NPR

'The Plaza' Is A Nostalgic Look At The History Of New York's Most Famous Hotel

Julie Satow's book reads like the biography of a distant relative as much as the history of a landmark building; the author argues that no other building so directly reflects the city itself.
A file photo of The Plaza Hotel.

In 1988's Big Business, Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin (twice each) play mismatched twins who converge on the Plaza Hotel for a fateful stockholders' meeting. The bedroom farce unfolds in replicas of the hotel's luxurious suites and plush lobby, amid two equally high-stakes outrages: the corporate espionage; and the $12.50 pancakes.

Relentless capitalism is nothing new to the Plaza, which provided Old World opulence to elite clientele

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