Landmark Luxury in NYC

By Linda Tancs

In 1882, prominent NYC financier Henry Villard commissioned the design of six Italian Neo-Renaissance townhouses around a Madison Avenue courtyard. Little could he have imagined that his vision gave birth to a landmark. Ultimately, famed real estate developer Harry Helmsley transformed the property into a 55-story hotel, the largest luxury hotel in the city. Now known as Lotte New York Palace Hotel, the historic Villard Houses occupy the foreground of this luxury retreat offering a storied setting for business and leisure travelers as well as for television shows and movies. Maybe this is the place to call home for the upcoming NYC Restaurant Week.