NEW YORK, N.Y.—The InterContinental New York Barclay hotel is currently undergoing an extensive $180 million renovation and will make its debut in spring 2016. The Barclay will feature 704 guestrooms with 31 suites, which includes an expansive Presidential Suite and a Penthouse Sky Suite with 1,500 square feet of outdoor terrace space overlooking the Chrysler building. In addition, the hotel will offer 15,000 square feet of meeting space, including two large ballrooms, a gin bar and lounge that will establish itself as the east side’s premier convivial scene, and a signature Club InterContinental, offering exclusive amenities to discerning travelers.
The revival of The Barclay celebrates the hotel’s distinctive 90-year legacy while modernizing every detail, providing a luxurious residential-style guest experience in the heart of the city. Throughout the renovation, meticulous attention to detail was applied to all aspects of the hotel ensuring travelers enjoy The Barclay Experience – quintessential New York elegance, an international outlook, sustainable practices, and a celebration of culture.
As part of The Barclay’s extensive renewal, architects Stonehill + Taylor and interior design firm HOK (formerly BBGM) together with Shawmut Construction, are restoring the property’s original Federal-style elegance with a nod to the modern. The Barclay’s new interiors will reveal a contemporary take on the luxurious residential feel of the original 1926 hotel, which was designed by Cross & Cross, the architectural firm behind the Fifth Avenue’s Tiffany & Co building.
In a nod to its rich history with Caswell-Massey, The Barclay has commissioned the apothecary to develop a line of bath products with fragrances created by olfactive firm Nose Knows Design that will be available in the hotel’s suites. Caswell-Massey was housed at The Barclay for more than 80 years. Prominent New Yorkers and Hollywood celebrities such as George Gershwin, Katharine Hepburn Jacqueline Onassis, Judy Garland, and Greta Garbo were loyal customers of the company.
The Barclay enlisted historian and New York Times bestselling author Donald L. Miller, who recently-released “Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America,” to assist in researching the property’s past as one of New York’s original “Railroad” hotels. His work chronicles The Barclay’s rich heritage as a residence to many prominent guests who visited, lived, worked, and socialized at the hotel, including Martin Luther King Jr., Ernest Hemingway, and President Bill Clinton, among others.
As travelers step in to The Barclay, they will step up to a reimagined, classic hotel that caters to a diverse, modern, international clientele that includes business leaders, heads of state, diplomats and the well connected. The hotel’s spacious lobby area will evoke a sophisticated calm oasis set amidst the bustle of the city.
The hotel’s concierge will assist guests offering cutting edge visitor experiences, in-room exclusive shopping opportunities, personal training, chef dining, virtual butlers, and private showings. The Barclay’s multilingual staff speaks 40 languages and the hotel offers over 2000 international magazines and newspapers via PressReader, and foreign television channels for the home-away-from-home comfort of the hotel’s international clientele.
The Barclay has long been a leader in sustainable hospitality and is committed to its position as one of the most sustainable hotels in New York. It was among the first hotels in the state to provide a rooftop garden habitat for honeybees.
As part of the renovation, The Barclay is undertaking significant energy saving initiatives such as lighting achieved with CFL and LED bulbs. The Barclay will continue its mission of sustainability, focusing on its positive impact on the environment, while supporting the local and global community.
The “new” Barclay will boast nine classic, yet highly functional, flexible meeting and event spaces, totaling more than 15,000 square feet. Additionally, the hotel features two new ballrooms offering more than 8,500 square feet, with elegant chandeliers, custom crown molding, specialty carpet, custom lighting, and millwork specially designed for memorable New York weddings, galas, and social events. The Barclay’s meetings and events staff, led by an expert Director of Catering and Events, will be well-versed in planning and executing the most seamless functions for businesses, organizations, political and diplomatic entities, and New York City tastemakers.
