5 STAR HOTELS IN ST THOMAS

Warwick Hotel New York
65 West 54th Street (at Avenue of the Americas)
New York, NY 10019

Murals painted by Dean Cornwell in the Warwick's restaurant - Murals on 54th. Mural on the left depicts Sir Walter Raleigh landing at Roanoke Island and the mural on the right Queen Elizabeth and Her Royal Subject.

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It is not the Hearst Castle, but the Warwick shares ties with William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon, California showpiece. The newspaper tycoon built both in the 1920s. Like Hearst Castle, the Warwick courted movie stars. Hearst built The Warwick as an apartment hotel for his Hollywood and theatrical friends, with a penthouse for his mistress, the starlet Marion Davies. The cost was $5 million.

The Warwick’s architect was Emery Roth who along with Thomas Hastings designed the Ritz Tower, an apartment hotel at 57th and Park Avenue. Emory Roth also designed the Hotel Belleclaire and Benjamin Hotel and the ornate, eclectic apartment/hotels San Remo and St. Moritz.

Roth adorned the 36-story brick tower with arched windows near the top and cascading setbacks. Roth purposely designed a small lobby for the Warwick. The modest size was intended to maintain a residential feel and limit access to press and spectators.

The Warwick was built across the street from the Ziegfeld Theatre, built by Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld. William Hearst financed the theater and he took control of the theater after Ziegfeld’s death in 1932. Movie stars followed, among them Cary Grant, who kept a terrace apartment at the Warwick for 12 years. The Beatles gave a press conference at the Warwick while staying there prior to their legendary August 15, 1965 Shea Stadium performance.

Richard Chiu, a Hong Kong-born businessman, purchased the Warwick Hotel in 1980. He subsequently named his company after the hotel – Warwick International Hotels. WIH is a privately owned company. Warwick Hotels has over 50 hotels worldwide of which 17 are wholly owned.

With 31 years of ownership Chiu’s company has provided the Warwick with major renovations most recently in 2001 and 2006.

In 1991, the GM at the time Paul van Wijk spearheaded a $15 million renovation which included new sprinklers, wiring and fixtures. In 1991 the hotel enjoyed an 82% occupancy.

Designer Pierre Court (the Plaza Athenee, Paris; the Palace and Villard Bar in New York) restored the public spaces in 2006.

Murals on 54 is Warwick New York Hotel's refurbished dining room. Pierre Court, who also redesigned the New York Palace, Villard Bar, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, spearheaded the refurbishment of the restaurant.

Pierre Court’s work accentuated the room’s historic murals painted by Dean Cornwell, known as the 'Dean of American Illustrators'.

According to the Warwick Hotel the history of the murals dates back to 1937, when William Randolph Hearst commissioned Dean Cornwell to paint murals in the hotel’s dining room, The Raleigh Room. Cornwell completed the murals in 1938. The breathtaking murals depict Sir Walter Raleigh receiving his charter from the Queen in 1584 and Raleigh landing at Roanoke Island. A payment dispute between Cornwell and Hearst resulted in Cornwell painting obscene images on the murals. One large mural was covered for more than 40 years. These murals, now completely restored, have received so much attention, in fact, that The Museum of Modern Art approached the hotel about purchasing them for $100,000 several years ago, but the hotel owner declined their offer.

Today the 33-story hotel has 359 guest rooms and 67 suites.

Warwick Hotel New York
65 West 54th Street (at Avenue of the Americas)
New York, NY 10019

Murals painted by Dean Cornwell in the Warwick's restaurant - Murals on 54th. Mural on the left depicts Sir Walter Raleigh landing at Roanoke Island and the mural on the right Queen Elizabeth and Her Royal Subject.

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It is not the Hearst Castle, but the Warwick shares ties with William Randolph Hearst’s San Simeon, California showpiece. The newspaper tycoon built both in the 1920s. Like Hearst Castle, the Warwick courted movie stars. Hearst built The Warwick as an apartment hotel for his Hollywood and theatrical friends, with a penthouse for his mistress, the starlet Marion Davies. The cost was $5 million.

The Warwick’s architect was Emery Roth who along with Thomas Hastings designed the Ritz Tower, an apartment hotel at 57th and Park Avenue. Emory Roth also designed the Hotel Belleclaire and Benjamin Hotel and the ornate, eclectic apartment/hotels San Remo and St. Moritz.

Roth adorned the 36-story brick tower with arched windows near the top and cascading setbacks. Roth purposely designed a small lobby for the Warwick. The modest size was intended to maintain a residential feel and limit access to press and spectators.

The Warwick was built across the street from the Ziegfeld Theatre, built by Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld. William Hearst financed the theater and he took control of the theater after Ziegfeld’s death in 1932. Movie stars followed, among them Cary Grant, who kept a terrace apartment at the Warwick for 12 years. The Beatles gave a press conference at the Warwick while staying there prior to their legendary August 15, 1965 Shea Stadium performance.

Richard Chiu, a Hong Kong-born businessman, purchased the Warwick Hotel in 1980. He subsequently named his company after the hotel – Warwick International Hotels. WIH is a privately owned company. Warwick Hotels has over 50 hotels worldwide of which 17 are wholly owned.

With 31 years of ownership Chiu’s company has provided the Warwick with major renovations most recently in 2001 and 2006.

Designer Pierre Court (the Plaza Athenee, Paris; the Palace and Villard Bar in New York) restored the public spaces.

Murals on 54 is Warwick New York Hotel's refurbished dining room. Pierre Court, who also redesigned the New York Palace, Villard Bar, Hotel Plaza Athenee in Paris, spearheaded the refurbishment of the restaurant.

Pierre Court’s work accentuated the room’s historic murals painted by Dean Cornwell, known as the 'Dean of American Illustrators'.

According to the Warwick Hotel the history of the murals dates back to 1937, when William Randolph Hearst commissioned Dean Cornwell to paint murals in the hotel’s dining room, The Raleigh Room. Cornwell completed the murals in 1938. The breathtaking murals depict Sir Walter Raleigh receiving his charter from the Queen in 1584 and Raleigh landing at Roanoke Island. A payment dispute between Cornwell and Hearst resulted in Cornwell painting obscene images on the murals. One large mural was covered for more than 40 years. These murals, now completely restored, have received so much attention, in fact, that The Museum of Modern Art approached the hotel about purchasing them for $100,000 several years ago, but the hotel owner declined their offer.

Today the 33-story hotel has 359 guest rooms and 67 suites.