Standing on Park Avenue, the Loews Regency Hotel has been a cornerstone of uptown Manhattan and an integral element of the Upper East Side’s reputation as a mecca for New York society for the past fifty years. When it was built in 1963, Bob and Larry Tisch’s hotel offered VIPs state-of-the-art amenities such as bathroom phones and stereophonic TV sets and it immediately attracted high-profi le guests including Princess Grace of Monaco, Frank Sinatra, Sophia Loren, Henry Kissinger and many others. Richard Burton and Liz Taylor made it their New York home during the fi lming of Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?. The concept of the power breakfast was born at the Regency. In the midst of New York’s fi nancial meltdown in the 1970s, Bob Tisch began inviting the city’s movers and shakers from the public and private sectors to the Regency’s dining room to discuss strategies to jumpstart the city’s recovery over breakfast. Jonathan Tisch, Bob’s son, realised that the hotel needed an update to appeal to today’s elite traveller. In a bold move, he closed the landmark building’s doors for an entire year in 2013 for a $100 million renovation.

The new look has brought the Loews Regency Hotel into the 21st century while maintaining links with its rich past. The Loews Regency still exudes Park Avenue luxury but with a contemporary twist. For example, the limestone walls have been replaced by Brise de Printemps, an art installation by Nina Helms that features 483 dogwood fl owers and spans the length of the lobby lounge. The renovation continues upstairs with new, clean and classic design in all the guest rooms. Another exciting addition is the Julien Farel Restore Salon and Spa. During my stay, I enjoyed my two dinners at the Regency Bar & Grill remendously. I had a wonderful pasta with white truffl es from Alba, and the Jumbo Lump Crabmeat from the Raw Bar was impeccable. The supervision of chef Dan Silverman, Wine Director Andre Compeyre and Director of Hospitality Christian Savaglia means you just can’t go wrong.

Copyright 2015 Mart Engelen