The Plaza hotel in New York will close for at least four years from January 2027 to restore its façade

The Plaza, which opened on Fifth Avenue in 1907, will close from January 2027 for at least four years. Announced on 14 October 2026, the closure is intended to allow the repair and restoration of its listed façade; no reopening date has been set. That leaves until the end of December 2026 to stay the night, take tea at the Palm Court or simply see the Plaza open.

☰Contents

1. When does the Plaza close? From January 2027
2. Why close? A façade listed since 1969
3. 282 rooms shut, 181 residences left in limbo
4. Can you still stay at the Plaza? From €2,002
5. The Palm Court, tea beneath the glass ceiling
6. Opened in 1907, already closed from 2005 to 2008

When does the Plaza close? From January 2027

The announcement came in a statement issued on 14 October 2026 on behalf of The Plaza Hotel: given the scale of the works and their impact on operations, the hotel will close for at least four years from January 2027. The exact date of the final night has not been disclosed. On Fairmont’s official booking engine, no rooms were offered on 15 October for the nights we tested between 31 December 2026 and 12 February 2027.

No reopening date has been announced. The arithmetic is simple: at least four years from January 2027 takes us to 2031 at the earliest, with no guarantee that the timetable will hold. Neither the cost nor a detailed schedule for the works has been made public.

Why close? A façade listed since 1969

The statement talks of repairing and restoring a façade protected as a historic landmark. It cites the complexity of maintaining a building of such architectural and historical value, detailed planning, coordination with the various parties involved and compliance with heritage preservation rules. No technical details of the works have been given.

The issue is not new. In January 2023, a plan for a full restoration of the façade of 768 Fifth Avenue was presented to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the body that oversees New York’s listed landmarks. It covered the white brick, marble, granite, terracotta and wrought iron of the 18-storey building designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in the style of a French Renaissance château.

282 rooms shut, 181 residences left in limbo

The building brings together two worlds: the hotel with its 282 rooms and suites, and 181 privately owned condominium apartments created during the 2005 to 2008 renovation. The announcement concerns only the hotel. It does not say whether residents will have to move out during the works, even though the 2023 application covered the entire building, hotel and residences alike.

The hotel is operated by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, an Accor brand, and has been owned since 2018 by Katara Hospitality, the Qatari hotel company. Neither has said, at this stage, what will become of the function rooms or the restaurants during the works.

Can you still stay at the Plaza? From €2,002

Yes, until the end of December 2026 at the latest. On 15 October, the 44 m² Plaza 1 King room was offered from €2,002.06 for the night of 12 to 13 November 2026, for two adults, taxes and fees included, on Accor’s official website. That amount includes a €66.50 “Urban Experience Fee”, a charge the hotel bills on top of the room rate. For the final nights in December, it is best to check online directly, as the exact closing date has not been published.

Among the suites is the Eloise Suite, all in pink, a nod to the children’s book heroine who lives at the Plaza. Suite rates, room categories and booking tips are all covered in our full guide to The Plaza hotel.

The Palm Court, tea beneath the glass ceiling

You don’t need to stay the night to enjoy the Plaza before January 2027. It is a chance to take afternoon tea at the Palm Court beneath its glass ceiling, have a glass at the Champagne Bar or wander through the flower-filled lobby. Check opening hours and prices on the hotel’s official website, and book ahead, as the statement says nothing about the future of these spaces during the works.

Opened in 1907, already closed from 2005 to 2008

Opened on 1 October 1907, the Plaza saw its façade designated a New York City landmark in 1969, then the whole building named a National Historic Landmark in 1986; its interiors have been protected since 2005. It is a member of Historic Hotels of America. Its last long closure dates back to 2005, for a complete renovation finished in 2008.

The hotel also holds a special place in popular culture: little Eloise, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Crocodile Dundee and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, in which Donald Trump, owner of the property from 1988 to 1995, makes an appearance. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright lived there while the Guggenheim was being built, and the Beatles stayed there in 1964.

The Plaza is not the only great historic hotel to close for a long spell: the Waldorf Astoria New York reopened after eight years of works, and its namesake, The Plaza hotel in Seoul, is closed until 2029.