The Milford Plaza opened in 1928 (as the Lincoln Hotel) at 700 Eighth Avenue. The 27-story, 1,300-room hotel is located near the Broadway theaters and was so affordably priced that it began advertising in the 1980s as “The Lullabuy of Broadway.”
Before the Milford’s renovation in 2010, many visitors thought the old hotel had seen better days. The Milford Plaza nickname of “Mildew Plaza” has been cited in print since at least 1995.
Wikipedia: Milford Plaza Hotel
The 27-story, 1,300-room Milford Plaza Hotel was the largest hotel in New York City when it opened in 1928 as the Lincoln Hotel. It became the Reliance in 1933 and in 1957, the Hotel Manhattan. When new owners took over in 1981, they selected Milford Plaza because they did not want to change the huge neon “M” sign on the roof. This historic Manhattan hotel remains among the largest New York City hotels in the heart of the Theater District, one block from NYC’s Times Square. It famously used the song “Lullaby of Broadway” in television ads for many years. Under new ownership and management since November 2010, the rooms at The Milford are all renovated with the public areas due to be completed by early 2013.
Google Groups: rec.arts.theatre.musicals
Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.musicals
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (GoGoGo Joe)
Date: 1995/10/02
Subject: Re: How’s the MILFORD PLAZA
I stayed there in ‘87, when we decided it really ought to be called the MILDEW Plaza. Perhaps it has been done over since then! Still, it has “location, location, location!” Also, you’ll spend so little time in the room, who cares if it’s gross! Have fun!
Google Books
Travel Detective Flight Crew Confidential:
People Who Fly for a Living Reveal Insider Secrets and Hiden Values in Cities and Airports Around the World
By Peter Greenberg
New York, NY: Villard Books
2002
Pg. ?:
There are very few flight crews that don’t know about Carmine’s, near Times Square, by the Milford Plaza (dubbed the “Mildew Plaza” when it was our crew hotel; it’s not the best hotel, but a good location).
Google Books
The Plane Truth
From An American Airlines Flight Attendant
By Alicia Lutz Rolow
Bloomington, IN: iUniverse
2008
Pg. 44:
After sharing a wonderful meal with my wonderful friends, most of us, including me, were done for the night so we headed back to our hotel, the Mildew Plaza (The Milford Plaza) as we affectionately called it, with the exception of a brave and tireless few who unbelievably carried on further into the evening, and took in a Broadway show.
AVweb
CEO of the Cockpit #81: Ah, To Be In Newark In The Morning!
April 7, 2008
by Kevin Garrison
Pick-up times can come awful early when you are laying over in Manhattan and departing out of Newark. Our 6 a.m. departure for Los Angeles from EWR necessitated a 3:45 a.m. pick-up at the “Mildew Plaza” on 7th Avenue.
Brian Pasch
MILFORD PLAZA REVIEW: MOLD AND MILDEW
Posted August 25th, 2009
(...)
Storyline: My clients were booked at a New York City hotel called The Milford Plaza. I later found out that in the NY Hotel Industry this place is called the “Mildew Plaza”. So for later reference here is the word association:
MILFORD PLAZA, NYC = MILDEW PLAZA, NYC
tripadvisor
“The Mildew Plaza Reborn?”
RussianRiverWin
Reviewed October 20, 2011
The Milford Plaza, for years, was our corporate hotel. If any of us had business in NYC, we knew we would be housed at what we laughingly refer to as the Mildew Plaza. The stories from colleagues are quite funny. However, despite its absolutely perfect location in Manhattan, I can’t imagine staying there in any room except one that has been completely refurbished. You will be disappointed. My fear is that once renovations are complete, the Phoenix Milford will no longer be the most convenient and affordable hotel in NYC