Eloise Shop Opens at The Plaza Hotel in New York

Eloise comes alive inside a new shop at The Plaza Hotel in New York featuring all things about the legendary storybook character.

In the spring, this tea room in the Eloise shop will be open for tea parties, like those Eloise is known for having. Parents will be able to reserve space for birthday parties and get-togethers.

(Courtesy Evan Sung)
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The idea was to put the little girl who's always on the move in a spot so everyone could experience her world. The 2,100-square-foot Eloise shop, which opened today, is the first of its kind, with the look and feel of a child's playhouse.

"We thought Eloise deserved a home," said Kristin Franzese, executive vice president of retail, The Shops at The Plaza, who was part of a team that conceived the store.

In the books, the mischievous 6-year-old who lives at The Plaza is known for flitting from one part of the hotel to another. While her spirit is felt throughout the building, "you never did see Louise; she was always just at the Palm Court or over there," Franzese said.

The character of Eloise has widespread appeal, and the store was designed to continue that trend, Franzese said.

"It's a multigenerational store. A lot of moms remember Eloise and the books from when they were kids, and they pass it on to their children," she said.

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It's now become a full-fledged experience, as the store's creators wanted to allow children to share an interactive world with Eloise, according to Franzese.

The book's creators, author Kay Thompson and illustrator Hilary Knight, worked on "Eloise: A book for precocious grownups" while staying at The Plaza in 1954.

In the story, 6-year-old Eloise took up residence at the hotel in 1955 with Weenie, her pet pug, Skipperdee, her turtle, and her nanny. Thompson then wrote a succession of books featuring the indominable little girl, including "Eloise in Paris" in 1956, "Eloise at Christmastime" in 1958 and "Eloise in Moscow" in 1959. Thompson died in 1998.

Hotel guests are very familiar with Eloise's storied history, said Raphael Pallais, concierge at The Plaza.

"Little girls ask for Eloise," Pallais said. "Often their parents will ask them to ask us."

He's long been getting questions about the fictional character, and is thrilled about the newest addition to the hotel.

"We have high hopes for Eloise. She's such a character and a personality, a lot like The Plaza," he said. "Of all the fictional characters, she's the only one who lives in a real building."