Famed literary gatherings. Echoes of some of the world’s most celebrated cabaret singers. A singular environment of inspiration that spawned the creation of The New Yorker magazine. All of these things are impressive in their own right. More impressive still is that they all occurred at The Algonquin Hotel.

Today these traditions continue, just as they have for over 100 years. Step into the sanctuary of our lobby on any given evening, and you will find a diverse mix of New York’s cultural and artistic elite. Here, and within our famed Round Table Restaurant and Blue Bar, martinis are savored, ideas are shared, insights arrived at, and the designs that result shape the cultural fabric of the city.

At the beginning of the 20th century, New York’s social life was moving from downtown ballrooms to what has become today’s soaring Midtown. It was this migration that led to the construction of The Algonquin. In 1902, an intimate hotel with a red brick and limestone façade opened its doors in what had become one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Manhattan. The two most popular restaurants of the era – Sherry’s and Delmonico’s – were within walking distance. Five of New York’s great clubs – Yale, Harvard, Bar Association, New York Yacht, and the Century – were neighbors. The Hippodrome, advertised as “the world’s largest playhouse,” opened across the street, as did a number of noted theaters.

From its inception, manager (and later owner) Frank Case created a vision for The Algonquin as New York’s center of literary and theatrical life. His enduring fascination with actors and writers led him to extend them credit, in the process luring such luminaries as Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and John Barrymore.

Famed women flocked to the hotel as well, as The Algonquin was unconventional early on in accommodating single women guests. Over the years, these have included Gertrude Stein, Simone de Beauvoir, Helen Hayes, Erica Jones, and Maya Angelou.

Three Nobel laureates visited on a regular basis, including Sinclair Lewis (who offered to buy the hotel), Derek Walcott, and most memorably William Faulkner, who drafted his Nobel Prize acceptance speech at The Algonquin in 1950.

Over the years and throughout renovations, The Algonquin was steadfast in maintaining all of the qualities that had always delighted its guests. To this day, the oak-paneled lobby retains its Edwardian luster, with brass bells on each table summoning otherwise inconspicuous waiters. The Oak Room, named “New York’s Best cabaret venue” by New York magazine, evokes a jazz age club, with its rich paneling and warm lighting.

In 1998, and again in 2004, The Algonquin underwent extensive restoration. Both undertakings respected the legendary status of this New York landmark, and returned it to its traditional grandeur.

But perhaps the most important facet of our history is found in our hospitality. The hotel notes each guest’s individual requirements and preferences, so that upon return, their wishes can be attended to in advance. One keen observer wrote: “The Algonquin is one of the fast diminishing breed of hotels – those that still boast personality.” In the premiere issue of Historic Traveler magazine, The Algonquin was named one of “America’s Ten Great Historic Hotels.”

In 1987, The Algonquin was designated a New York City landmark, and in1996 it was designated a literary landmark. But surely, this remarkable hotel is destined for even greater artistic, cultural, and literary greatness.