59 West 44th Street · New York, New York 10036 USA
Hamlet, resident cat of The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection was found scrounging for food in Long Island. Quickly scooped up by Bideawee's Director of Adoptions, soon "Hammy" was in Manhattan serving as the pet-friendly face of The Algonquin Hotel.
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The Algonquin Cat has an iconic and storied history; it was first believed to have debuted in the 1930s, when a stray cat came wandering into our hotel in Midtown searching for food and water. After acquiring an out-of-print book written by our hotel's first general manager, Frank Case, we discovered a chapter about a cat named Billy. Based on the timeline of the book, it's now clear The Algonquin Cat dates back to the early 1920s. Shockingly, two days after Billy passed, another stray cat wandered into the hotel and The Algonquin welcomed Rusty. The famous classical actor, John Barrymore, was a hotel resident during the early 1930s; Rusty was renamed Hamlet in his honor, as Hamlet was arguably Barrymore's greatest stage role. Since that time, our hotel has welcomed 12 cats. In addition to Billy, there have been seven Hamlets and three Matildas; each has been a rescue. Matilda III has recently retired after seven years of service. We now welcome Hamlet VIII, who began his residence in August of 2017 and is the first male cat at our pet-friendly hotel in 30 years.
In 1980, author Hilary Knight immortalized The Algonquin Cat with his cartoons for a children's book by Val Schaffer. As part of our hotel's celebrated pet-friendly tradition, a large fund-raising event is held each summer to benefit the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, with festivities including a cat fashion show.
Author Leslie Martini wrote a children's book about Matilda, the female Algonquin Cat, which was published in the fall of 2016. Matilda: The Algonquin Cat can be purchased at our hotel.
Chief Cat Officer Alice De Almeida watches Hamlet VIII, while our executive chef cooks special meals for him on holidays. Fan mail and gifts for Hamlet arrive constantly at the hotel, not just from Manhattan but from around the world, even as far as Japan, Australia and Russia.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where you can drop him a line.
A historic four-star hotel near Bryant Park, The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection is proud to be a pet-friendly destination. Every year we host a cat fashion show, a beloved tradition at our hotel.
Dogs over 60 pounds may be allowed at the discretion of the General Manager.
Please contact us for details.
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