New York Information & Map

New York Information & Map | Location & History

As society secrets go, it was not very well kept. Marion Davies, however, the Hollywood actress who captured William Randolph Hearst's heart, was quite well kept. In 1926, Hearst built a 36-storey residential tower with a specially designed floor for Ms Davies' private residence and multiple apartments and suites for his Hollywood friends. From the day it was built, the Warwick was reserved for the elite.

The style that made it acceptable to Hearst's friends and glamour girls of Hollywood was the attention to detail - take a look at the carving in the clock by the Reception desk in the Lobby, the height of the ceilings, the spaciousness of the rooms and the size of the marbled bathrooms. The small Lobby was designed to keep the private, residential feel of the property and keep would-be gawkers away. The entire entry space of the building was designed for discretion.

Touted as one of the tallest apartment hotel buildings in the world when it was built for $5 million in 1926, the Warwick was one of the keystones in the socialisation of New York's West Side and served as an anchor between Fifth Avenue and Hearst's office building on 57th Street. By making the heart of the city's business and shopping district a residential area, Hearst began a fashion trend that is still spiralling today. The Warwick is surrounded by towers now, many of them are major corporate headquarters buildings, but some still remain residential.

Hearst and his friend Florenz Ziegfeld jointly built the Ziegfeld Theater across the street from the Warwick, making it convenient for residents and guests at the Warwick to play at the theatre or play at the opera. Paramount Pictures used the Warwick as headquarters for their stars filming in New York. James Dean, Cary Grant, Jane Russell, Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley were frequent guests. Cary Grant was actually a resident and lived in the hotel for 12 years. When The Beatles came to the US for the first time, they stayed at the Warwick - marking the beginning of Beatlemania in the US.

Needless to say, many of Manhattan's attractions were a short walk away from the Warwick of Hearst's time, which continues today as the Warwick started the development of the West Side. Whether a guest is on a family visit or simply has an hour between business meetings, New York is a myriad list of entertainment, cultural and theatrical experiences that are part of what makes New York the capital of entertainment.

For the business traveller, the Warwick puts them on the doorstep of corporate America. Headquarters offices on Avenue of the Americas or Park Avenue (a mere three blocks) are a brisk walk away. The city's convention centre, Jacob K Javits Center, is a quick five-minute taxi ride. In addition, the New York Hilton's convention centre is directly across the street.

Warwick New York puts the leisure traveller in the heart of Manhattan. The lights and sounds of Times Square and the shows of Broadway are a quick eight-block walk. Radio City Music Hall, the Holiday Tree and winter skating at the Rockefeller Center are four blocks away. Of course, one cannot forget the shopping of Fifth Avenue, 57th Street and Madison Avenue as well as the shops at the new Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle.

For the culturally inclined, the performances of the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall are a mere five-minute walk. Not to mention the numerous museums and cultural institutions, which make New York a true destination for all. The newly opened Museum of Modern Art is directly across the street from the Warwick.

For the sports enthusiast and nature-lover, Central Park is a quick three-minute walk from the hotel. It is a 'must visit' in New York, whether to join locals for a jog around the park, or to Rollerblade, cycle or speed-walk.

Also enjoy New York's myriad restaurants, presenting you with numerous choices of culinary cuisines from all around the world. No need to travel to the six continents of the world to get your variety of cuisines, one can sample food from around the world within the borders of Manhattan. There are also hundreds of bars, lounges and clubs to entertain the late-night crowd. No question as to why New York is called 'The City That Never Sleeps'.