Sofitel New York Hotel
| Sofitel New York | |
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| General information | |
| Address | 45 West 44th Street |
| Town or city | New York City |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′20″N 73°58′53″W / 40.75556°N 73.98139°WCoordinates: 40°45′20″N 73°58′53″W / 40.75556°N 73.98139°W |
| Construction started | 1997 |
| Completed | 2000 |
| Owner | Sofitel corporation |
| Landlord | Balendra Nagesvaran |
| Height | 109 m (358 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 30 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Brennan Beer Gorman |
| Structural engineer | DeSimone Consulting Engineers |
| Awards and prizes | 2000 Emporis Skyscraper Award |
| Website | |
| www.sofitel.com | |
Sofitel New York is a boutique hotel on West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, owned and managed by the Sofitel corporation. It lies about 200 metres (660 ft) north of Bryant Park and New York Public Library and next to the New York Yacht Club. The hotel is inspired by French traditions in furnishings and theme, and the hotel staff are bilingual in French and English. Completed in 2000, the 109-metre-tall (358 ft), 30-floor, 398-guest room limestone and glass building was awarded the 2000 Emporis Skyscraper Award.
Construction on the hotel began in 1997, and it opened in the year 2000. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) was reportedly responsible for funding the project after a design by Brennan Beer Gorman was chosen in an architectural competition which included entries from architects such as Michael Graves & Associates. After construction the building was awarded the 2000 Emporis Skyscraper Award.
On May 14, 2011, a 32-year-old housekeeper at the hotel, an immigrant from Guinea, alleged that IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn attempted to rape her in his hotel room. She had walked into his room as he was having a shower although he had not yet checked out. Strauss-Kahn was at New York airport, and his plane was ready to take off when airport police asked that the plane be stopped a few minutes before takeoff. He was escorted off the plane and placed under arrest. The criminal case was later dismissed, and he settled out of court with his accuser in a civil case.
Described as "one of midtown's new, glitzy "boutique" hotels," and claiming to offer a "mélange harmonieux du style français et de l'esprit" it is 109 metres (358 ft) tall with 30 floors and has 398 luxury guest rooms including 52 suites. The architectural design by Brennan Beer Gorman features limestone and glass, with a T-shaped base. The facade was architecturally inspired by Parisian Moderne limestone buildings and according to Frommer's Guide exudes "old-world French elegance" far beyond its years of existence as a hotel. The facade is bronze with 3 flying geese above in a large portal. DeSimone Consulting Engineers were the structural engineers for the building.
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