The Barbizon Hotel Presents Their Esteemed Guests

Early photograph of The Barbizon Hotel

The Barbizon Hotel's storied history began almost 100 years ago as an all-women's hotel. The list of former guests is a who's who of women from the 20th century. It includes a survivor from the Titanic, a princess, a First Lady, many famous writers, and Academy Award-winning actresses. Most guests went through a somewhat arduous process to gain access to the hotel by providing three references and submitting to an interview. But if accepted, they became part of an exclusive social network of ladies.

The Barbizon Hotel Guest Room

Located in Manhattan, the 23-story building opened its doors in 1927. Throughout its four decades, it was home to artists, actresses, models, writers, and college students. Originally, the Barbizon was noted for attracting the right type of young ladies, ones who appreciated the arts and came from respectable families. Most were young, attractive, and came from wealthy families.

Women would meet their dates in the lobby, as it was one of the few places where men were allowed.

As an all-women hotel, there were strict rules to ensure respectability. Men were only allowed in certain rooms on the lower floors, such as the lobby and dining room. Elevator operators were enlisted to enforce this rule. Guests were expected to act ladylike and be presentable in public areas. There was a curfew and all guests had to sign in and out of the hotel. Women acquiesced to these demands as the hotel had an extensive waiting list. No one wanted to be thrown out.

The Barbizon Hotel became an exclusive and fashionable address. Major organizations rented space here, including the Art Council of New York and even a radio station, WOR. Guest rooms were reserved for art and secretarial students. Mount Holyoke and Wellesley College alumni each had a designated room (club room). The Association of Junior Leagues of America (now Association of Junior Leagues International) located its national headquarters at the Barbizon in the late 1920s. In the 1940s, Mademoiselle magazine and the Ford Modeling Agency housed interns, guest editors, and models here.

The Barbizon has many famous guests. Margaret Brown, also known as the unsinkable Molly Brown, died at the age of 65 at the Barbizon. Grace Kelly, who later became Princess of Monaco, lived here as well as First Lady Nancy Reagan. Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, and Meg Wolitzer were a few writers who were guests. Liza Minnelli, Cloris Leachman, and Jennifer Jones were a few of the actresses who went on to win an Academy Award (also Grace Kelly). And many actresses who were nominated, such as Candice Bergen and Ali McGraw.

The storied history of the Barbizon ends in the 1970s with two major blows. The first was that New York City banned gender discrimination. All-women hotels were no longer allowed under the law. The second was societal changes. Women did not want restrictive policies tied to where they stayed. Eventually, the hotel was converted to condominiums and reinvented as Barbizon 63. If you want to learn more about the Barbizon Hotel, read Paulina Bren's The Barbizon: The Hotel That Set Women Free.