The Knickerbocker Hotel
A landmark historic hotel at the southern end of Times Square in Midtown Manhattan.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Knickerbocker Hotel is a historic hotel at the southeast corner of Broadway and West 42nd Street in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The property occupies a highly strategic site at the meeting point of Broadway, the Theater District, and the Times Square–42nd Street subway complex. Its location was central to the original business concept: the hotel was intended to serve both long-stay residential guests and visitors attending the theaters and entertainment venues that increasingly concentrated around Times Square in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The hotel was developed by John Jacob Astor IV on land associated with the Astor family. The building was designed in 1901 and opened in 1906. Marvin & Davis were the principal architects, with Bruce Price serving as consulting architect, while Trowbridge & Livingston designed the original interiors. The principal building is predominantly Beaux-Arts in character, with red-brick and terracotta facades, limestone ornament, a steep green-copper mansard roof, and a substantial presence on both Broadway and 42nd Street. A smaller annex on West 41st Street, originally constructed in 1894 as part of the Hotel St. Cloud, was incorporated into the complex and retains a Romanesque Revival exterior associated with architect Philip C. Brown. The original hotel was a large early-twentieth-century luxury establishment. It contained hundreds of guestrooms, extensive dining and entertainment spaces, a ballroom, private dining rooms, a basement grillroom and bar, commercial amenities, mechanical facilities, and direct access toward the adjacent subway station. Its interiors were noted for decorative arts, murals, elaborate lighting, ornamental metalwork, marble, wood paneling, and other materials intended to create a prestigious urban setting. One of its best-known historic artworks was Maxfield Parrish's Old King Cole and His Fiddlers Three, commissioned for the bar. The property also became associated with prominent cultural and entertainment figures, including opera singer Enrico Caruso and performer George M. Cohan. Commercial conditions changed after the First World War, and the original hotel closed in 1920 as business declined. The building was subsequently converted to office use and became known as the Knickerbocker Building. It housed Newsweek magazine from 1940 to 1959, during which period it was commonly called the Newsweek Building. Later uses included garment showrooms and offices. Major renovations in 1980 led to the address and identity 1466 Broadway, and another renovation in 2001 produced the designation 6 Times Square. The building's architectural and historical importance was formally recognized when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a New York City Landmark in 1988. A large-scale redevelopment from 2013 to 2015 converted the office building back into a hotel under its original name. The contemporary property contains approximately 330 guestrooms, including junior suites and signature suites, together with restaurants, a coffee shop, a cocktail lounge, a sushi bar, and the St. Cloud rooftop bar. The restored hotel combines modern guest accommodations with a small number of surviving historic elements, especially in the basement and subbasement areas, while most upper-floor interiors were redesigned in a modern style. Its current positioning rests on luxury accommodation, destination dining and nightlife, a landmark setting, and direct proximity to Times Square and Manhattan's theater and transit infrastructure.
History
The Knickerbocker Hotel grew out of the transformation of the area now known as Times Square. The site had previously been occupied by the Hotel St. Cloud, which opened in 1868 when the surrounding part of Manhattan was less developed than the central business districts to the south. Improved transportation, the expansion of Grand Central Depot, and the movement of Manhattan's theater district toward Broadway and 42nd Street gradually made the location commercially attractive for a major hotel. John Jacob Astor IV acquired the lease of the Hotel St. Cloud in 1892. The Astor family had held extensive land in the area, and the proposed hotel formed part of the family's broader real-estate interests. The new building was designed beginning in 1901 and opened in 1906. Marvin & Davis produced the main architectural design, with Bruce Price as consultant. The interiors were designed by Trowbridge & Livingston. The project incorporated the earlier St. Cloud annex on West 41st Street, allowing the new hotel to occupy a prominent corner site while retaining a separate service-oriented frontage. Architecturally, the building was conceived as a large Beaux-Arts hotel. Its Broadway and 42nd Street elevations use a tripartite composition consisting of a lower commercial base, a tall central shaft, and a mansard roof. Red brick, Indiana limestone, terracotta, decorative cornices, projecting corner pavilions, and ornamental window surrounds gave the building a formal and highly visible appearance. The 41st Street annex differs in character, using buff brick and terracotta in a Romanesque Revival composition. The building was approximately 195 feet tall and was designed to function as both a hotel and an urban destination. The original hotel offered substantially more than sleeping rooms. It included dining rooms, a ballroom, private dining areas, a cafe, a basement grillroom and bar, a restaurant, retail and personal-service facilities, and extensive mechanical infrastructure. Its basement also had a historic connection to the city's subway system. Astor permitted subway construction through part of his property on the condition that a station entrance serve the hotel. The entrance was later closed when the original hotel ceased operating, but portions of the passageway and a marble lintel marked with the Knickerbocker name survived. The hotel attracted prominent guests and became associated with New York's entertainment culture. Enrico Caruso and George M. Cohan were among the figures linked to the original property. Nevertheless, its first hotel era ended in 1920, when declining business led to closure. The building was converted to offices and became known as the Knickerbocker Building. Newsweek occupied the building from 1940 through 1959, giving rise to the Newsweek Building name. Later, the property housed garment showrooms and offices and was identified by addresses including 1466 Broadway and 6 Times Square. The structure's historic value was formally acknowledged through National Register listing in 1980 and New York City landmark designation in 1988. These recognitions helped preserve its exterior character through subsequent changes of use. Renovation in 1980 and a further redevelopment completed in 2001 modernized the building for office purposes, but the property's location and historic identity continued to support proposals for a hotel return. A major conversion began in 2013 and was completed in 2015. The building reopened as The Knickerbocker Hotel, restoring its original name after nearly a century of non-hotel use. The modern hotel has approximately 330 guestrooms, including junior suites and signature suites, and includes Charlie Palmer Steak IV, Jake's coffee shop, The Martini Lounge, Akoya sushi bar, and the St. Cloud rooftop bar. The contemporary interiors are largely modernist rather than literal reconstructions of the original rooms. Historic fabric survives most clearly in the basement and subbasement, where elements such as wall paneling, herringbone floors, and tile details remain. The result is a hospitality property that uses its landmark architecture and historical associations as part of its luxury-market identity while operating as a modern Times Square hotel.
- 2015
The hotel reopens under its historic name
[1]The completed conversion returns The Knickerbocker to hotel operations with modern guestrooms, dining venues, and a rooftop bar.
- 2013
Hotel conversion begins
[1]The building enters a major redevelopment intended to restore it to hotel use.
- 2001
Further redevelopment as 6 Times Square
[1]Another renovation modernizes the office property, which is subsequently identified as 6 Times Square.
- 1988
New York City Landmark designation
[1]The building receives local landmark designation.
- 1980
Historic recognition and office renovation
[1]The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and undergoes a major renovation associated with its use as 1466 Broadway.
- 1959
Newsweek leaves the building
[1]Newsweek's occupancy ends after nearly two decades.
- 1940
Newsweek occupies the building
[1]Newsweek begins using the property, which becomes widely known as the Newsweek Building during this period.
- 1920
Hotel operations end
[1]The original hotel closes after a decline in business, and the building transitions to office use.
- 1906
The Knickerbocker Hotel opens
[1]The new hotel opens at the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, incorporating the earlier 41st Street annex and offering extensive accommodation, dining, and event facilities.
- 1901
Design work begins for the new hotel
[1]The replacement hotel is designed in a Beaux-Arts mode by Marvin & Davis, with Bruce Price as consulting architect.
Products and positioning
Luxury historic hotel combining landmark architecture, Times Square access, upscale accommodation, destination dining, and rooftop nightlife.
Hotel accommodation · 2015
Guestrooms
The contemporary hotel provides approximately 330 guestrooms in the historic Times Square building. The rooms are modernized for present-day hospitality use while retaining the property's landmark setting and access to Manhattan's theater, dining, and transportation districts.
Hotel accommodation · 2015
Junior Suites
Junior suites form a larger accommodation tier within the modern hotel, offering more space than standard guestrooms. They are part of the post-2013 hotel conversion and support the property's upscale positioning.
Hotel accommodation · 2015
Signature Suites
The property advertises four signature suites as its highest-profile accommodation category. These suites extend the hotel's luxury offering and use the building's Times Square location as part of the guest experience.
Rooftop hospitality · 2015
St. Cloud Rooftop
St. Cloud is the hotel's rooftop bar and an important destination offering. It provides elevated views over Times Square and includes Akoya, a sushi bar located within the rooftop venue.
Restaurant · 2015
Charlie Palmer Steak IV
Charlie Palmer Steak IV is the hotel's principal named steakhouse restaurant, extending the property beyond accommodation into destination dining in the Times Square market.
Coffee shop · 2015
Jake's
Jake's is the property's coffee shop, providing a more casual food-and-beverage option alongside the hotel's restaurant, lounge, and rooftop venues.
Bar and lounge · 2015
The Martini Lounge
The Martini Lounge is an upscale cocktail venue within the hotel and contributes to the property's evening and nightlife proposition.
Brand decisions
2013
Redevelopment to restore hotel useStrategyBackground
After decades as an office building, the landmark property was selected for a return to hospitality use under its original identity.
Action taken
A major conversion transformed the office floors into contemporary guestrooms and added modern food-and-beverage venues.
Aftermath
The project was completed in 2015, reestablishing The Knickerbocker as a luxury hotel at Times Square while preserving selected historic elements.
1920
Conversion from hotel to office useStrategyBackground
The original hotel experienced declining business after its opening era and ceased hotel operations.
Action taken
The building was converted into offices and adopted successive identities including the Knickerbocker Building, Newsweek Building, 1466 Broadway, and 6 Times Square.
Aftermath
The property remained outside the hotel sector for most of the twentieth century, although its architecture and location preserved its historic importance.
Recent events
- 2019
Historic subway entrance lintel is addressed during station remodeling[1]
Other
As part of work on the Times Square subway complex, the damaged marble lintel bearing the Knickerbocker name was scheduled to be replaced with a replica. The surviving doorway no longer provides hotel access.
- 2015
Conversion back to hotel use is completed[1]
Product launch
After a redevelopment carried out from 2013 through 2015, the former office building reopened as a hotel using the historic Knickerbocker name.
- 1988
The building is designated a New York City Landmark[1]
Regulation
New York City landmark designation recognized the architectural and historical significance of the property.
- 1980
The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places[1]
Other
The former hotel building received federal historic recognition while operating as an office property.
- 1920
The Knickerbocker Hotel closes after declining business[1]
Other
The original hotel ceased operations as business conditions weakened, after which the building was converted for office use.
Sources1 sources
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