www.privateairny.com Private Air New York | Summer 2016
77
WEEKEND
T
his summer, the
impossibly chic Chatwal
Hotel on West 44th
Street might prove to
be the closest mere
mortals will ever come to being beamed
into another dimension. Despite the
summer heat and frenetic cacophony of
the theater district just outside its doors,
the Chatwal welcomes guests with a
cool whisper that speaks of elegance and
old world civility. It's an ambience that
belies the hotels covetable location just
steps away – but worlds apart – from
the perpetual energy emanating from
Times Square.
When it made is debut in 1905, the
building that was to one day become
the Chatwal was met with applause not
only for its dashing good looks but for
its role as the first permanent home of
the Lambs; a prestigious group of actors
and theater enthusiasts. Maintaining
a roster that could only be described
as a veritable Who's Who among New
York's illustrious theater set, the Lambs
counted legends including Maurice,
Lionel and John Barrymore and the
inimitable Douglas Fairbanks among
its members. Indeed, so exclusive was
the club that Fred Astaire once quipped,
"When I was made a Lamb, I felt I had
been knighted".
Dripping in drama and style, the
building proved to be the perfect stage
for its famous Lambs. Designed by
iconic architect Stanford, the building
was a temple of indulgence paying
homage to an aesthetic that celebrated
the American Renaissance. Having
already designed homes for the Astors
and Vanderbilts and with his name
