40°45′55″N 73°58′34″W / 40.7653°N 73.976°W
| Hotel St. Moritz | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The former Hotel St. Moritz on Central Park, today the Ritz-Carlton | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | 50 Central Park South, New York |
| Opening | 1930 |
| Closed | late 1990’s |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 36 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Emery Roth |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 1,000 |
The Hotel St. Moritz was a luxury hotel located at 50 Central Park South, on the east side of Sixth Avenue, in New York City.[1]
The St. Moritz was built on the site of the old New York Athletic Club. It was designed and built in 1930 by the Hungarian-born architect Emery Roth, and constructed by the Harper Organization which was representing Harris H. Uris and Percy Uris.[1] The estimated costs were about $6.000.000.[2]
In 1932 the Bowery Savings Bank took over the hotel and then sold it to the Engadine Corporation, led by the Greek-American hotel magnate S. Gregory Taylor (1888–1948).[3] In 1950 the hotel completely redecorated and redesigned its rooms, and from the following year it housed the Café de la Paix, said to be the first sidewalk restaurant in New York City. In 1990 the hotel became operated by the Interstate Hotels Corporation from Pittsburgh. The Hotel St. Moritz and its Café Rumpelmayer had to close its doors in the late 1990’s due to various reasons. Today the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is located in the building.[4]
The building has a height of 365 feet and has 36 floors, with 1,000 rooms that were serviced by six elevators. Close to 400 windows are at Central Park South directly facing the park, in addition to over 300 more windows on 6th Avenue with a partly view of the park.[2] The facade was clad in brown sandstone, with the various towers of the building rising high above the park. In his review from 1931, W. Parker Chase described the hotel as "a picturesque cliff, amidst towering trees to the north, and other soaring skyscrapers to the south."[2]
The spacious lobby was luxuriously furnished. On a wall in the lobby, which was of Levanto marble, hung a large painting of the city of St. Moritz by Giovanni Giacometti, a gift to the hotel from the Swiss Alps resort for which it was named. The mayor of St. Moritz, Carl Nater, presented the painting.[3] The various guest rooms, suites, especially the pent house suites with cooling parks breezes and sumptuous furnishings were designed to impress the guests. Both rooms and suites could be rented unfurnished by those wishing to use their own belongings.[2]
A dancing salon and dinner was located on the 31st floor, with Omar Khayyam murals done by David Karfunkel. Laurence Emmons designed the interior.[3]
The aim was to design a cosmopolitan home combining Continental hospitality with American comforts and service. The Paris-based Austrian caterer Rumpelmayer, who was also Purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court in Vienna (k.u.k. Hoflieferant), offered lunch and dinners in the tea room, grill and roof garden, where the St. Moritz orchestra entertained with both classic and syncopated music.[5] Popular treats at the Rumpelmayer were the coffee and ice creams. The rooms of Rumpelmayer were designed by the German-born architect Winold Reiss in the art deco style.[6][7][2]
Comedian Carol Burnett describes in her book This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection how she saw Marlene Dietrich at the Rumpelmayer.[8]
The original blueprints of the hotel by Roth are located in the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University.
