The building contains light courts facing east, as well as setbacks to comply with the 1916 Zoning Resolution, which taper to an octagonal tower at the top of the hotel.

[3][4] 569 Lexington Avenue is to the north on the same block, and St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church and the General Electric Building are to the west.

[6] Many of the hostelries on Hotel Alley had been built in part to serve the now-demolished Grand Central Palace on Lexington Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets.

[7] The hotel was designed in the neo-Romanesque style by Emery Roth,[1][8] assisted by associate architect Sylvan Bien.

[10] Because there is no 13th floor, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) describes the hotel as having 25 habitable stories.

[6][11] The setbacks on three sides of the building contain terraces,[11][13] which were accessed by French doors leading from the adjacent apartments.

[11] On both 50th Street and Lexington Avenue, numerous objects have been installed at the base over the years, including flagpoles, security cameras, display boxes, signs, ventilation openings, and utility meters.

[12] The hotel originally contained what The New York Times described as a "voluptuous Spanish-style lobby, encrusted like a galleon, in blue, maroon, gold and amber".

[8][12] The lobby floor had a velvet carpet decorated with blue floral motifs and silver and gold accents.

[18] The apartments on the lower floors contained one or two rooms, a serving pantry, foyer, and bathroom and were placed on either side of a corridor.

[12] The apartments on these stories were generally larger and included outdoor terraces on the setbacks, as well as full-sized dining rooms.

[36] A 1920 New York Times article said, "With its hotels, office buildings, apartments and underground Streets it not only is a wonderful railroad terminal, but also a great civic centre.

Apartment hotels had less stringent regulations on sunlight, ventilation, and emergency stairs but had to contain communal spaces like dining rooms.

[45] The restaurant at the hotel's base opened at the end of September 1927,[46] and A. G. Walker & Co. was appointed as the renting agent for the Beverly, which was completed in early October 1927.

[14] Among the earliest occupants of the hotel was Louise Cromwell Brooks, the wife of Douglas MacArthur, who had rented the entirety of the 26th floor.

[48] Other tenants included explorer Richard E. Byrd, actor Lionel Atwill, accountant Jacob K. Lasser,[10] and financier and art collector Chester Dale.

[51] A New York Supreme Court judge ordered in August 1935 that the $1.255 million mortgage loan on the hotel be reorganized and extended for five years.

[56] A New York state judge ruled in July 1952 that Ginsberg had to sell the hotel and a neighboring building to Maidman for about $2.1 million, even though the buyer and seller had not made a formal contract.

As part of the deal, Maidman would assume the $700,000 mortgage loan that Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance had placed on the hotel.

Two months later, Highgate resold the Beverly to the Manhattan East Suite Hotels,[72] owned by the Denihan family.

[88] After mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed rezoning East Midtown in 2012, preservationists began advocating for several structures in the neighborhood to be designated as official landmarks.

[89][90] The LPC hosted public hearings in 2013 to determine whether the Benjamin Hotel and four other structures in East Midtown should be designated as New York City landmarks.

"[69] The same year, Newsday wrote that the guestrooms "are pleasant; the lobby with its mahogany-paneled walls and leather sofas is relaxing; the staff is friendly; and the concierge volunteers to map out tours of Manhattan, obtain hard-to-get theater tickets and otherwise make one's stay pleasurable.

"[70] After the 1999 renovation, The New York Times wrote that the rooms were "stylish and inviting",[20] while Hospitality Design magazine said the Benjamin "pays tribute to an elegant era, a resilient architect, and a much-loved patriarch, while incorporating high-tech amenities that carry it squarely into the new millennium".

[105] A critic for The Independent on Sunday wrote in 2003: "The decor is low key but looks expensive: all calming taupes and creams and mahogany furnishings [...] The overall effect is incredibly relaxing.

"[26] The Globe and Mail wrote the same year that the hotel "retains its art-deco allure with the lobby's sweeping staircase, towering Venetian mirrors and a raised, metal-leaf reception desk.

"[22] Oyster.com wrote that "the stately architecture and elegant decor of the Benjamin sets it apart from neighboring skyscrapers and bland office buildings in Midtown East".

[106] A reviewer for The Telegraph wrote that the hotel "features sophisticated spaces that feel more like upscale apartments" and that the kitchenettes, the bar, and the staff added to the impression that each guestroom was a pied-à-terre.

[107] When An American Place moved to the Benjamin in 1999, Trucco wrote that "standard dishes, like cedar-planked Atlantic salmon, pot-roasted short ribs and a sinful chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream remain as comforting as ever.

"[108] When the National Bar and Dining Rooms opened, a writer for New York magazine said that "given its decidedly unhip midtown location inside the 1927 landmarked Benjamin Hotel, it stands out as a gem.