Dubai-Based Owners Touching Up Essex House Hotel

With all the hubbub over a Dubai company snagging American ports, you might be forgiven for forgetting the U.A.E.'s dip into New York real estate last fall. The Post's Steve Cuozzo reports that dust is flying and orange carpet is being laid in spots around the Essex House Hotel, where hoteliers Jumeirah Hospitality & Leisure, along with new owners Dubai Investment Group, are watching over a $50 million reno on the Central Park South address. But unlike its neighbor down the street, the slightly singed Plaza Hotel, only a minority of the guest rooms ("no more than 15 percent") will eventually be converted to condos.
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