The Barclay Hotel opened in October 1929. It was, for a period of time, the most famous hotel in Philadelphia. It was owned by the well-known developer John McShain.
In 1980, the hotel was the site of the FBI's Abscam sting operation, which exposed corruption in government. Federal agents posing as Arab sheikhs rented a suite in the hotel, where they solicited the help of local, state, and federal officials.[1]
Condominium conversion
In 1989, the hotel was put up for sale for approximately $30 million. In April 1992, owner Barclay Hotel Associates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The property was subsequently purchased by Princeton, New Jersey developer Peter Marks for $4.3 million in October 1994. Construction on the Barclay Condominiums was completed in 2005.[2]
Literary references
In the 1994 novel The Fermata by Nicholson Baker, the narrator first discovers his ability to "freeze time" while staying at the Barclay Hotel as a child.
