A new chapter is unfolding at The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection, the Midtown landmark that has been part of New York’s literary and cultural life since 1902. The hotel has completed a multi-year renovation of all 181 guestrooms, suites, elevators and corridors, refreshing the interiors without changing the historic footprint. Brooklyn-based CRÈME / Jun Aizaki Architecture & Design and LUCID drew on the Algonquin’s history as a gathering place for writers, performers and artists, layering Art Deco references, jazz-inspired patterns, walnut woods, aged bronze and rich textiles into a more residential interpretation of the property.

At the heart of the redesign is an exclusive collection of Al Hirschfeld artwork curated with The Al Hirschfeld Foundation. Every guestroom and suite features a custom triptych, including a gold leaf-accented Central Park illustration created exclusively for the hotel, while the corridors showcase archival Hirschfeld works spanning theater, music, literature and popular culture. Oversized luggage-tag-inspired room signage adds another layer of storytelling, with 181 individually selected quotes connected to figures associated with the hotel and New York, while refreshed menus and cocktails at The Blue Bar continue the Hirschfeld-inspired design narrative.

The Curated Take

The renovation succeeds because it treats the Algonquin itself as part of the design story. Rather than recreating a historic hotel as a museum piece, the project uses art, architecture and literary references to connect its past with the creative energy of contemporary New York. The Hirschfeld collection is particularly compelling, turning corridors and guestrooms into an intimate, site-specific art experience that travelers cannot encounter anywhere else.