Tasteless Owner, Jerky Hoteliers Screw Up Oak Room's Return

For years, New York waited for the reopening of the Oak Room and the Oak Bar, storied oases of cosmopolitan style and history. In 2008, after a lengthy renovation, the public was finally allowed to enjoy these beautiful rooms within the Plaza Hotel again. And now, due to incompetence and bad taste on a huge scale on the part of the owners of the Plaza and the Oak Room and Bar, the joint may close again by July.

Eli Gindi, the owner of the Oak Room and Bar, and a real estate developer best known for owning Century 21 (classy!) has mishandled the place from the start. The restaurant was poorly reviewed. The bar offered bad service and poorly made, expensive cocktails. And the tone was all wrong. The atmosphere felt tacky, nouveau riche, touristy. Gindi started losing money, so he resorted to bottom of the barrel tactics. There was once a drink named after Mel Gibson. (Now there's a touch of elegance!) There were tableside burlesque shows. And then Gindi struck gold with "Black and White" Saturday afternoon parties, in which young yahoos with money to burn bought bottles of Cristal and whooped it up. No Truman Capote ball, these. But they brought in a lot of money. However, the Plaza management didn't like it. It was bad for the hotel's image, said the pot to the kettle. A hotel that lets in people like Charlie Sheen and his sundry porn stars and prostitutes. Lease negotiations broke down, and the Plaza sued the Oak Room operators for millions. Now the Oak Room will likely close on July 31.

Why does the Plaza attract the attentions of classless schmucks? Remember: Trump used to own it. 

Some Stuff That's Interesting

The Ward's Island Footbridge is the oddest and most under-appreciated bridge in NYC.

The Plaza "Hotel"'s fabled Oak Room will reopen in September.

The Orange Hut in Woodside, where I've sometimes had breakfast in the past, has an interesting history. Always thought it might.

The Keller Hotel in photos.

Richard George of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association of Far Rockaway scores a victory.

Rich People, Regardless of Race, Creed or Color, Welcomed at Plaza

The common folk breathed a sigh of relief some time back when they learned that the Condo Gods would allow some parts of the classic Plaza Hotel to remain hotel rooms. They can now breathe double easy in knowing that, come Jan. 1, said rooms are availble for nightly rental for anyone who has $775 in their pocket.

There are some stipulations, of course. Would be lodgers must hand over the fee white wearing white gloves, and a bespoke suit and/or designer dress that cost no less than $1,000. (Receipts must be presented upon demand.) The money must be bundled with a sold-gold-plated money band, and placed in a 100% genuine leather case lined with red velvet. While the tenant is staying in the room, they must order champagne (Krug or Dom Perignon will do) every hour on the hour.

The services of Eloise can be purchased starting at $100 an hour. What you do with her is your business.