The Algonquin Hotel redesigned by Stonehill Taylor inspired by NYC’s literary and theatrical past

The Algonquin’s exterior is detailed with neo-Renaissance terracotta motifs on its brick and limestone facade.  

Stonehill Taylor oversaw the interior design and interior architecture of the Beaux-Arts-style hotel, including the redesign of the Blue Bar and Oak Room.

The Oak Room was the setting for what became known as ‘The Round Table,’ an exclusive daily lunch held at the hotel during the 20s, for a group of writers, Broadway playwrights, poets, and musicians. Run by the hotel’s manager-turned-owner Frank Case, the Round Table made the hotel a popular spot before Broadway performances and solidified the hotel as a historical landmark in 1987.

The new interior design references the sophistication of this period in New York and the hotel’s history, with design motifs that pay homage to the literature and characters. Textured furniture, velvet drapery, theatrical lighting, and optical illusions in art pieces throughout the hotel give the design its full effect. Rope design details found in the lobby and the private dining area were inspired by the first ever use of velvet ropes at the hotel that kept fans at bay.

The lobby includes a separate lounge and dining areas. To relieve elevator congestion, the firm relocated the reception to the right side of the entrance. The reception desk features a marble top with blue and red veining, and a golden stepped base with rounded edges and hidden lighting gives visitors a sense of the hotel’s design palette upon arrival. A 3D art installation made from pages of books, that once belonged to hotel guests, is displayed above. Black and white hexagonal stone tiling, ribbed leather banquette seating, and rounded floor trays further enrich the space.

Perched above the reception desk rests a cat shelter for The Algonquin’s famed resident cat, currently named Hamlet VIII. The hotel’s history is synonymous with its resident cat, the first one living in the hotel since the 1920s. In 1932, Frank Case rescued a stray that wandered into the lobby. John Barrymore, who was playing Hamlet at the time, named the cat after his role. The hotel has since had 12 cats and has become known as one of the city’s most pet-friendly hotels. In the reception area, bookshelves at the east window act as Hamlet VIII’s play sculpture and is visible to both hotel guests, as well as passers-by. 

The main seating area toward the front of the hotel features panelling with crown moulding and cove lighting surrounding a set of three etched-glass windows. Modern lighting fixtures and wall sconces contrast corinthian-style topped columns. Furniture includes an assortment of upholstered bucket chairs, banquette seating, and small marble tables that sit atop porcelain flooring in a wood-finished lattice pattern.

Originally an annexed stable for horse stagecoaches, the Oak Room was a hotspot for actors to have dinner after their performances. The design team reimagined The Oak Room as an event space and was careful to revive its namesake oak panelling throughout. The new Oak Room acts as one large area that can be divided into two equal spaces by an expandable partition. Eccentric ceiling fixtures formed in a squiggled pattern are made using champagne-finished metal and linear LED lights hang above.

The Blue Bar is named for its blue-hued lighting that made actors' faces look their best in the post-Prohibition era. Originally located in a separate space to the right of the lobby entrance, it was later moved to the annexe adjacent to the Oak Room. Stonehill Taylor relocated the bar to the main lobby area, blending it with the new furnishings and existing columns.

The Blue Bar features backlit shelves as its focal point with back panelling in a powdered blue to champagne-coloured gradient. Quotes from famous patrons are displayed on one of the upper bar shelves, and during the day liquor is concealed with artwork visible on its top-shelf. The bar top is made of the same marble as the reception desk and is surrounded by blue upholstered seating. The rounded shape detail found on the reception desk continues into the bar as well as the Round Table. The black and white mosaic flooring found is also continued.

A drape hangs adjacent to the bar that separates a private dining area with a circular marble table, reminiscent of the ‘Round Table.’ Artwork featuring the Round Table’s founding members hangs above the banquette seating. Wall sconces, panelling and moulding exist in harmony with the rest of the lobby, and a contemporary ceiling fixture with disc-shaped pendants in marbleized patterns hangs above. A baby grand piano graces the room for guests to play.

A hallway on the second floor leads to two meeting rooms on either side, complete with 8-seat boardroom tables in each, and carpets inspired by stacks of books. Sketches by Al Hirschfeld and photos of Helen Hayes adorn the walls.