Blowing into New York for the weekend to see a Broadway show? Why not spend the weekend in total style by staying in the historic Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street. A room at the Algonquin will set you back $300 to $400, but in exchange, you get to immerse yourself in a beautiful designated National Literary Landmark.
The Algonquin has a long and colorful history; today, it’s the oldest operating hotel in New York City. It opened in 1902 and quickly became host to leading players in the theatrical and literary scene, notably the members of the Algonquin Round Table, which included writer Dorothy Parker, humorist Robert Charles Benchley, and Jane Grant and Harold Ross, co-founders of The New Yorker. These thinkers met daily for lunch and heated discussion in the main dining room.
One of the hotel’s best-known residents is of the feline variety. The tradition of keeping a cat in the hotel began in the 1930s when a homeless kitty wandered in. Today’s cat, Matilda, has her own personal chaise longue in the lobby, and enjoys lounging on a baggage cart.
