Located at the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street, The Knickerbocker was built by John Jacob Astor IV, grandson of the then richest man in America. Astor’s other New York hotels included the Astoria Hotel which adjoined the Waldorf Hotel built by William Waldorf Astor, his cousin. The two hotels were combined forming the original Waldorf-Astoria. In 1904, Astor built the St. Regis Hotel further up Fifth Avenue and in 1906, Astor took over the Knickerbocker Hotel which he made into a showcase of luxury.

Photo courtesy of the Knickerbocker Hotel

The Knickerbocker quickly became home to New York society. Built at a cost of $3.3 million (85.5 million in today’s dollars), it featured 556 rooms, with bars and restaurants on its first three floors with seating for 2000 people. The martini was said to have been invented by the hotel’s house bartender in 1912. But unlike “the perfect martini” of today, it contained both sweet and dry vermouth. You can still sample the original recipe in Charlie Palmer at the Knick. Unfortunately, Prohibition’s arrival in 1919 did nothing for what New York had come to know as “The 42nd Street Country Club” and the hotel closed in 1920.

Its current owners bought the building in 2012 and because it was named a New York City landmark in 1988, left its historic façade intact. The re-opened hotel with its 330 guest rooms, including 31 suites and 4 Tribute suites is now a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, an experience that brings luxury and refinement to Times Square.

Photo courtesy of the Knickerbocker Hotel

The Knickerbocker’s signature restaurant and bar is run by a chef as identified with New York as hotel itself. “Charlie Palmer at The Knick,” is Charlie Palmer, a New York legend who started his career at the River Café in Brooklyn. He went on to open Aureole, a fine dining mecca in Midtown and restaurants in California, Nevada and New York. His menu at The Knickerbocker features his “Progressive American” cuisine, a style that reinterprets classic European dishes using American artisanal products and small farm producers. He is in charge of all the dining and beverage offerings at the Knickerbocker including the ground floor expresso bar Jake’s Coffee Roasters as well the full-service restaurant bearing his name and the rooftop bar where he will preside over the New Year’s Eve Celebration.

Passed Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres will start the evening while decadent food stations will welcome New Year’s Eve partiers all night long. Top shelf, ultra-premium spirits and beverages will be served. World Class entertainment and celebratory surprises will greet your guests throughout the evening. And of course, the New Year will be ushered in with Champagne Toasts at midnight.\

Photo courtesy of the Knickerbocker Hotel

The cost of this fantasy and completely unforgettable celebration?

$1.6 million dollars. And of that amount, Neiman Marcus will donate $80,000 to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, a national umbrella program that concentrates giving efforts around supporting arts experiences for youth. The gift is limited to one experience. Visit https://www.neimanmarcus.com/FantasyGifts For more information.

For mere mortals and a chance to attend this year’s New Year’s at The Knick for room and dining reservations at The Knickerbocker, go to www.theknickerbocker.com