Last Updated on July 25, 2026 by Daniel Globe
The Plaza Hotel in New York City is currently owned by Katara Hospitality, a Qatar-based hotel owner, developer, and operator. Katara acquired full ownership in July 2018 in a transaction widely reported at about $600 million. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor, manages the hotel. Sahara Group was the majority owner from 2012 until the 2018 sale, but it does not own The Plaza today.
Quick Answer
Katara Hospitality currently owns The Plaza Hotel in New York. The Qatari state-owned hospitality company acquired full ownership in July 2018 for a reported price of about $600 million. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts continues to manage and operate the property under the Fairmont brand.
Key Takeaways
- Current owner: Katara Hospitality.
- Acquisition date: July 2018.
- Reported transaction value: Approximately $600 million.
- Hotel manager: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor.
- Previous majority owner: Sahara India Pariwar, which acquired a controlling interest in 2012.
Who Owns The Plaza Hotel Now?
Katara Hospitality owns The Plaza Hotel. Katara is a hospitality company ultimately owned by the State of Qatar through the Qatar Investment Authority. The company lists The Plaza among the hotels in its owned portfolio.
Katara completed its acquisition in July 2018. Contemporary reporting said the company bought 100% of the hotel interests from Sahara India Pariwar and the other minority stakeholders for approximately $600 million. The purchase was Katara Hospitality’s first hotel acquisition in the United States.
Who Operates The Plaza Hotel?
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, an Accor luxury hotel brand, manages The Plaza. This means Katara Hospitality owns the hotel asset, while Fairmont handles the day-to-day hotel operation, reservations, guest services, food and beverage programs, and brand standards.
Note: An owner and a hotel operator are not always the same company. At The Plaza, Katara Hospitality is the owner, while Fairmont is the manager and hotel brand.
Does Katara Own Every Residence Inside The Plaza?
The Plaza is a mixed-use property. Part of the building operates as a hotel, while another portion contains condominium residences. Private condominium units can have separate individual owners, so ownership of a residence inside the building is different from ownership of the hotel business and shared commercial areas.
Plaza Hotel Ownership Timeline
| Year | Owner or Event | What Happened |
| 1907 | Bernhard Beinecke, Fred Sterry, and Harry S. Black | The current Plaza Hotel opened on October 1, 1907, after the earlier hotel on the site was demolished. |
| 1943 | Conrad Hilton and Atlas Corporation | They acquired the hotel for $7.4 million, according to The Plaza’s official timeline. |
| 1988 | Donald Trump | Trump acquired The Plaza for $390 million. |
| 1995 | CDL Hotels and Prince Alwaleed bin Talal | A partnership acquired the hotel after Trump’s ownership period. |
| 2004 | El Ad Properties | El Ad bought the property and later led a major restoration and partial condominium conversion. |
| 2012 | Sahara India Pariwar | Sahara acquired a 75% controlling interest in a transaction valued at approximately $575 million. Fairmont continued to operate the hotel. |
| 2018-present | Katara Hospitality | Katara acquired full ownership for a reported $600 million. Fairmont remained the manager. |
What Sahara Group Owned and When
Sahara India Pariwar did own a controlling stake in The Plaza, but the correct date is 2012, not 2018. Sahara acquired a 75% interest from El Ad US Holdings in a transaction valued at about $575 million. Kingdom Holding retained a minority interest at that stage, and Fairmont continued to operate the hotel.
In July 2018, Katara Hospitality bought full ownership, including Sahara’s majority stake and the interests held by the other stakeholders. Therefore, descriptions of Sahara as The Plaza’s current owner are outdated.
The Renovation and Restoration of The Plaza Hotel
The most important modern restoration happened before Sahara’s ownership. El Ad Properties closed The Plaza in 2005 for an extensive renovation and partial conversion of the building into hotel accommodations and private residences. The hotel reopened in 2008 after a restoration that The Plaza’s official history values at approximately $450 million.
The work restored protected public interiors and updated rooms, building systems, event areas, and guest facilities. Because The Plaza is both a New York City landmark and a National Historic Landmark, changes to protected areas required careful preservation of significant architectural details.
The Plaza Hotel’s Landmark and Cultural Importance
Designed by architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the current Plaza opened on October 1, 1907. Its French Renaissance-inspired exterior and prominent location at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South helped make it one of New York City’s best-known hotels.
The Plaza became a designated New York City landmark in 1969, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Several major public interiors, including the Palm Court, Oak Room, Grand Ballroom, and Terrace Room, also received New York City interior landmark protection.
The hotel appears in literature and film. F. Scott Fitzgerald set scenes from The Great Gatsby at The Plaza, and the property became especially familiar to modern audiences through Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Its official timeline also records visits and events involving the Beatles, political figures, performers, and prominent New York society.
Fact Check: The Plaza did not host the first American performance of The Nutcracker in 1954. San Francisco Ballet staged the first complete U.S. production on December 24, 1944.
The Iconic Features of The Plaza Hotel
| Feature | Why It Is Notable | Current Context |
| Grand Ballroom | A landmarked formal venue known for weddings, galas, and major social events. | Available for private events through The Plaza’s event team. |
| Terrace Room | A restored historic event space with chandeliers and architectural detailing. | Used for receptions, ceremonies, dinners, and meetings. |
| Palm Court | The hotel’s best-known dining room, famous for afternoon tea beneath its stained-glass dome. | A current dining venue; reservations are recommended. |
| Rose Club | An elegant upper-level room overlooking the lobby and Palm Court area. | Currently promoted as a private event venue rather than a guaranteed public live-jazz lounge. |
| Eloise Suite | A colorful suite inspired by Kay Thompson’s fictional character Eloise. | Offered as one of The Plaza’s distinctive themed suites. |
| Shops at The Plaza | Boutiques and services are part of the property’s mixed hotel and retail experience. | The official site currently lists shops such as MIKI HOUSE and Krigler, along with an online Plaza boutique. |
| Former Plaza Food Hall | A once-prominent lower-level gourmet market and dining concept. | It is not listed among the hotel’s current official dining venues. Current options should be checked on The Plaza or Fairmont website. |
Beyond these named spaces, The Plaza is recognized for its chateau-like façade, marble and mosaic finishes, decorative plasterwork, chandeliers, and location across from Central Park. These features give the property its strong sense of place and help explain why both the exterior and major interiors have landmark protection.
The Luxury Accommodations at The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza currently advertises 282 guest rooms and suites, including 102 suites. Rooms blend traditional detailing with modern hotel features. Depending on the category, accommodations may include high ceilings, sitting areas, marble or mosaic-tiled bathrooms, bathtubs and separate showers, gold-plated fixtures, butler pantries, dining areas, terraces, and views of Fifth Avenue, Central Park, the courtyard, or the surrounding city.
Not every room has a Central Park view, so guests should check the exact room description before booking. Larger options include multi-room suites, the Royal Suite, the Gatsby Suite, the Eloise Suite, and residential-style accommodations intended for longer stays.
Pro Tip: When comparing rooms, confirm the exact view, bed type, suite layout, accessibility features, and whether butler service is included or available only by request.
The Dining and Entertainment Options at The Plaza Hotel
The hotel’s current official dining lineup is more focused than older descriptions suggest. The principal options are:
- The Palm Court: Afternoon tea, breakfast, and other dining in the hotel’s landmarked central court.
- The Champagne Bar: Breakfast, light fare, cocktails, champagne, wine, and caviar overlooking Fifth Avenue and the Pulitzer Fountain.
- In-Room Dining: Selected meals and refreshments served in guest rooms and suites.
The former Plaza Food Hall was a notable part of the lower-level retail area, but it is not included on the current official dining page. Hours, menus, reservation rules, and venue access can change, so visitors should verify them directly through The Plaza’s current dining page.
The Event Spaces and Facilities at The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza remains a major venue for weddings, galas, private dinners, meetings, and corporate events. Its current event information lists nine venues, approximately 21,000 square feet of meeting space, and a maximum capacity of up to 900 guests, depending on the room and setup.
Major spaces include the Grand Ballroom, Terrace Room, Oak Room, Edwardian Room, Palm Court, Rose Club, Executive Boardroom, and smaller meeting rooms. The hotel also provides event planning, catering, and audiovisual support. Exact capacities vary by seating arrangement, so organizers should use the hotel’s current capacity charts rather than relying on a single building-wide figure.
The Plaza’s appeal comes from a rare combination: an operating luxury hotel, protected landmark interiors, private residences, and event rooms tied to more than a century of New York history.
The Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives at The Plaza Hotel
The Plaza’s current sustainability information identifies several property-level measures. These include energy-efficient LED lighting in rooms and public spaces, efforts to reduce single-use plastics, an optional sheet and towel reuse program, and participation in Clean the World’s amenity recycling program.
These initiatives are presented as current hotel operations rather than as projects that can be attributed solely to Sahara Group or any one ownership period. Sustainability practices can change as hotel standards, suppliers, and local rules evolve. Guests and event planners can review the latest details on The Plaza’s official sustainability page.
Current Position and Future Outlook
Katara Hospitality continues to list The Plaza in its owned hotel portfolio, and Fairmont continues to market and manage the property. As of July 25, 2026, the official owner and hotel websites do not announce a pending ownership change.
Future renovations, dining concepts, technology upgrades, or wellness changes should not be presented as confirmed unless the owner or operator announces them. The hotel already offers modern reservation systems, a 24-hour fitness center, spa and salon services, concierge support, and updated guest-room technology, but any major future development remains subject to official confirmation.
The Impact of Katara Hospitality’s Ownership
Katara’s 2018 purchase brought The Plaza under the portfolio of a long-term owner of prominent luxury hotels. The clearest visible continuity is that Fairmont remained the manager, allowing the hotel to retain its existing brand, reservations network, service structure, and operating identity.
Ownership alone should not be credited for every renovation, restaurant change, or sustainability measure. The Plaza’s current condition reflects work completed across several ownership periods, especially El Ad’s 2005-2008 restoration, Sahara’s 2012-2018 majority ownership, Katara’s ownership since 2018, and Fairmont’s continuing hotel management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who currently owns The Plaza Hotel?
Katara Hospitality currently owns The Plaza Hotel in New York City. Katara is a Qatar-based hotel owner, developer, and operator.
When did Katara Hospitality acquire The Plaza?
Katara Hospitality completed its acquisition in July 2018. The transaction gave it full ownership of the hotel interests.
How much did Katara pay for The Plaza Hotel?
The 2018 transaction was widely reported at approximately $600 million.
Did Sahara Group own The Plaza Hotel?
Yes. Sahara India Pariwar acquired a 75% controlling interest in 2012. Katara Hospitality bought full ownership in 2018, ending Sahara’s ownership period.
Who manages and operates The Plaza?
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of Accor, manages The Plaza. Katara owns the hotel, while Fairmont operates it under the Fairmont brand.
Are all residences inside The Plaza owned by Katara?
No. The building includes private condominium residences. Individual residential units can have separate owners, distinct from the ownership of the hotel operation and commercial areas.
Is The Plaza Hotel expected to change ownership?
As of July 25, 2026, Katara Hospitality still lists The Plaza in its portfolio, and no pending sale is announced on the official owner or hotel websites. Ownership can change in the future, so current official sources should be checked for updates.
Sources
- Katara Hospitality acquisition announcement — confirms Katara’s acquisition and The Plaza’s place in its portfolio.
- Reuters report on the 2018 transaction — supports the reported purchase price and transfer from Sahara and other stakeholders.
- The Plaza official history timeline — supports opening, landmark, cultural, ownership, and restoration milestones.
- Fairmont’s current Plaza Hotel page — supports current management, room count, amenities, and hotel services.
- New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report — supports the protected status and significance of major interiors.
- National Park Service National Historic Landmarks list — confirms The Plaza’s National Historic Landmark designation.