style last night (think fireworks and a 12-foot cake in the Plaza’s own image). Originally scheduled to open for this month’s centenary, the Plaza won’t complete its $400 million makeover until Spring 2008, when Fairmont will unveil 130 new guestrooms (plus 152 pied-à-terres). Still, it’s a wait that pales in comparison to several years’ worth of delays at 6 Columbus. Despite telling globorati they were finally opening in June, the chic Thompson Hotels group just welcomed its first guests yesterday.