Complete Plaza Hotel Owner Guide for 2026 Facts

Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Daniel Globe

The Plaza Hotel has changed hands several times since the current building opened at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South in 1907. Today, its ownership is international, its hotel operations are handled by a separate luxury hotel company, and part of the landmark building consists of privately owned residences. Here is how the ownership structure works and how The Plaza reached its current position.

Who Owns the Plaza Hotel in New York?

Katara Hospitality Owns the Hotel

Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hospitality asset owner and manager, currently owns The Plaza’s hotel asset. Katara acquired full hotel ownership in July 2018. The transaction was widely reported at approximately $600 million and included the 75% interest previously held by India’s Sahara Group as well as the remaining minority interests.

The purchase was Katara Hospitality’s first hotel acquisition in the United States. The company continues to list The Plaza in its owned hotel portfolio.

Fairmont Manages Day-to-Day Operations

Ownership and hotel management are separate. Katara Hospitality owns the hotel, but Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor, manages its daily hotel operations. Fairmont handles functions such as reservations, guest services, rooms, dining, housekeeping, and hotel staffing under its management agreement.

Does Katara Own the Entire Plaza Building?

Not every part of the building has the same owner. The Plaza was converted into a mixed-use condominium property during its 2005–2008 redevelopment. It now includes a hotel section and approximately 181 private residential condominium units.

Katara’s ownership of The Plaza Hotel does not mean it owns every privately purchased residence in the building. Individual condominium owners hold their own units, while shared areas and services are governed by the property’s condominium and management arrangements.

Why the 2018 Sale Happened

Before the acquisition, Sahara Group held the controlling interest in The Plaza while facing prolonged legal and financial problems in India. The hotel had been marketed for sale through several attempted transactions. Katara’s completed purchase ended that period of ownership uncertainty and placed the hotel in a portfolio focused on long-term luxury hospitality assets.

The Plaza Hotel Ownership Timeline

Why the Plaza Hotel Is a Landmark

The Plaza is more than a luxury place to sleep. It is a protected New York landmark with architectural, social, and cultural importance.

Architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh designed the current building with the appearance and opulence of a French château. It opened on October 1, 1907, after approximately two years of construction.

The building became a New York City landmark in 1969. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Several important public interiors, including The Palm Court, Grand Ballroom, Terrace Room, and major lobby spaces, received New York City interior-landmark protection in 2005.

The Plaza also occupies one of Manhattan’s most recognizable locations at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. Its setting, architecture, public rooms, and long connection with New York society have helped it remain recognizable even to people who have never stayed there.

The Plaza’s importance comes from more than its guestrooms. Its protected architecture, public rooms, events, books, and films have made the building part of New York’s cultural identity.

The Plaza Hotel’s Famous Guests

The strongest documented connections extend beyond overnight stays. The hotel’s official history records political gatherings, society weddings, charity events, film productions, and public appearances involving well-known figures.

Other notable Plaza moments include Truman Capote’s 1966 Black and White Ball, Julie Nixon’s 1968 wedding reception, the first Victoria’s Secret fashion show in 1995, and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones’s wedding in 2000.

The Renovation of the Plaza Hotel

The Plaza’s most important modern restoration was not recent. The hotel closed in 2005 for an extensive redevelopment led by Elad Properties and reopened in 2008 after a restoration reported at approximately $450 million.

The project restored major public rooms and historic details while converting a large part of the building to private residences. New York City planning documents described a plan to reduce the former 805-room hotel to roughly 284 hotel rooms and create approximately 181 residential condominiums. The current hotel advertises 282 guestrooms, including 102 suites.

The restoration added modern building systems, room technology, updated bathrooms, and residential-style suites while preserving landmarked spaces such as The Palm Court, Grand Ballroom, Terrace Room, and principal lobbies.

The Plaza Hotel’s Current Rooms, Dining, and Amenities

The Plaza currently offers 282 guestrooms, including 102 suites. Rooms combine traditional decorative details with current hotel technology. Depending on room category, features may include sitting areas, marble or mosaic-tiled bathrooms, gold-plated fixtures, butler pantries, terraces, and partial city or Central Park views.

Current amenities and services include:

• The Palm Court: Breakfast, afternoon tea, evening food, and cocktails beneath its stained-glass dome.
• The Champagne Bar: Champagne, wine, caviar, and evening drinks.
• 111SKIN SPA/CLINIC: Skin, body, massage, and wellness treatments.
• Fitness center: A 24-hour facility for registered hotel guests.
• Butler service: Available on request for qualifying suite guests.
• In-room dining: Food and beverage service delivered to guestrooms and suites.
• Accessible accommodations: Selected rooms and equipment for guests with mobility needs.
• Pet-friendly services: The hotel accepts dogs under its current pet policies.
• Shops and services: Retail, books, jewelry, salon, and wellness businesses within The Plaza complex.

How the Plaza Hotel Shapes New York City Culture

The Plaza has appeared in literature, film, television, fashion, and New York social history. Its best-known literary connections include F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which places a major confrontation scene in a Plaza suite, and Kay Thompson’s Eloise, whose young fictional resident became closely identified with the hotel.

The hotel has also appeared in films such as North by Northwest, Barefoot in the Park, Crocodile Dundee, and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. These appearances have made its entrance, lobby, suites, and public rooms familiar to audiences around the world.

Its cultural role also comes from real events. The Plaza has hosted charity galas, political gatherings, weddings, fashion events, press appearances, and private celebrations for more than a century.

The Plaza Hotel’s Contribution to Luxury Hospitality

The Plaza helped define the image of the grand urban luxury hotel in the United States. Its influence is visible in its formal public rooms, residential-style suites, personalized guest service, elaborate events, and ability to serve both travelers and New York society.

Rather than relying on unproven claims that The Plaza invented room service or concierge service, its importance is better measured by longevity. It has continued operating through changing owners, economic downturns, redevelopment, and major shifts in traveler expectations while maintaining its identity as a high-service landmark hotel.

Its current model also illustrates how many major luxury hotels operate. A long-term property owner controls the asset and investment strategy, while a global hotel brand manages reservations, staffing, service standards, and daily operations.

The Plaza Hotel’s Signature Events and Dining Experiences

The Plaza remains a major venue for weddings, galas, corporate gatherings, and private celebrations. Its best-known event spaces include the Grand Ballroom, Terrace Room, and several smaller meeting rooms and suites.

The event team coordinates catering, room layouts, floral design, audiovisual services, and guest logistics. The hotel’s landmark status gives events a historic setting, but it can also place limits on how protected rooms may be altered or decorated.

The Plaza’s Grand Ballroom and landmarked public rooms remain central to its identity, connecting modern celebrations with more than a century of New York social history.

For visitors who are not attending a private event, afternoon tea at The Palm Court is the most accessible signature experience. Reservations are strongly recommended, and dress and cancellation policies apply.

The Plaza Hotel’s Impact on the Local Economy

The Plaza contributes to New York’s visitor economy through hotel stays, dining, events, retail, wellness services, and guest spending at nearby attractions and businesses. Its location beside Central Park and Fifth Avenue places it within one of the city’s busiest tourism and luxury-shopping districts.

The property also supports hospitality, culinary, housekeeping, maintenance, security, retail, wellness, management, and event-related work. However, current public sources do not provide a reliable annual visitor count, payroll total, or complete employment figure for the hotel, so specific numerical claims should be avoided unless the hotel publishes them.

Its broader economic value also comes from its identity as a protected landmark. The building attracts visitors, film and media attention, private events, and commercial activity partly because its historic architecture has been preserved.

The Future of the Plaza Hotel Under Katara Hospitality

As of July 24, 2026, Katara Hospitality continues to list The Plaza among its owned hotels, and the property continues to operate under Fairmont management. No official ownership change is shown in Katara’s current portfolio.

Katara describes its broader strategy as long-term asset management focused on protecting and increasing the value of major hospitality properties. At The Plaza, that means balancing three priorities: maintaining a costly historic building, meeting current luxury-service expectations, and complying with landmark protections.

The Plaza’s future is therefore more likely to depend on ongoing restoration, maintenance, updated guest services, and careful management than on dramatic changes to its protected public identity. Its mixed hotel-and-residential structure will also remain an important part of how the building is governed and used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who currently owns the Plaza Hotel in New York?

Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hospitality asset owner, owns The Plaza’s hotel asset. It completed the acquisition in July 2018.

Who manages the Plaza Hotel?

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts manages the hotel’s day-to-day operations. Katara Hospitality is the owner, while Fairmont handles hotel services and operations under a management arrangement.

Does Donald Trump still own the Plaza Hotel?

No. Donald Trump bought The Plaza in 1988 and sold his ownership interest in 1995. He has no current ownership role in the hotel.

How much did Katara Hospitality pay for The Plaza?

The 2018 acquisition was reported at approximately $600 million. Katara purchased full ownership of the hotel, including the controlling interest previously held by Sahara Group.

Does Katara Hospitality own the private Plaza residences?

Katara owns the hotel asset, but individual owners hold the private residential condominium units. The building contains separate hotel and residential sections with shared condominium arrangements.

How many rooms does the Plaza Hotel have?

Fairmont currently lists 282 guestrooms at The Plaza, including 102 suites. The room count is much lower than before the building’s partial conversion to private residences.

Is the Plaza Hotel open to the public?

The Plaza operates as a hotel with guestrooms, dining, events, a spa, and shops. However, visitors should not assume unrestricted sightseeing access. Reservations or a confirmed reason for visiting may be required, especially during holidays and other busy periods.

Sources

1. Katara Hospitality Hotel Portfolio — Confirms that Katara continues to list The Plaza as an owned, Fairmont-managed hotel.
2. Katara Hospitality Acquisition Announcement — Confirms the acquisition and Fairmont management arrangement.
3. The Plaza Official History — Supports the opening date, architecture, restoration, and cultural history.
4. Fairmont: The Plaza — Supports the current room count, suite count, amenities, dining, and management identity.
5. National Park Service: Plaza Hotel — Supports the property’s National Register documentation and architectural significance.
6. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior Designation Report — Supports the protection of The Plaza’s important public interiors.