The Plaza

I've never been to New York, so I've never seen the iconic Plaza Hotel, but I've certainly heard about it. The Plaza as it stands now was built in 1907 and the facade is a historical landmark that can't be changed. Most of the interior, however, is up for grabs. The first half of the book was very interesting, about the eccentric characters who lived in the Plaza (it was more like an apartment complex to a lot of people than a hotel), like Kay Thompson, who created "Eloise", and the 39 widows: wealthy dowagers who haunted the lobby every day, people watching. The second half of the book wasn't nearly as interesting, it descended into mind numbing details over complicated financial deals as the hotels switched owners like most people switch underwear. It was still worth the read.