St. Regis New York
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA landmark luxury hotel at Fifth Avenue and East 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, recognized as the historic flagship of the St. Regis hotel brand.
Last updated August 31, 2026
Overview
The St. Regis New York is a luxury hotel at 2 East 55th Street, at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Developed by John Jacob Astor IV and opened on September 4, 1904, the property was conceived as an exceptionally refined hotel for affluent residents and travelers at a time when the upper section of Fifth Avenue was changing from a largely residential district into a commercial and hospitality center. Its name comes from Upper St. Regis Lake in New York's Adirondack Mountains. The original 18-story building was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by Trowbridge & Livingston. Its limestone facade is organized into a classical base, shaft, and capital, while the interiors were originally finished with extensive marble, bronze, and other high-end materials. The building was planned with unusually substantial mechanical infrastructure, including three basement levels. Public spaces included a restaurant, café, palm court, hotel offices, banquet facilities, a ballroom, and private dining rooms. An eastern annex, designed by Sloan & Robertson, was completed in 1927 and expanded the hotel's accommodation and service capacity. From its opening, the hotel was associated with exclusivity, elaborate service, and prominent social life. Early management emphasized intensive staff training and promoted the hotel as a leading American standard of hospitality. Its location near major stores, theaters, private clubs, churches, and wealthy residential properties helped make it a venue for formal dinners, dances, and long-term stays by affluent families. The hotel also became known for its sophisticated food and beverage operations, including the King Cole Bar, whose Maxfield Parrish mural and association with the Bloody Mary cocktail are central elements of the property's identity, although the precise history of the cocktail's creation is disputed. The property has experienced several ownership and operating changes. Rudolph Haan managed it from its opening through 1926. Vincent Astor sold it to Benjamin Newton Duke in 1927, and Duke commissioned the annex. Following a dispute in the 1930s, Vincent Astor reacquired the hotel in 1935 and retained it until his death in 1959. After several transactions in the early 1960s and a short period under Cesar Balsa, the hotel joined the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts chain in 1966. Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016, bringing the property into Marriott's portfolio and the St. Regis Hotels & Resorts system. The Qatar Investment Authority acquired the hotel building in 2019, while Marriott continued to operate the hotel. Today, the St. Regis New York operates as a high-end urban hotel with guestrooms and suites, restaurants and bars, event and banquet facilities, and signature St. Regis services including dedicated butler service. It has received Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond recognition and is a designated New York City landmark. Its principal competitive distinction is the combination of historic Manhattan architecture, a globally recognized luxury-hotel name, formal service traditions, and a highly prominent Fifth Avenue location.
History
The site of the St. Regis New York stood at the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and East 55th Street, an area that was still partly residential in the late nineteenth century but was rapidly becoming one of Manhattan's most prestigious commercial districts. The property had previously been associated with the Astor family. John Jacob Astor IV, who was connected with the original Waldorf-Astoria, initially considered developing a residence there but changed course as Fifth Avenue's character evolved. He ultimately chose to build a hotel. The hotel was named for Upper St. Regis Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. At the end of 1900, Astor leased the proposed property to hotelier Rudolph Haan. Trowbridge & Livingston designed the building, and construction began in 1901. The project was controversial because nearby residents feared that a large commercial hotel would disrupt an area of wealthy homes. Construction caused disputes involving excavation, damage to neighboring properties, fireproofing, and the proposed liquor license. A sewage rupture flooded nearby houses, a marble block fell through a neighboring roof, and work was temporarily stopped after city officials objected to the fire safety of planned wood decoration. The liquor-license issue became particularly contentious because the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church was close to the hotel and New York law then required consent from nearby property owners and, in relevant circumstances, churches. The hotel's entrance was shifted from Fifth Avenue to East 55th Street, and Haan acquired a nearby property to satisfy the distance requirement. He secured a liquor license in 1904, after which the church withdrew its formal opposition. These conflicts illustrate the tension between the new hotel and the established residential and religious institutions surrounding it. The Hotel St. Regis opened on September 4, 1904. The building was an 18-story Beaux-Arts structure with a limestone exterior and richly decorated interiors. It was designed around extensive mechanical systems and included multiple basement levels. Its public rooms included a restaurant, café, palm court, banquet hall, ballroom, and private dining room. The hotel quickly attracted attention for its high level of finish, formal atmosphere, and expensive reputation. Although press coverage sometimes exaggerated its rates and made the property appear accessible only to the very richest guests, it also attracted affluent families who had moved away from traditional Midtown townhouses. The property became a setting for formal dinners, dances, and elite social gatherings. An outdoor restaurant on a Fifth Avenue terrace opened in 1906, but the terrace was later removed after Fifth Avenue was widened. The hotel's immediate neighborhood continued to be shaped by property purchases made by wealthy residents who wished to prevent further hotel expansion. These actions affected the hotel's ability to enlarge its footprint toward nearby streets. John Jacob Astor IV died in the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, and his son Vincent Astor inherited the hotel. During the 1920s, expansion plans moved forward. Vincent Astor sold the property in 1927 to Benjamin Newton Duke, who developed an eastern annex designed by Sloan & Robertson. The annex, completed that year, became an important part of the current complex. After an acrimonious dispute in the 1930s, Vincent Astor reacquired the hotel in 1935 and remained its owner until his death in 1959. The St. Regis changed hands several times during the early 1960s. Cesar Balsa operated the property briefly before it joined the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts chain in 1966. The building underwent multiple renovations over the following decades as operators adapted its guestrooms, public rooms, systems, and services to changing luxury-hotel expectations. Its historic architecture and location remained central to its commercial identity. Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2016 brought the hotel into Marriott's portfolio and connected it to the international St. Regis Hotels & Resorts network. The hotel building was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority in 2019, while Marriott remained the operator. The property continues to function as a luxury hotel, with accommodations, food and beverage venues, event spaces, and signature butler service. It has received Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond ratings and is recognized as a New York City designated landmark.
- 2019
Building sold to Qatar Investment Authority
[1]The Qatar Investment Authority acquired the hotel building, with Marriott continuing as operator.
- 2016
Hotel enters Marriott's portfolio
[1]Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, bringing the St. Regis New York into Marriott's luxury portfolio.
- 1966
Hotel joins Sheraton
[1]The St. Regis entered the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts chain.
- 1935
Vincent Astor reacquires the hotel
[1]After a dispute, Vincent Astor bought the property back and retained ownership until 1959.
- 1927
Eastern annex completed
[1]An annex designed by Sloan & Robertson was completed east of the original building after Benjamin Newton Duke acquired the hotel.
- 1912
Vincent Astor inherits the property
[1]Following John Jacob Astor IV's death aboard the RMS Titanic, his son Vincent Astor inherited the hotel.
- 1911
Fifth Avenue terrace is removed
[1]The hotel's projecting outdoor terrace was demolished after Fifth Avenue was widened.
- 1904
Hotel opens
[1]The Hotel St. Regis opened on September 4 at Fifth Avenue and East 55th Street.
- 1901
Construction begins
[1]Excavation began and Trowbridge & Livingston prepared the Beaux-Arts design for the new hotel.
- 1900
Astor leases the proposed hotel
[1]John Jacob Astor IV leased the planned Hotel St. Regis to hotelier Rudolph Haan, enabling construction and operation plans to proceed.
Products and positioning
Historic, ultra-luxury urban hotel combining Beaux-Arts architecture, formal personalized service, landmark Manhattan location, and St. Regis hospitality traditions.
Accommodation · 1904
Guestrooms and suites
The hotel's primary offering consists of luxury guestrooms and suites in a historic Beaux-Arts property. Accommodation is positioned around central Manhattan access, high-end interior design, personalized service, and the heritage associated with the St. Regis name.
Luxury hospitality service
St. Regis Butler Service
Dedicated butler service is one of the signature experiences associated with St. Regis hotels. At the New York property, it supports the brand's emphasis on individualized assistance, anticipatory service, and formal luxury hospitality.
Bar and dining
King Cole Bar
The King Cole Bar is the hotel's best-known public venue. It is recognized for its historic atmosphere, the Maxfield Parrish mural, and its association with the Bloody Mary cocktail tradition. The bar functions as both a hospitality outlet and a major part of the property's cultural identity.
Food and beverage · 1904
Dining and private events
The property provides restaurants, bars, private dining, banquet rooms, and event facilities. These offerings continue the hotel's early role as a venue for formal dinners, dances, receptions, weddings, and other high-end social functions.
Brand decisions
2016
Integration into Marriott InternationalM&ABackground
Marriott International acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the corporate group associated with the St. Regis hotel system.
Action taken
The St. Regis New York became part of Marriott's global luxury portfolio.
Aftermath
Marriott continued operating the hotel within the St. Regis brand architecture.
1966
Entry into the Sheraton chainM&ABackground
After several ownership changes in the early 1960s, the independent historic hotel required a broader operating platform.
Action taken
The St. Regis joined Sheraton Hotels and Resorts.
Aftermath
The property became part of a major international hotel operating network while retaining its historic name and location.
1927
Development of the eastern annexStrategyBackground
The original hotel required additional capacity, and the property footprint was expanded through nearby acquisitions.
Action taken
Benjamin Newton Duke developed an eastern annex on East 55th Street, designed by Sloan & Robertson.
Aftermath
The annex, completed in 1927, became part of the expanded hotel complex.
1904
Relocation of the principal entrance to East 55th StreetStrategyBackground
The hotel faced opposition over its liquor license because the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church was close to the property and contemporary New York rules imposed restrictions involving nearby churches.
Action taken
Hotelier Rudolph Haan moved the principal entrance from Fifth Avenue to East 55th Street, placing it beyond the relevant distance requirement, and subsequently obtained a liquor license.
Aftermath
The church withdrew its formal opposition to the license, allowing the hotel to operate its intended food and beverage facilities.
Recent events
- 2019
Qatar Investment Authority acquires the hotel building[1]
M&A
The Qatar Investment Authority acquired the St. Regis New York building, while Marriott International continued operating the hotel.
- 2016
Marriott ownership brings the property into the St. Regis portfolio[1]
M&A
Marriott International's acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts placed the St. Regis New York within Marriott's global luxury-hotel portfolio.
- 2016
The property becomes part of Marriott International[1]
M&A
Following Marriott's acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the New York property became part of Marriott's St. Regis portfolio.
- 1966
The hotel joins Sheraton[1]
M&A
Following ownership changes in the early 1960s, the St. Regis became part of the Sheraton Hotels and Resorts chain.
- 1966
The hotel joins Sheraton Hotels and Resorts[1]
M&A
After ownership changes during the early 1960s, the property became part of the Sheraton chain.
- 1927
Eastern annex completed[1]
Other
An annex east of the original hotel was completed under the ownership of Benjamin Newton Duke, expanding the property on East 55th Street.
- 1927
Eastern annex is completed[1]
Product generation
An annex designed by Sloan & Robertson was completed to the east of the original building, expanding the hotel complex.
- 1904
St. Regis New York opens on Fifth Avenue[1]
Other
John Jacob Astor IV's new Hotel St. Regis opened on September 4, 1904, introducing an ambitious luxury property to the developing commercial district around Fifth Avenue and 55th Street.
- 1904
The St. Regis New York opens on Fifth Avenue[1]
Other
John Jacob Astor IV's new hotel opened on September 4, introducing an elaborate Beaux-Arts luxury property to Midtown Manhattan.
Sources1 sources
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