The Hotel Pennsylvania was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad and operated by Ellsworth Statler. It opened on January 25, 1919 and was designed by William Symmes Richardson of the firm of McKim, Mead & White, which also designed the original Pennsylvania Station located across the street. Statler Hotels, which had managed the Pennsylvania since its construction, acquired the property outright from the Pennsylvania Railroad on June 30, 1948 and renamed it the Hotel Statler on January 1, 1949. The hotel was sold and renamed many times between 1954 and 1991 when it returned to its original and current name Hotel Pennsylvania.
The hotel is under threat of demolition as part of the proposed Empire Station Complex. The Environmental Impact Study report states that for State and National registry purposes, “The Hotel Pennsylvania is significant under Criterion A for its association with commercial development around Penn Station. In addition, the building also meets Criterion C for its architectural design.”