Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 255: Hotel History: Shelton Hotel, New York

Stanley Turkel | October 5, 2021

by Stanley Turkel, CMHS Hotel History: Shelton Hotel, New York, N.Y. (1,200 rooms) Few skyscrapers were as admired as the 1924 Shelton Hotel, at Lexington Avenue and 49th Street, now the New York Marriott East Side. Critics agreed that its picturesque 35-story façade and unusual setback design pointed the way of the future for the skyscraper. The Shelton was built by the architecturally ambitious developer James T. Lee, who was also responsible for two luxurious apartment houses: 998 Fifth Avenue of 1912 and 740 Park Avenue of 1930. He was the grandfather of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, born Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Mr. Lee’s vis...