Algonquin Hotel

History and architecture

he Algonquin Hotel, which opened its doors in 1902, has played host to generations of famous men and women from the literary and theatrical worlds. Most often associated with the legendary Round Table — the group of critics and humorists who convened almost daily in the 1920s for luncheons spiced with quotable conversation and repartee — the hotel has also been frequented by countless others in the acting and writing professions. The particular cultural character of the Algonquin was nurtured by its devoted and congenial proprietor, Frank Case. "I was determined to get the Arts, especially the Theater,M Case later reminisced, and beginning with such illustrious guests as John and Ethel Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks, Booth Tarkington and Sinclair Lewis, he proceeded to become boniface to not only the stars, but to aspiring young artists as well.

The hotel is a representative example of an architectural mode highly popular in the early years of the century, a Beaux-Arts inspired design, with continuous projecting metal bay windows and neo-Renaissance detail. Designed by architect Goldwin Starrett, it complements the other fine buildings on this West 44th Street block, among them the New York Yacht Club (1899) and the Harvard Club (1894), both designated New York City landmarks.