InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel

Maps from the 1920s (top) and the 1950s showing the site of The Barclay, center right

In 1926, the Vanderbilt family funded the building of The Barclay, a luxury hotel in Manhattan.[2] The New York Central Railroad built the hotel on air rights of its subsidiary the New York State Realty and Terminal Company and it was known to be elegant, glamorous and popular in social circles.[3] The Barclay was designed by the architects Cross & Cross who also designed the Tiffany & Co. flagship store.[4] In 1931, after the completion of Grand Central Terminal, the InterContinental Barclay got power from hydraulic tanks in the basement of Grand Central.[5] Twelve years later, in 1938, Cornell Club of New York took over the entire third floor. [6]

In 1978, InterContinental Hotels purchased The Barclay from Loews Hotels which had bid on hotel assets of The Penn Central Corporation (ex- New York Central Railroad) which operated four Grand Central City hotels, including The Barclay, through their Realty Hotel Group. After a $32 million, four-year renovation, it became The Barclay Inter-Continental, and later the Inter-Continental New York. Another restoration in 1995 restored the lobby and public areas at a cost of $20 million.

The hotel celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2001 and was rebranded the InterContinental, The Barclay New York.[7] In 2009, the hotel became the InterContinental New York Barclay.[8]

Caswell-Massey had its flagship store in InterContinental New York Barclay for over 80 years. Caswell-Massey, the oldest chemist and perfumer in America, was the first and oldest tenant of the Barclay.[9]

Bette Davis, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford, Marlon Brando, Jimmie Durante, Debbie Reynolds, Ernest Hemingway and David O. Selznick all called the Barclay home.[10] In 1992, when Bill Clinton first ran for President, the Barclay was his New York headquarters.[11]

• official website
• corporate website