| Thompson Central Park New York | |
|---|---|
 The hotel's main entrance, 56th Street | |
| Former names | Le Parker Meridien, Parker New York |
| General information | |
| Address | 119 West 56th Street |
| Town or city | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′51.9″N 73°58′42.5″W / 40.764417°N 73.978472°W / 40.764417; -73.978472 |
| Opened | March 13, 1981 |
| Renovated | 2020–2022 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 42 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Philip Birnbaum |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 587 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Thompson Central Park New York is a 587-room hotel located at 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Located near Central Park, the 42-story hotel building houses restaurants, a gym, and other retailers.
History
The hotel opened on March 13, 1981, as the Hotel Parker Meridien New York. The hotel opened on Friday the thirteenth, a date considered lucky in France. Because the date is considered unlucky in the US, however, the actual grand opening celebration was held a week later, on Friday March 20, 1981. The hotel was developed by the New York-based Jack Parker Corporation and managed by Air France's Meridien Hotels division. In 1979, the New York City Department of City Planning gave Parker permission to construct a 40-story building, eight floors past the 32-story maximum for a building with that lot area, provided that the corporation add a public atrium. The hotel was later slightly renamed, becoming Le Parker Méridien New York. The atrium seating was removed in 1990, and subsequently restored after a "high-profile" campaign by the New York City Department of Buildings. Under the Parker Corporation's management, Le Parker Meridien was one of the few luxury hotels in the city that accommodated wild animals as guests. In 2012, the hotel's coffee bar was flooded with concrete following a construction accident at a neighboring building.
The hotel, along with its sister Le Parker Méridien property in Palm Springs, left Le Méridien (by that point, a division of Starwood) in January 2018, and the hotel was renamed Parker New York Hotel. GFI Capital Resources Group and Elliott Management Corporation purchased the hotel for approximately $420 million in 2019. The companies planned a $100 million renovation, along with the conversion of a portion to private residences, and the potential addition of 67 luxury condos atop the existing structure. The hotel joined the Thompson Hotels division of Hyatt as Thompson Central Park New York on November 1, 2021. In September 2024, Gencom bought the hotel for around $310 million.
Facilities
One of the hotel's restaurants is Burger Joint, a "speakeasy-style burger hut" behind the hotel's lobby curtain. The restaurant opened in 2002 and has since expanded to other locations. Burger Joint was ranked number two in Eater New York's list of the "27 Top Burgers in NYC". People often queue in the restaurant's entrance corridor, which is marked by a simple neon sign of a hamburger.
Reception
Douglas Rogers of The Daily Telegraph rated the hotel 8 out of 10 and summarized, "At first glance this Midtown hotel seems like a nondescript commercial tower block, but once inside a myriad of resort-like treats await. Aside from sprawling guest rooms there's a barbershop, makeup salon, spa, rooftop pool and – the ultimate gem – world famous Burger Joint." Parker New York ranked number 118 on U.S. News & World Report's list of "Best New York City Hotels". Jessica Colley Clarke of Fodor's rated Le Parker Meridien as 4.5 out of 5 stars, and Frommer's rated Parker New York 2 out of 3 stars.
The Evening Standard's Lauren Keary included the Parker in her list of "best pools in NYC". Lorna Parkes of The Independent described the hotel as "a Hyatt with subtle style" and a "secret burger joint". The Daily Telegraph's Tracy Kaler included the Parker in her 2020 list of "8 fabulous family-friendly hotels in New York".
References
- ^ "The city's newest luxury hotel, the Parker Meridian Hotel,... – UPI Archives". United Press International. March 13, 1981. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ Jelski, Christina (January 27, 2019). "The Parker sold, management changed". Travel Weekly. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Dunlap, David W. (November 28, 1996). "Philip Birnbaum, 89, Builder Celebrated for His Efficiency". The New York Times. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- "Thompson Central Park N.Y. Opens in Midtown Manhattan". Travel Agent Central. November 1, 2021.
- Dunlap, David W. (August 25, 1993). "A Chair Is Still a Chair and a Deal Is Still a Deal; After a Three-Year Absence, Public Seating Is Restored to Le Parker Meridien Atrium". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Finkelstein, Katherine E. (December 27, 1999). "Hotel Guests With Fur, and Boas; A Few Select Places Will Let a Snake Curl Up in Style". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Harris, Elizabeth A. (April 18, 2012). "Neighbor's Wet Concrete Floods Hotel Cafe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Morris, Keiko (January 24, 2019). "Developer of Ace and NoMad Hotels Scoops Up Parker New York Hotel". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Cunningham, Cathy (February 5, 2019). "Allen Gross' $420M Bet on the Parker New York". Commercial Observer. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- "The A-Word Comes to Billionaires' Row: Affordability". Habitat. February 25, 2019. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- "Thompson Central Park New York Hotel Opens". Hotel News Resource. November 1, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- Cryan, Elizabeth (September 17, 2024). "Gencom pays $308M for Thompson Hotel in New York debut". The Real Deal. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- Coen, Andrew (September 17, 2024). "Gencom Closes $300M Buy of Thompson Central Park Hotel With $230M Loan". Commercial Observer. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- "Burger Joint | New York City, USA Restaurants". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- "27 Top Burgers in NYC". Eater New York. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Marshall, Andrew (January 21, 2019). "Culinary tourism: 10 must-try dishes in 10 different countries". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- "Parker New York". The Daily Telegraph. July 22, 2019. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- "Parker New York". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- "Le Parker Meridien Hotel Review". Fodor's. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- "Parker Hotel in New York City". Frommer's. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- Keary, Lauren (July 22, 2019). "Need to cool off? 11 of New York's best rooftop pools". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Parkes, Lorna (November 27, 2019). "Our guide to a Christmas fairytale in New York". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
- Kaler, Tracy (January 18, 2018). "8 fabulous family-friendly hotels in New York, from characterful suites to indoor adventure kits". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
