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Hotel Inter-Continental New York Completes Renovation Project By Reclaiming Orignial Name, The Barclay


 
Balancing Old New York Charm with Contemporary Design  

NEW YORK, NY (June 18, 2001) � The past is becoming the future for the Hotel Inter-Continental New York. 

In celebration of its 75th Anniversary and a spectacular multi-million dollar rejuvenation program of its 686 guest rooms and suites this year, the legendary hotel will reclaim its original Barclay name and be renamed Inter-Continental The Barclay New York.   While it is one of the most recognizable hotels in the city with a long and colorful history, this rejuvenation brings it into the 21st century with the latest in-room facilities and design.

Inter-Continental The Barclay New York will bring a heightened level of personalized service and style to the New York hotel scene with its elegant residential design and state-of-the-art in-room facilities, including the
newly introduced �One Stop Service�.  One call to the Barclay�s guest services professionals will take care of all of the guest�s needs, whether it is a wake up call or even a request for more pillows.  

�We are proud to bring back the Barclay name to this beautiful property.  Through our rejuvenation project, we have respected the history of the building, yet made it modern enough for today�s sophisticated business and leisure traveler,� said Frank van der Post, regional vice president, operations and general manager. �We have created an atmosphere of timeless elegance by combining the best of the hotel�s original character with today�s contemporary design, luxury and adaptable features.�  

Inter-Continental The Barclay New York, originally known as The Barclay, opened in November 1926 under the aegis of the Vanderbilt family.  It immediately achieved a reputation as an apartment hotel of distinction and exclusivity.  The famous oversized birdcage in its lobby became a popular meeting place for the social elite and was even available for use by visiting guests who traveled with their own birds.  The Barclay was the most luxurious hotel built by the New York Central Railroad and it was reputed to be one of the most glamorous and elegant hotels near Park Avenue.  In 1978, Inter-Continental Hotels took over The Barclay, restoring it at a cost of $32 million. It subsequently became the Hotel Inter-Continental New York in 1982.

75 Years of Celebrity Service

There have been a number of famous faces visiting the Barclay over the years.  Because of its proximity to the United Nations, nearly every major head of state has visited the hotel, including President Reagan, Francois Mitterand and Nelson Mandela.  President Clinton also used The Barclay as his New York
headquarters during the 1992 Presidential Campaign.  Pop superstars Whitney Houston and Gloria Estefan have stayed at the Barclay.  The Barclay has also been the home away from home for such legends as Bette Davis, Marlon Brando and Ernest Hemingway.  In addition, Major League Baseball uses the hotel when visiting New York City and the hotel has been the headquarters for the visiting teams of the National Football League. The Barclay has also served as the official New York residence of Miss America since 1958.

Guest Room and Suite Design

The hotel�s 686 guest rooms, including 86 suites, have been enhanced by new features designed to give a more intimate, residential feel, while recognizing the needs of modern travelers.
      
Upon entering the room, one immediately sees the beautiful in-laid parquet hardwood floor, creating a foyer and adding to the residential feel.  Two color palates and styles were developed for the guest rooms, the first is a rich combination of deep and pale gold with burgundy accents, the second, inspired by the fresh spring colors of New York, combine pale yellow, sky blue and forest green interspersed with taupe.  In both cases, the walls are treated with soft lemon textured wallpaper and the carpets are in a deep gold.  Spectacular window treatments, with gold drapery swags, add to the timeless elegance of each room, together with the restoration of the beautiful crown molding and beamed ceilings.

New soft and fluffy comforters with silky fabric and separate pillow shams, trimmed in velvet, were added to all the rooms, all in harmonious combination with the room�s color palates.  Also, over half of the guest rooms have now been converted to king-size beds.

Other additions include a centralized air conditioning and heating system with individually controlled thermostats and updated windows in all the rooms with enhanced soundproofing.  All of the hotel�s marble bathrooms now feature telephones, magnifying mirrors and improved lighting. 

Each of the 86 suites has an individual style with traditional furnishings and contemporary art.  The color scheme for the suites has a federal accent that includes various hues of blue, red and gold.   

Business Needs

A key element of the room redesign is its flexibility and adaptability for the frequent traveler.  The rooms have been designed to be interchangeable from a comfortable home setting to that of an office setting with easy access to power and data ports.  This has been achieved through the addition of a contemporary, oval shaped table/desk on wheels with an extendable working area, which can be positioned anywhere in the room to best suit the guest.  This is a clever solution to a business traveler�s need to have a comfortable hotel room and a functional office space.  

The Forrest Perkins design firm spearheaded the guest room rejuvenation and they will also oversee the changes made to the meeting rooms and conference facilities as well as the Barclay Bar and Grill, scheduled for summer this year.  Each of the meeting and conference facilities will be individualized and reflect an updated, elegant and sophisticated look with new carpeting and wall covering and custom designed Axminister carpets. 

The Barclay Bar and Grill will bridge its classic, traditional setting to reflect a more contemporary upscale design. This rejuvenation follows a major refurbishment program in 1996 that restored the main entrance and lobby to its original new world elegance.  The restoration focused on refurbishing the spectacular green and black bordered Tennessee marble floors, original neo-Federal cornices, ceilings and pilasters and magnificent Tiffany-style skylights decorated with copper neo-Federalist motifs to their original luster.

 
 

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Contact:
Melanie Brandman
The Brandman Agency
245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 602
New York  NY  10016
Tel:  (212) 683-2442
[email protected]
www.new-york.interconti.com


 
Also See Interior Designer Hirsch Bedner Associates Creates a �modern Florida style� Décor for The Hotel Inter-Continental Miami�s Multi-million Dollar Renovation / April 2001 
Warimpex Finanz and Bass Hotels Developing 406 room Inter-Continental in Warsaw / Mar 2001 


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