See inside the historic Gramercy Park Hotel's liquidation sale, where people wait in line for hours and spend thousands on artwork, embroidered chairs, and plush pillows

Sarah Belle Lin Oct 5, 2022, 01:54 IST

Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

Most everything inside the famed Gramercy Park Hotel in NYC is on sale to the public.
An assortment of items is for sale, from soup spoons to embroidered chairs to cabinets.

It's not every day in New York City that an iconic place like the Gramercy Park Hotel, nestled next to the private park of the same name, holds a liquidation sale.

The Gramercy Park Hotel opened in 1925 and catered — usually with an air of privacy and discretion — to former presidents, legendary musicians, and athletes. Its polished, bohemian clientele had a flair for luxury and sophistication.

But a messy drama unfolded as ownership changed hands. The hotel's operator, RFR Holding and its cofounder Aby Rosen, were eventually evicted following a lawsuit that accused them of not paying rent.

Now, mostly everything — from soup spoons to entire beds, and curtain tassels to sensual artwork — is being liquidated and is on sale to the public. Because of the "overwhelming response from former guests, clients and staff wanting to purchase memorabilia" from the Gramercy Park Hotel, the auctioneers elected for a two-part liquidation, according to Best Buy Auctioneers.

The first phase consisted of a private liquidation sale for certain buyers. The second phase is open to the public. Prices are set by the auctioneers, who have experience selling restaurants, fitness centers, offices, hotels, and conference centers.

"The cheapest is a dollar for stationery and $5,000 for one piece of art," one of the auctioneers, Vivia, told Insider. The sale is set to go on for at least another month.

I arrived at the Gramercy Park Hotel around 1 p.m. to find a thick crowd of people waiting at the entrance.

The Gramercy Park Hotel is located on 2 Lexington Avenue in ManhattanSarah Belle Lin/Insider

There was a throng of people waiting to go inside, and I had a feeling I was in for a good time when I saw a set of elegant chairs.

I hope those gorgeous chairs are going to a good home.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

While the liquidation is free to enter, you'll have to pay in time.

The line stretched around the Lexington Avenue corner and down Gramercy Park North.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

When I reached the front of the line, I saw a couple of shoppers leave the hotel with a piece of artwork and a red, studded mirror.

The hotel artwork was $350 while the red mirror cost $500.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

After an hour of waiting, I made it inside. I noticed the opulent chandelier right away.

My first thought upon entering the lobby: How much is the chandelier?Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see bits and pieces of the hotel's history.

The lobby was full of velvet chairs, mirrors, cabinets, and already-claimed furniture.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

One of my favorite parts of the experience was watching people's reaction to more furniture being unloaded into the lobby from one of the hotel's 190 guest rooms.

The excitement was both subtle and palpable.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

Good luck accessing the other floors. You could try on the weekends, though.

Shoppers could access more floors if they were interested in buying entire rooms.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

I saw that red mirror again, and they were everywhere.

All for sale: ornate pillows, studded crimson mirrors, and adjustable corkscrew side tables.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

The atmosphere truly felt like an auction, which prices being called out loud, and a regular stream of announcements made by the lead auctioneer.

Joseph Benigno, lead auctioneer, directed newcomers into the lobby, and shuffled others out by promising there would be more furniture in the near future.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

The second room was stuffed with a myriad of hotel artwork, velvet chairs and chaises, wood tables, and one random book published in the 60s titled "Music in the Classic Period".

The former Rose Bar was just as crammed with mystified shoppers and mysterious hotel items.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

The second room was stuffed with a myriad of hotel artwork, velvet chairs and chaises, wood tables, and one random book published in the 60s titled "Music in the Classic Period".

The artwork all had a raw grunginess about them. I saw copies of the same photograph in varying sizes as well as a series of paintings.

Some of the hotel artwork in the Rose Bar room, including the black-and-white "Girl/Eyes" photograph. Behind some of the artwork is a label that identified the room the artwork was hung in.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

There were some practical items that did catch my eye, like this vintage American Tourister luggage case.

One shopper unearthed a vintage American Tourister luggage case.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

I saw some standard hotel items like bathrobes and slippers embellished with the Gramercy Park Hotel logo.

I found several items, like coffee cup sleeves and room slippers, with the classic hotel logo for sale.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

I heard shoppers shoot their shot by negotiating, but the auctioneers told me they were not accepting any side deals of any sort.

The auctioneers accepted cash or Zelle payments, but not negotiations, they said.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

This shopper spent $200 on pillows and luggage stands for her Airbnb.

This New Yorker plans on using the luggage stands and velvet pillows for her Airbnb.Sarah Belle Lin/Insider

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See inside the historic Gramercy Park Hotel's liquidation sale, where people wait in line for hours and spend thousands on artwork, embroidered chairs, and plush pillows

I arrived at the Gramercy Park Hotel around 1 p.m. to find a thick crowd of people waiting at the entrance.

There was a throng of people waiting to go inside, and I had a feeling I was in for a good time when I saw a set of elegant chairs.

While the liquidation is free to enter, you'll have to pay in time.

When I reached the front of the line, I saw a couple of shoppers leave the hotel with a piece of artwork and a red, studded mirror.

After an hour of waiting, I made it inside. I noticed the opulent chandelier right away.

It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see bits and pieces of the hotel's history.

One of my favorite parts of the experience was watching people's reaction to more furniture being unloaded into the lobby from one of the hotel's 190 guest rooms.

Good luck accessing the other floors. You could try on the weekends, though.

I saw that red mirror again, and they were everywhere.

The atmosphere truly felt like an auction, which prices being called out loud, and a regular stream of announcements made by the lead auctioneer.

The second room was stuffed with a myriad of hotel artwork, velvet chairs and chaises, wood tables, and one random book published in the 60s titled "Music in the Classic Period".

The artwork all had a raw grunginess about them. I saw copies of the same photograph in varying sizes as well as a series of paintings.

There were some practical items that did catch my eye, like this vintage American Tourister luggage case.

I saw some standard hotel items like bathrobes and slippers embellished with the Gramercy Park Hotel logo.

I heard shoppers shoot their shot by negotiating, but the auctioneers told me they were not accepting any side deals of any sort.

This shopper spent $200 on pillows and luggage stands for her Airbnb.