The closures account for 42,030 or one-third of the city's 128,000 hotel. With luck theres a new owner waiting in the wings to give this appealing property another chance at life. ), 18 hotels in New York City that had permanently closed due to COVID, Read this first to help ensure it gets approved, https://nypost.com/2021/05/26/luxe-times-square-edition-hotel-to-reopen-june-1/, The Naughtiest Adult-Only Hotels & Resorts In The World. Many of New York City's biggest hotels closed their doors in March when the coronavirus wiped out tourism and business travel. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. In 2018, the city implemented this special permitting policy in several neighborhoods and in manufacturing areas. When COVID-19 hit the city in March, the hotel industry, and tourism overall, took a massive hit. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. I see the hotel my family stayed in for 30 years is also closed. And while he hopes that both hotels will be able to survive this year, he cant be certain. here is our first batch of obits for NYC hotels that closed permanently during the pandemic. But people in the industry, like Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York, say the number is closer to 10% when you discount rooms being used for government purposes, like housing first responders and people who are homeless. A room with a parade view at The Excelsior (Excelsior photo). The shutdowns were supposed to be temporary, but six months later . Hotels Permanently Closed, Converted Hotels that are permanently closed or converted (or in the process of converting) to alternative use are exempted from the severance pay provision,. The move surprised many that thought this nearly 30-year-old hotel could withstand the pressures of the times. The Maxwell (formerly the W), 541 Lexington Avenue, permanently closed today. For those classic buildings built in the 1920s and 1930s, I hope theyre eventually sold and can continue to be used for lodging. With the advent of COVID-19 and other factors, some hotels may permanently close. Hes far from alone in that uncertainty. You can also consider The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue, a 5-star luxury hotel just 10 minutes from Times Square on foot. About 200 of the city's 700 hotels have closed their doors since the start of the pandemic, according to the Hotel Association of New York, which means the city could lose about 30% of its. with Oscar Hammerstein over lunch in the hotels exclusive Barberry Room (regulars included Alfred Hitchcock, Edward R. Murrow and Salvador Dali). Though no longer a W, the hotel looks unchanged with one big difference: room prices currently start at $134 (book quickly if youre looking for a bargain; they go up in March). Taking his cues from the hotels location in a century-old, Beaux Arts office building, French designer Jacques Garcia devised opulent, fanciful interiors that immersed you in a heady, fin de sicle Paris that Proust might have recognized, minus the 21st-century technology, Michelin-starred restaurant overseen by the creators of Eleven Madison Park and hopping bar dispensing some of the most inventive craft cocktails in Manhattan. I saw it listed a couple of days ago, during a search for an upcoming NY trip, and double-checked after reading your article. Posted: May 21, 2021; 0 ; list of nyc hotels permanently closed Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. It could be a partial retail expansion. The current welcome offer on this card is quite lucrative. Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW. In those areas, new hotel construction has been brought to a standstill. Great! But now, no matter where you look, they're dealing with the same problem.. The years took a toll as evidenced by the 1,015 guest rooms, hopelessly dated despite fresh carpeting, energetic Roosevelt Red walls and other Hail Mary decorating efforts. Spiffier Ws arrived, accompanied by Moxys, Alofts and other shiny corporate boutique brands. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. If it is part of a chain or brand it isn't as bad. Hotels worldwide have struggled to keep their doors open and entice travelers to visit -- whether for the day for a quiet workspace, a staycation for a simple change of scenery or a stop along a road trip route. Depending on how you look at it? Nikko Duren May 20, 2021. . Post & Sons, was groundbreaking in 1924 as one of the citys first to employ a set back architectural style. For decades, the Palmer House in Chicago has thrilled visitors with an interest in show business. Pretty darn good, if you ask me. The Omni, Roosevelt, Maxwell, Salisbury and East Side Marriott are all prime locations and will undoubtedly see new lives as renovated hotels, apartments, or perhaps complete rebuilds. In a salute to TRT co-founder Robert Rowling, the hotels manly, wood-paneled steak and chop house was named Bobs. The owner, Wardman Hotel Owner LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-January 2021 and plans to sell the property in a bid to reorganize. Courtyard Herald Square 4. That has always been my impression/experience with that chain -- a lot of impractical gloss and little substance where it mattered. The chain restaurant, a fixture on Wolf Road in Colonie for more than 22 years, closed in March. That didnt happen. . (Note that if you were holding onto gaming chips the. When the NoMad opened in 2012, it felt like a keeper, a hotel so eye-catching and original that it accelerated the transformation of the once-desolate blocks north of Madison Square Park. A sitting room with a parade view at the Courtyard Marriott Herald Square (Courtyard Marriott Herald Square photo). Hilton hotels -- Thus far, we've seen two properties close to COVID-19. We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and get emailed notifications of when we post. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. It's heartbreaking to see any hotel close, and our hearts go out to every hospitality employee that's been furloughed or laid off due to the pandemic. After tourists largely disappeared because of the pandemic, the. Some are talking about affordable housing, but that's got its own issues.. Masa Azul(closed until the "pandemic wanes") Ludlow Liquors(closed until further notice) Scofflaw(closed until April) Longman & Eagle(until 2021) The Whale . 1. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. A "closed" sign hangs on the door of Lafayette Coney Island restaurant in Detroit, Michigan, April 4, 2020. New York will return when people go back to work in their offices, and as a result that generates business travel for people coming to visit, said Dan Peek, president of Hodges Ward Elliott, an independent brokerage for the hospitality market. As pandemic exits go, its hard to top The Roosevelt Hotel. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Still, for a trendy boutique hotel, a 20-year run is an eternity. Plus 4 more than we have no idea whats going on. I say good riddance of tired properties that charged resort fees. She was really mad (and wet). Fitzpatrick followed in the footsteps of his late father, who opened his first hotel in Ireland. ), Things To Consider When Using AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts. Your email address will not be published. This is the second time weve written an obit for the Hotel Pennsylvania. With the citys overall budget of about 94 billion dollars, that means almost 2% came from the hotel industry alone. Instead, there is a listing of coronavirus cautions for various places. Another Shelton brush with fame came in 1926, when escape artist Harry Houdini spent an hour and a half submerged in the hotel pool in an airtight, coffin-like box equipped with an emergency telephone. The family-size rooms dated from the 200-room Excelsiors origins as a residential hotel in 1922 called Hotel Standish Hall, named inexplicably for the Pilgrims brutal advisor, Myles Standish. Since then weve gathered a second batch six more hotels that didnt survive the pandemic but deserve one last look. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Omni Berkshire Place, the 399-room hotel located at 21 E. 52nd. Hotels closed after NYC COVID outbreak (11) 1. Celebrating Winter: These Four NYC Hotels Are Going All Out for Game of Thrones in Its Final Season, Three NYC Hotels for Watching March Madness 2019 with Beer and a Crowd, The Mark Hotel, Its Grand Penthouse and Meghan Markles New York Baby Shower. . With multiple bars, a pool table in the library and a rakish attitude, this exuberant, 878-room Philippe Starck/Ian Schrager collaboration from 2000 transformed a decrepit SRO hotel in a massive 1928 brick building into a mind-bending play space for guests on a budget. From a yakitori tasting on a hotel rooftop, to BECs at a legendary pizza spot, here are 24 pop-ups . W New York introduced the now-classic W recipe lobbies called Living Rooms, high-concept restaurants, pillow-top beds and pulsating bars that attracted locals. Most, at this point, consider themselves to be on pause, and hope to reopen sometime in the future. Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Theres now a push by some politicians, including Gov. But the historic exterior still stands tall at 525 Lexington Avenue. The Times Square Edition is open. The aptly named Library bar sported polished wood shelves, an oriental rug and a formidable array of books organized by topic instead of spine color. This hotel at 8 Herald Square permanently closed in the fall of 2020, but . Omni Berkshire 10. More than 30 percent of the citys 705 properties shut down during the pandemic. A Running List of Restaurants That Closed in New York City, January 2021 The East Village outpost of Big Gay Ice Cream, the West Village's legendary Beatrice Inn, and more restaurant. The Surrey was a flourishing, Upper East Side hotel with a glamorous, art-filled lobby and a sexy, grown-up bar when the pandemic closed it temporarily in March, 2020. In the room was a decorative pool. "It's a ghost town." The employees did not want to be identified because their managers had not authorized them to speak to the news media. A third in LA plans to reopen soon. Not every shuttered hotel was a gem. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Luxe Life had the misfortune to open in February 2020, all but dooming the 98-room boutique hotel. We're seeing them globally, including in these other U.S. cities. An iconic fixture in the landscape of Midtown Manhattan, The Roosevelt Hotel will soon join the growing list of New York City businesses to shutter amid . They gutted the place, renovating the rooms and upgrading public spaces. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. list of nyc hotels permanently closed. For many, the closure is (or at least hopefully is) just a pause, with plans to reopen when things are better. Instead, they formally announced they were closing up shop for good. Gaze up at the the New York Marriott East Sides massive Roman Revival building, and youll see everything that made this towering hotel remarkable. Expect whatever becomes of 356 West 58th Street to look very different from Hudson. Where Properties Have Permanently Closed The severe economic impact of the pandemic has forced many hotels to close. I am saddened to learn the Marriott on Lexington Avenue in New York has closed. Still a lot of new development going on as well! John Fitzpatrick has weathered multiple crises in his more than three-decade career in the hotel industry. But even if they didnt, if they rise from the ashes and are reimagined as hotels, even if they didnt charge resort fees before, I suspect they will now , Can you tell me if the Lex boutique hotel on 26th street and Lexington Avenue is still open. The Ansonia. After a ten-year run, the 56-story W Downtown across the street from Freedom Tower closed in October 2020, eliminating 217 stylish, sizable and somewhat soulless guest rooms and depriving the buildings 223 luxury condo residents of hotel amenities that included a gym, screening room and preferred seating at the BLT Bar and Grill and Living Room Lounge, a clubby lair whose swooping ceiling lights gently brightened and dimmed, like intakes of breath. Dauphin Hotel. New data released by the Department of City Planning showed 146 of the city's 705 hotels have closed or 20 percent. Two of those reopened, after all, bringing the total down to 16. Your additions, corrections and comments are requested and appreciated. Designed by architects Carrre and Hastings, the firm responsible for the Fifth Avenue New York Public Library, the building housed Life magazine from its early days in 1895 as a cartoon-filled, light entertainment publication through its 1936 transformation into Americas premiere photography magazine. I remember seeing them as advertisers back in the late 70s). B. Chicago Joe's. Little Italy. Folks want to own a particular hotel, whether it's a landmark or it's been in the family for a long time and they're just willing to continue to float the hotel from a financial perspective until it's viable on its own.. In 2019, there were roughly 123,000 hotel rooms in New York City. Please share it! Edition Times Square is closing permanently in NYC due to coronavirus. Turns out it was less costly for the hotel to reopen than for owners to pay city-mandated severance to out-of-work staffers. We visit each hotel anonymously and always pay when we eat and stay. Effective today, April 25, 2020, The Maxwell, New York City, Tribute Portfolio is ceasing operations and permanently closing. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. Like Grand Central Station, to which the hotel was umbilically linked by an underground passage, the Roosevelt had a knack for inserting itself into popular culture, from mid-century bandleader Guy Lombardos celebrated New Years Eve broadcasts from the Grand Ballroom to episodes of The Bachelor taped there. Those heady days had ended by 1977, when Irelands Dunfrey Family Hotel Company snapped up the property, renaming it the Berkshire Place and adding Omni to the name after acquiring Omni hotels. Sometimes a hotel just runs its course. The location was also super sweet for parade enthusiasts who doubled as Black Friday door busters. Its something that Mayor de Blasio has tried to curb over the years, with pushes to create special permits to review and approve new hotel developments. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It found 146 of the city's 705 hotels closed. For instance, theres the salary and benefits for staff, as well as overall maintenance of the facilities itself. I wondering about the prospects of HotelPennsylvannia. The NoMad was a haven. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. Hotel closures include the New York Marriott Eastside, W New York Downtown and two Courtyard locations (the Courtyard by Marriott in Herald Square and Courtyard Fifth Avenue). With just 11 residents and decaying quarters, talk of teardown began in 1974. Cobblestone(closed until April 1st) Thai Room. And despite the cratering of the hotel industry this year, the city is still moving forward with its study of the plan in anticipation of hotel bookings returning to pre-pandemic levels by 2025. This button displays the currently selected search type. When Do Hotels Charge Your Credit Card For Your Stay? The last 18 months have been a rough ride for New York City hotels. One appears to be closed and maybe is changing hands? That brings the total up to 21. Its Empire Room -- a 250-seat cabaret -- was a popular place for up-and-coming artists back in the day. 450 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001 Phone: 212-260-1332 We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The pandemic speeded things up. We're seeing them globally, including in these other U.S. cities. Its days as an unrealized, 190-room asset ended with a $60 million renovation in 2009, devised by architect Lauren Rottet. The historic property was set to close for good, citing COVID, after suspending operations in June 2020. It embodied the 90s boutique hotel formula to a T resurrect a run-down urban heap, install fresh bathrooms and orchestrate a big, buzzy lobby to distract guests from the fact that their exquisitely choreographed guest rooms were the size of monk cells. Despite a Hail Mary renovation in 2014, W New York was no longer luxurious or cool. 1. The mayor has voiced his support for a city-wide version of this requirement. NEW YORK Twenty percent of hotels across the city have closed during the pandemic, according to a new report by the Department of Planning. Changing colors in the Maxwell lobby (Overnight eew York photo). "As of July 10, our data shows 1,004 total hotels have closed (both temporarily and permanently) since March 1, with 626 hotels marked as permanently closed," says Norman. The Maxwell (formerly the W), 541 Lexington Avenue, permanently closed today. Five-star hotels in NYC are among the best in the world and include options like the InterContinental New York Barclay, which features valet parking, a restaurant and lounge, and room service. Although tourism isnt the only way New York makes money (as an idea, according to Center for an Urban Future, before COVID, tourists were responsible for about 24% of all credit card sales at NYC restaurants and drinking places), its a big moneymaker for thousands of entities in the Big Apple. Marriott Wardman Park - Washington, DC Novotel Times Square - New York Roosevelt Hotel - New York The Standard West Hollywood - Los Angeles Times Square Edition - New York W New York. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2017-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Your Mileage May Vary All Rights Reserved, Sad List: All The Hotels In New York City That Have Closed For Good Due To COVID, ourists were responsible for about 24% of all credit card sales at NYC restaurants and drinking places), Ground Transportation (Bus, Lyft, Subway, Taxi, Train, Uber, etc. classic NYC venues like Peoples Improv Theater, Jing Fong and Gem Spa Written by Christina Izzo , Shaye Weaver & Time Out. The Hotel at New York City. With the advent of COVID-19 and other factors, some hotels may permanently close. Nearly 20 percent of New York City 's hotels are being used to shelter the homeless in a widely criticized initiative that some say will 'bankrupt' the city and drive its wealthy residents out for . The Midtown hotel on East 45th Street, which Pakistan International Airlines owns, closed its doors permanently in mid-December 2020. The Omni Berkshire lobby at the time of the hotels closing (Omni Berkshire Place photo). To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Overnight New York is the independent guide to New York City hotels with honest, unbiased reporting and no ties to the hotels we write about. Lore Group, the building's operator, plans to renovate the property and open and manage another hotel in Ace's place. But this time, expect the wrecking balls. InterContinental Resort and Spa Moorea -- In May, points hoarders the world over were saddened to hear that the InterContinental Moorea Resort & Spa in French Polynesia, part of the Pacific Beachcomber group, had closed permanently. Banks closed . A month later, the 44-floor, 478-room Hilton Hotel Times Square on 42nd Street closed, citing the pandemic as the reason. ), Things To Consider When Using AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard New York Manhattan/Herald Square, 5 (Excelsior, Roosevelt, Hudson, Marmara & Salisbury) were independent, 4 (Hilton, Maxwell, NY Marriott & Omni Berkshire Place) were upper-upscale, 2 (Blakely & Comfort Inn) were upper-midscale. The Salisbury Hotel was originally built in the 1930s. Omni Berkshire Place was where many guest stars of Saturday Night Live used to stay, waaaaaaay back when (this video is from 1987. With the demise of the flashy W New York Downtown Hotel & Residences, Ws metropolitan New York footprint shrank to W Union Square, W Times Square and W Hoboken down from five before the demise of W New York in 2018. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. The Paris Cafe (Founded 1873) Located in the Historic South Street Seaport,. And that doesnt include the many locals checking in during a renovation, an altercation, a staycation or just after a long night. [] Marriott East Side2020721SAD LIST: ALL THE HOTELS IN NEW YORK CITY THAT HAVE CLOSED FOR GOOD DUE TO COVIDYour Mileage May Vary2021226NYC Hotel Market AnalysisNew York City Department of []. Find the right card for you. The fact that only somewhere between 3% and 4% of them closed due to COVID? More than 9,300 U.S. stores closed in 2019, and over 5,800 did the year before that, according to tracking by Coresight Research. But, nostalgia doesn't pay the bills and even though the Omni brand received approximately $84 million in the first round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the federal government, it has permanently laid off all of its employees. We loved the surprises Hudson cooked up early on, like the Semi-Automatic, a cheeky vending machine stocked with gold-plated handcuffs, sequined miniskirts and Ouiji boards instead of Doritos and M&Ms. But the pandemic has been its most swiftly destructive horseman. For the most part though, hotel owners are sitting tight until the landscape with coronavirus becomes a bit clearer, even if that means staying shut the whole time, which comes with its own source of issues. I would love to see them reimagined into some semblance of their former glories, rather than razed and turned into parking garages or modern office buildings. About 200 of the citys 700 hotels have closed their doors since the start of the pandemic, according to the Hotel Association of New York, which means the city could lose about 30% of its hotels if those establishments stay closed permanently. Anyone can do it, he told The New York Times. The group operates The sustainable luxury experience at The Brando on private island Tetiaroa as well as InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, the InterContinental Tahiti Resort & Spa as well as Maitai-branded resorts on Bora Bora, Rangiroa and Huahine. The Blakely New York -- After 17 years in the hotel business, the hotel has closed and is referring its past guests to Hotel Elysee (part of the Library Hotel Collection) or Dream New York Midtown. As its luster faded, it downshifted into proud, shabby-sort-of-chic gentility, housing guests priced out of the Carlyle and a dependable contingent of freshly divorced locals. Since the COVID outbreak: during 2020, approximately 12 Manhattan hotels permanently closed, and approximately 19 other hotels have not set a date to reopen. In other words, New Yorks lone hotel overlooking the American Museum of Natural History and the balloon-inflation for Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade isnt coming back. Save. ), 17% of U.S. restaurants have closed permanently, Read this first to help ensure it gets approved, | earthpix, The Naughtiest Adult-Only Hotels & Resorts In The World. TPG values it at $1,600. Right now, it's too early to see what's going to happen because nobody knows what the office market is going to actually look like, said Dandapani. All these things have a cumulative effect. It was already in financial trouble in very early 2020, after its employees unionized. Roosevelt 11. They've just got a handful of employees to ensure that boiler rooms are going, theres no water leaks or any other danger either to the hotel itself or to anybody who goes near the hotel, said Dandapani. Not every hotel that closed during the pandemic was a gem. After that law was enacted, Crains reported that property owner TRT Holdings chose to reopen the Omni Berkshire Place that Nov. 1, rather than permanently shutter the hotel and pay the severance. Six Memorable NYC Hotels Closed Permanently By The Pandemic October 4, 2021 / in Hotel History, Hotel Openings and Closings, Hotels in the News / by Terry Trucco The last 18 months have been a rough ride for New York City hotels. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. These werent on pause like some hotels were for months or years. The Marriott East Side looked outdated and empty when we stopped by shortly before the pandemic. But even the best marketing at the most enticing hotels hasn't been enough to keep occupancy at pre-pandemic levels. Bathtub in the bedroom at the NoMad (Overnight New York photo). If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. The Partnership for New York City estimates that roughly one-third of the city's 240,000 small businesses may never make it to the post-vaccine promised land. And they descended en masse at Thanksgiving to gaze from their windows as the balloons for Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade were inflated on the street below. Or might be a scam? Your email address will not be published. Reopened: November 2020. Enrollment required. While Hilton operates the hotel, Thor Equities is the property owner and was sued for failing to pay mortgage amounts that reached almost $338 million. It figures out to be 3.5% of all hotels in NYC and 5.8% of all hotel rooms. Thats why a big part of a hotel owners decision on what to do with their business often involves more than just financial calculations. And in case you missed them. When Do Hotels Charge Your Credit Card For Your Stay? It was nearly two years ago that Covid muscled into New York City and shuttered more than 30 percent of the city's 705 hotels a significant number of them permanently. list of nyc hotels permanently closed. While tourist spending is a major part of the citys revenue stream, business and commercial travel spending also constitute a large share. Officials expected those numbers to rise in 2020 with an estimated 67 million visitors by the end of the year, according to NYC & Company, the citys tourism agency. With the federal government's $900 billion . Here in Flushing, we have two new hotels that were supposed to open in the next month or two. Outside the city, the Hilton Westchester has shuttered. The rate of permanent closures has increased 10% since July, now sitting at 54%. Ace Hotel London Shoreditch -- While the hotel announced its closure, it said it hopes to reopen in a new London location in the future. Here's a look at a few of the places that have shuttered. It was designed by Warren & Wetmore, which was the same architectural firm that designed Grand Central Terminal. at the property. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Like this post? The Maxwell was Manhattans original W hotel. We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post. Its barely scratching the surface of what our industry could have been or should have been, rather, said Dandapani. In mid-April, this casino with guest rooms, dining, andof coursethe gaming rooms, announced its permanent closure after 35 years of business. Im sorry to hear that. With the pandemic bearing down on investments everywhere, the appraised value of the hotel went from $560 million in 2018, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, to just $305 million. La Fontanella. It's a case study in real estate gone wrong. We're following this story to determine if the hotel has worked out its financial woes. Even tony Beverly Hills isn't immune to hotel closures. A timeline by business analytics firm CB Insights dates the apocalypse to at least 2015. Omni Berkshire Place, the 399-room hotel located at 21 E. 52nd. Of the 18: 5 (Excelsior, Roosevelt, Hudson, Marmara & Salisbury) were independent 4 (the three AKAs & The W) were luxury 4 (Hilton, Maxwell, NY Marriott & Omni Berkshire Place) were upper-upscale New York has no shortage of Courtyard Marriotts, but the Courtyard Marriott Herald Square was unique. But some are too notable to slip away without a few words of appreciation. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Business Insider says that roughly 17% of U.S. restaurants have closed permanently since the start of the pandemic. Then, in October 2021, New York City passed legislation requiring hotels that closed or laid off 75% of their staff during the pandemic to provide severance for 30 weeks if they didnt recall at least 25% of employees by Oct. 11 and reopen by Nov. 1. It was designed by Warren & Wetmore, which was the same architectural firm that designed Grand Central Terminal. A little more than a year, ago, we posted a list of the (then) 18 hotels in New York City that had permanently closed due to COVID. The Cheers replica bar in Boston. Families checked in to see the museums dinosaurs, meteorites and gigantic blue whale. And the inspiration for the swanky lounge? It's stood on East 52nd Street since 1926 and its claim to fame was the fact that Rogers and Hammerstein wrote the musical "Oklahoma!"