On the Upper East Side, a $50 million penthouse atop the newly revamped Surrey hotel is set to make its debut.
The 5,200-square-foot duplex listing is the priciest residence in the Surrey, a nearly century-old building with a history as storied as its architecture, according to the Wall Street Journal.
This coveted address on East 76th Street near Madison Avenue has undergone a dramatic transformation under the direction of Reuben Brothers, a global investment company based in London, Geneva and Milan.
The family-run firm acquired the Surrey in 2020 for $150 million — 30% below its initial asking price — as the hotel waded through bankruptcy amid the pandemic’s economic toll. The Surrey’s restoration, led by Reuben Brothers, has been three years in the making.
With the doors now reopened as “The Surrey, a Corinthia hotel,” the finishing touches on 14 luxury condos are expected by early next year.
“We’re in a pretty good place,” Jamie Reuben, who represents the family business, told the Journal, confident that the right location and quality product will find the right buyers.
The penthouse boasts three bedrooms, three expansive private terraces with original 1920s parapets, and interiors featuring custom casement windows and white-oak floors that pay homage to the building’s past.
The kitchen blends modern sophistication with heritage design, showcasing white-oak millwork and a Calacatta Gold marble island.
The Reuben Brothers quietly sold or signed contracts for the other 13 residences without any public marketing.
Residents of these condos enjoy exclusive access to the hotel’s spa, fitness center, and priority key-fob access to elevators.
The Surrey’s past is a glamorous one.
It once drew high-society figures and long-term residents, including President John F. Kennedy, and actresses Bette Davis and Ethel Merman.
Yet, just two years after opening, the building witnessed tragedy when two Guggenheim heirs fell from its rooftop, a moment memorialized in period newspapers.
In recent decades, however, the Surrey fell into disrepair, leading to the Reubens’ acquisition as part of a US-based real estate strategy focused on prime properties bought at a discount.
“There were pretty serious questions about whether New York would ever return to being the financial mega-powerhouse it was pre-COVID,” Reuben said. “It wasn’t something I subscribed to. I always believed it would come back.”
Priced well below the $150 million condos on Billionaires’ Row, this Upper East Side gem is entering a luxury market in flux. According to Douglas Elliman, Manhattan’s third-quarter luxury sales dipped by 2.8% this year, and the median price dropped by 4% as buyers navigate fluctuating interest rates and the election year.
Despite the market shifts, Reuben remains optimistic about the Surrey’s appeal to buyers seeking iconic addresses with unique histories.
“For the right product and the right location, there are buyers,” he said.