One of the city’s most storied hotels will shutter for renovations in the coming weeks with plans to reopen in 2026 to celebrate its centennial.
Hotel Elysée at 60 E. 54th St. will close its doors March 31 for about 18 months of interior construction work slated to be done in time for its 100th year of operation. Through the decades, its guests have included stars such as Marlon Brando, Tennessee Williams and Tallulah Bankhead.
The 49 employees who work at the nearly-century-old, 15-story Midtown inn, between Park and Madison avenues, will be affected by the temporary shutdown, according to a notice filed with the state’s Department of Labor Friday. Stephanie Krajewski, senior vice president at the Brandman Agency, which represents the hotel, however, told Crain’s that the workers will be “well looked after” throughout the duration of construction. The Hotel and Gaming Union, AFL-CIO 709, which represents the hotel’s employees, did not return a request for comment by press time.
Work on the 103-key hotel, which was built in 1926 and largely retains its classic charm after first undergoing some renovations in 1993, includes increasing the size and number of its suites, and “transforming the property into a beautiful, luxury boutique hotel,” said Krajewski. She declined to provide a price tag for the renovation work.
Monkey Bar, the hotel’s swanky restaurant on its ground floor, is expected to remain open, said Krajewski.
Hotel Elysée’s name and ownership structure will remain the same, Krajewski added. It was bought by hoteliers Henry Kallan, Richard Born and Ira Drukier for $55 million in 2016, records show, and is leased to a private entity named after its address, which is a subsidiary of European-based Hera Hospitality, said Krajewski. The management firm is HK Hotels. Chicago-based Hogsalt Hospitality, which operates Monkey Bar, will also remain the same, she said.
