In January 2016 WAG, we profiled the Royal Regency Hotel, whose purple palette evoked its regal name — and treatment of guests — while its Greek-key motif, a pattern of reverse and upside-down Ls running through the décor, signaled its Greek-American present and past.
IN 1992, the hotel’s owners, Konstantinos and Phyllis Paxos, bought the property from the family of Tom Carvelas — Tom Carvel — the soft-serve ice cream pioneer whose dessert company, Carvel Corp., had owned the building since the 1960s. The Carvel story — which included soft-serve vanilla and chocolate cakes like Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss, featured in Tom Carvel’s own folksy commercials — took off on Memorial Day weekend 1934 when his 5-year-old ice cream truck developed a flat on Central Avenue in Hartsdale, forcing Carvel to sell his melting custard ice cream on the spot. Carvel’s two-day success led to his soft-serve custard product and first franchise. (Today there are more than 400 worldwide while the cakes are sold in 8,500 supermarkets.)
The building that now houses the Royal Regency was a home base for the Carvel brand and operated as an ice cream store, office, an inn that hosted many political victory parties and other events as well as a training facility for franchisees.
Recently, Maria Pampafikos, the hotel’s executive vice president and the Paxoses’ daughter, took some time to answer a few questions from WAG:
Maria, a lot has changed in the world since we spoke in 2016. What has changed at the hotel?
“We remodeled another ballroom in 2019, our Diamond Ballroom. This year we refreshed the carpeting and wallpaper in our guest hallways and lobby areas. We installed brand new hardware for an updated high- speed Wi-Fi system.”
What protocols have you implemented in these challenging times?
“Plexiglas screens at the desk; hand sanitizer available in all public areas; providing PPE to our employees, including masks and gloves; and increased disinfectant usage and sanitizing protocols in our housekeeping department.”
How have you and occupancy fared since the pandemic?
“Everyone in our industry has suffered tremendously and the Royal Regency is no exception. On average, it seems reasonable to say that our occupancy suffered less than other hotels in our area due to the fact that the majority of our clientele is a transient traveler and so we did not take the same type of hit that the corporate hotels took when corporate travel was cut off. Our banquets and catering facility were effectively shut down for a year, so that was difficult as well. We have since reopened our event spaces and look forward to having many events hosted and memories made in our facility once again.”
What enhancements are you looking forward to featuring in the future?
“As we move into 2022, we will be reexamining the timelines for aesthetic updates and refreshes to our guest rooms and common areas.”
For more, visit royalregencyhotelny.com.
