NEW YORK, April 9, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The bouquets lining the entrance to the Buckingham Hotel in New York City were described as "a beautiful mystery" by Stephen Shapiro, Managing Partner of the boutique residential-style hotel located at 101 W. 57th Street. "As I approached our entrance, I was truly mystified by this incredible floral collage outside and didn't know what to make of it," Shapiro explains.
"Since we are just across the street from Carnegie Hall and always have performers and artists in residence, my first thought was that this was a tribute to one of them. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized that these beautiful flowers were left at the Buckingham as a tribute to the Queen Mother. Someone must have seen the ironic connection of the name of our hotel and Buckingham Palace and started the floral blizzard that followed!" Shapiro conjectures.
In some incredible way, Shapiro explains, the Buckingham became a convenient symbol for those who work, shop, and visit museums and theatres in the area, to pay their respects to Britain's Queen Mother. "We are both pleased and honored by the royal connection bestowed our hotel," Shapiro notes.
The all-suites hotel provides residential-style comforts including fully stocked kitchens and spacious living areas for guests who enjoy the comforts of home in a hotel. Because of the Buckingham's proximity to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, theatres, museums and the best shopping in NYC, it has been "home" to many artists, musicians, divas, and composers. Among them are such famous people as the maestro and composer, Paderewski, who resided at the Buckingham for an extended stay when he was performing at Carnegie Hall.
Where are the flowers now? "We had to remove them to keep the access to our entrance and the sidewalk on 57th Street clear. We didn't want to toss away this special memorial so we distributed the flowers to hospitals and nursing homes," Shapiro explains. "We felt honored that the Buckingham was chosen for these floral donations which have moved on to brighten someone's day as an added tribute to the Queen Mum. We plan to post our own tribute on our Website at www.buckinghamhotel.com. "