10. The Lotte New York Palace Hotel’s Villard complex is a New York City Landmark

Lotte New York Palace Hotel
The Villard House Complex.

Villard purchased the land where the Palace Hotel now sits from St. Patrick’s Cathedra for $260,000 in 1881. He planned to build a cohort of luxurious mansions to compete with the Vanderbilt family, but could only revel in his creation for a few months before he went bankrupt. The Villard complex is composed of six renaissance townhomes that form a U-shape. The houses are designed to resemble a 16th-century palace. 

The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Villard Houses as historical landmarks in 1968 on account of the houses’ “special character,” including their history and architecture. The Landmarks Preservation Commission requires the preservation of the complex’s facade. 

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Palate hotel exterior

Emery Roth & Sons Hotel Talk

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