Gramercy Park Hotel’s Wild Rock and Roll Era Included Cocaine Delivered Like Room Service

24 February 2026

Joni Mitchell (center) and friends hung at the hotel in 1979.

For decades the Gramercy Park Hotel stood as one of New York City’s most storied landmarks, a place where musicians, artists and celebrities gathered in an atmosphere that blurred the lines between glamour and chaos. During its most infamous years, the hotel became known for its permissive culture and legendary parties. According to accounts from people connected to the property, drugs such as cocaine were sometimes delivered to guests in a manner that resembled room service, adding another layer to the hotel’s reputation as a hub of rock and roll excess.

The transformation of the Gramercy Park Hotel into a cultural hotspot can be traced back to February 1973 when British rock star David Bowie stayed there while promoting his album Aladdin Sane. During that visit Bowie’s presence helped turn the hotel into a magnet for musicians, artists and creative figures drawn to the vibrant downtown scene that defined New York during the era.

At the time the 18 story hotel offered large, relatively affordable rooms and thick walls that allowed guests to party late into the night without attracting too much attention. These features, combined with a tolerant environment, helped the property gain a reputation as a gathering place for musicians and bohemian figures looking for freedom from the more rigid rules of traditional luxury hotels.

According to Max Weissberg, whose grandfather Herbert R. Weissberg owned the hotel for nearly four decades, the building soon developed two nicknames among regular visitors. One was “The Glamercy,” reflecting the glittering rock culture that took root inside its walls. The other was simply “The Gram.” The nickname eventually inspired a phrase that regular guests reportedly used when requesting drugs. Calling for a “Telegram at the Gram” meant that a bellhop or doorman might deliver cocaine directly to a guest’s room.

Stories from the hotel’s peak years read like a roll call of cultural icons. Figures such as Madonna, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, The Clash, Debbie Harry and Bob Dylan were among the musicians who spent time at the property. The hotel also attracted well known personalities from the worlds of art, literature and film including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and Salvador Dalí.

While the atmosphere was often described as exhilarating, it also came with darker moments. According to accounts shared in Weissberg’s book about the hotel, the environment sometimes led to dangerous excess. Overdoses and other tragedies occurred during its most chaotic years, reminding those involved that the glamorous image of the era carried serious risks.

The hotel itself had not always been associated with wild parties. When it opened in 1925 overlooking Manhattan’s private Gramercy Park, it was considered a respectable residence for affluent New Yorkers. Early guests included notable figures such as Humphrey Bogart and even a young John F. Kennedy, who briefly lived there with his family in the late 1920s.

Over time the property evolved alongside the city that surrounded it. Through the decades it witnessed major cultural and political moments, from Prohibition era gatherings to the explosive rise of rock music in the 1970s and 1980s. The building’s colorful history eventually became a symbol of New York’s constantly changing identity.

In the early 2000s the Gramercy Park Hotel underwent a major transformation when nightlife entrepreneur Ian Schrager and real estate developer Aby Rosen renovated the property into a luxury destination. The redesign included the creation of the fashionable Rose Bar, which attracted celebrities and artists from a new generation.

Despite its glamorous revival, the hotel struggled financially and eventually closed during the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020. In 2023 the property was purchased by hotel operator MCR for about 50 million dollars with plans to reopen it, potentially giving the historic building a new chapter.

Whether remembered for its architectural charm, its celebrity guests or its notorious party culture, the Gramercy Park Hotel remains one of New York’s most colorful landmarks. Its history reflects the city’s reputation as a place where creativity, ambition and excess have often collided in unforgettable ways.