The Plaza Hotel will close its doors in January 2027 for extensive repair and restoration work on its landmark protected facade, the operator Fairmont Hotels & Resorts said.
The closure is expected to last at least four years and could extend until 2031 if cleanup proceeds on schedule, though no reopening date has been announced, Fairmont and reporting by The New York Times said.
The shutdown will affect the hotel’s 282 guest rooms, event spaces and the Palm Court restaurant, which sources say are expected to close in January, while the property also contains 181 condominium units whose status is unclear.
The Department of Buildings said its most recent inspection found the facade unsafe and required a sidewalk shed, according to CBS News New York, though the agency told the same outlet there is nothing on the city’s end that would prevent the hotel from remaining open while repairs take place.
Impacts Reactions And Historical Context
The hotel’s announcement described the work as reflecting the complexity of preserving a property with historic designation and said plans will follow preservation requirements and coordination with stakeholders, the announcement stated.
No cost estimate or detailed renovation scope was released, and Fairmont declined to comment further, according to reporting in The New York Times and CBS News New York.
The Plaza opened in 1907 and was designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in a French Renaissance style, the property is 18 stories and was designated a New York City landmark in 1969, sources report.
The upcoming closure is the latest major interruption in the building’s history. The hotel closed from 2005 to 2008 for a lobby to roof restoration that converted many guest rooms into residences, and it shut during the 2020 pandemic for more than a year, reporting shows.
The building also has a high public profile as a setting for films and books. Titles associated with the property include Home Alone 2 Lost in New York, North by Northwest, The Way We Were and Eloise at the Plaza, among others. Former owner Donald Trump held the property from 1988 to 1995 and made a cameo in Home Alone 2, reporting noted.
