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Hotel built on Beanie Babies’ empire

Forget the house that Jack built, what about the penthouse Beanie Babies funded?

The Four Seasons Hotel New York is owned by Ty Warner, the man behind the stuffed toy frenzy that gripped homes two decades ago. He actually owns a string of hotels but the Four Seasons New York is exceptional in that it boasts the most expensive suite in Manhattan.


The Ty Warner
Penthouse took seven years and $50 million to create. Taking up the entire 52nd floor, it towers 244m over the city offering guests a dizzying 360-
degree panorama. Billed as a castle in the clouds, it has four glass balconies with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass railings to ensure unimpeded views.

But it's the interior that provides the wow. The walls are of soft calfskin, unless you are in the Zen room waterfall, where the walls are of precious stones, or the spa room which is hewn from Mexican sycamore. The master bathroom is clad in
Chinese onyx with sinks carved from blocks of solid crystal.

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The bath uses chromatherapy to, ahem, rebalance your energies, plus an oversized Dornbracht steam rain shower. If you’re not sure what this is, the Dornbracht company website gives a clue, stating: “The bathroom is the place inside the house where you can withdraw, find peace and come to terms with yourself.”

You can also come to terms with yourself on a Toto Neorest toilet with wireless remote sensors and heated seat, as well as its own website promise to make “every single experience more rewarding”.

The price for such rewarding experiences? $45,000 a night – or 6,500 Beanie Babies.

Sandra O'Connell

Sandra O'Connell

Sandra O'Connell is a contributor to The Irish Times