The Lexington Hotel NYC

The Lexington New York City is a hotel in New York City, United States.

History

The Lexington New York City opened in 1929^[2] as the Hotel Lexington, at the height of the Manhattan midtown hotel boom, 1920s to the 1930s. The hotel opened with a promise by General J. Leslie Kincaid, president of the American Hotel Corporation, to provide a thoroughly modern house of refined atmosphere and exceptional service – without the annoyance and confusion that is often experienced in hotels catering to large assemblages.

The original architect was Schultze & Weaver whose first major commission job had been the large Los Angeles hotel today known as the Millennium Biltmore. Their later work included the Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, and the Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel. The firm also designed the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach and the Miami Nautilus Hotel. They designed several noted landmark hotels within New York City, including The Park Lane Hotel, The Lexington Hotel, The Pierre Hotel and its neighbor, the Sherry-Netherland.

The Normanesque terracotta figures that decorate the Lexington Avenue entrance are reminiscent of those found on the Notre Dame. Rows of terracotta-winged lions adorn the building’s façade. Beneath a metal canopy, inscribed with the hotel’s name, visitors pass through the expansive glass doors into the spacious marbled-floored lobby.

The Hotel Lexington was home to many famous restaurants, nightspots and celebrities, including baseball legend Joe DiMaggio; the latter resided at the hotel between 1957 and 1962, while he was affiliated with the Monette Company. DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe lived here during their brief marriage in Suite #1806. The hotel was the home of some Hollywood celebrities such as Dorothy Lamour. The Hawaiian Room was identified with entertainer Arthur Godfrey, and contains other venues such as the Paul Revere Tavern, Denim & Diamonds, Chateau Madrid, and the Playboy’s Empire Club. The hotel evolved; in the 1930s the “Hawaiian Room” opened in what is now LQ. Godfrey broadcast his radio show live from the Hawaiian Room. Other nightclubs included: Chateau Madrid, Playboy Club (bunnies with male counterparts called “Rabbits”) - in the 1980s.

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