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The Pierre, A Taj Hotel
New York City, New York, United States · Taj Hotels · High Luxury
Corsican-born maître d'hôtel Charles Pierre and Wall Street backers including Otto Kahn and Walter Chrysler opened Schultze & Weaver's 41-story Pierre in October 1930, its mansard crown echoing Versailles' Royal Chapel over Central Park. Auguste Escoffier cooked the gala; J. Paul Getty bought the Depression-bankrupt house for $2.35 million in 1938. Taj Hotels acquired it in 2005; ABC once broadcast from the roof tower.
- 189 rooms
- Opened 1930
- Neighborhood: Midtown
- Architect: Schultze & Weaver
About The Pierre, A Taj Hotel
- Opened October 1930 at Fifth Avenue and 61st Street; Schultze & Weaver modeled the copper mansard after Mansart's Versailles chapel.
- Financiers behind Charles Pierre included Otto H. Kahn, Edward F. Hutton, Walter P. Chrysler, and Robert Livingston Gerry Sr.
- Auguste Escoffier prepared the opening gala dinner and worked as a guest chef in the early years.
- After 1932 bankruptcy, J. Paul Getty purchased the hotel in 1938 for $2.35 million.
- Edward Melcarth's 1967-68 trompe-l'oeil rotunda mural once included recognizable New York faces before critics forced a generic repaint.
History
Corsican-born Charles Pierre Casalasco, with Wall Street backers including Otto Kahn, Edward Hutton, Walter Chrysler, and Robert Livingston Gerry Sr., opened Schultze & Weaver's 41-storey Pierre in October 1930 at Fifth Avenue and 61st Street. The copper mansard copies Mansart's Royal Chapel at Versailles. Auguste Escoffier cooked the gala. The tower cost about 15 million dollars on the old Gerry mansion site and looks over Central Park.
The house went bankrupt in 1932. J. Paul Getty bought it in 1938 for about 2.35 million dollars. In 1959 a portion became a cooperative, with hotel rooms continuing below the apartments. Four Seasons managed it from 1981. The Upper East Side Historic District listing that year folded the tower into the city's landmark map.
Taj Hotels took the lease on 1 July 2005 as its North American flagship and later spent about 100 million dollars on works, with further Rotunda restoration in 2016. Guests still check in under the Versailles-derived crown that Charles Pierre raised in the Depression's first winter.
The setting
The Pierre, A Taj Hotel is a Midtown hotel on the northeast side of Midtown in New York City. The Plaza is about 3 minutes on foot; The Museum of Modern Art is roughly 8 minutes' walk. This is hotel country. Stay toward Central Park South if you want a morning in the park; stay west of Sixth if the show is the point. MoMA, Radio City, and Bryant Park are the afternoon-to-curtain map.
Restaurants and bars
- Perrine — Restaurant · French-American, seasonally-inspired
- Two E Lounge — Bar
Experiences
- Live jazz in Two E — Live jazz in Two E on designated evenings; the lounge offers live jazz every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.
- Perrine outdoor dining on the Rose Terrace — Perrine, the French-American restaurant, offers outdoor seating on the new Rose Terrace with views of Central Park.
Amenities
- Spa
- Fitness center
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
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