Lucerne Hotel, West 79th Street, Upper West Side

The Hotel Lucerne is a boutique hotel located at 201 West 79th Street, northwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side Manhattan. This historic hotel with distinctive architecture opened its doors in 1904.

In 1903, James and David Todd, real estate operators, commissioned the architectural firm Mulliken & Moeller to build the Hotel Lucerne. Archiect Harry B. Mulliken (1872-1952) designed several apartment buildings and hotels in New York City, including the Carlyle and Sterling, Bretton Hall, Hotel Cumberland (now Ameritania), Aberdeen Hotel and others.

The 12-story Hotel Lucerne used unusual color combination, executing the terra cotta in a deep plum color and giving the brick a variegated red and purple cast. The main entrance has columns modeled with baroque-style bands.

The hotel was opened in 1904 as a family and transient hotel. By 1908, James Runciman (1856-1931) was the proprietor and in 1909, the Lucerne was listed as one of the leading hotels in New York by the Daily Attractions in New York periodical. By 1912 to about 1921, Arthur T. Hardy was the managing director. In the 1950s the Amateur Astronomers Association had its headquarters on the 10th floor of the Lucerne. At the time, the hotel also house the Teatro Experimental.

In the 21st century, the Empire Hotel Group renovated the Lucerne. Its facilities include a restaurant and sidewalk café, Nice Matin NYC, French-Mediterranean cuisine, bar, gym, meeting spaces and more.

The Lucerne Hotel offers easy access to Central Park, Riverside Park, Lincoln Center, The Manhattan Children’s Museum, The American Museum of Natural History, and Columbia University. It is close to the subway and an array of shopping, dining and nightlife destinations.