The Egyptian banking executive who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at the Pierre Hotel decided to plead guilty. Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar entered the plea yesterday and was sentenced to five days community service. His lawyer said he completed the community service already (soup kitchen work) and the plea was "the most expeditious way" for him to return to his ailing wife. more ›

Mahmoud Abdel-Salam Omar, the 74-year-old Egyptian banker accused of groping a maid at the Pierre Hotel, posted $25,000 bail yesterday. But as Omar was wrapping up his week at Riker's the Manhattan DA's office still had yet to indict him, instead choosing to further investigate the situation. more ›

After a hotel maid at the Pierre Hotel was allegedly groped by a guest on Sunday evening, she told a manager about the incident. But the manager simply put it in the log book, and didn't contact the police. "It wasn't until the next morning that her supervisor saw the entry and immediately notified authorities, said John Turchiano, spokesman for the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council, the union that represents the accuser," according to the Post. Now, the manager has been suspended. more ›

Last night, police questioned the former chairman of one of Egypt's biggest banks for hours because a maid at the Pierre Hotel accused him of sexually abusing her. According to WCBS 2, Mahmoud Abdel Salam Omar is now "awaiting arraignment Tuesday on charges of sexual abuse, unlawful imprisonment, forcible touching and harassment." The alleged attack comes two weeks after IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a maid at the Sofitel in Times Square. more ›

After NJ pols and Englewood residents raised a firestorm over Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi staying at his Englewood residence, we now hear from the Post that Gadhafi has been kicked out of the swank Pierre Hotel as well. This time it was the guests who put up the fuss. One patron of the Fifth Avenue establishment, where rooms cost upwards of $1,400 a night said,"It's outrageous. How can they let this happen? I'll definitely be staying at another hotel next time." Gadhafi will be staying at the Libyan Mission to the U.N., in less sumptuous quarters. more ›

There's a long feature in the Times' City section about the Pierre Hotel's triplex penthouse. It's been on the market for $70 million since 2004 at Brown Harris Stevens, and if you had $70 million, you'd get 360-degree views of Manhattan from midtown, 16 rooms (including a huge ballroom with 23 foot high ceiling and 20 foot doors), 5 fireplaces and a housekeeper and houseman. But you'd need to pay the whole thing in cash and get past the board, not to mention pay $464,000 in annual maintenance fees. more ›

The Daily News reports that a 70 year-old Japanese tourist was lost for two days on the Upper East Side until another Japanese couple found her. Not only did Takako Maedo not remember that she was staying at the Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue, she had no money and couldn't speak English to get buy. Maedo's daughter said that they were separated at St. Patrick's, and had filed a police report. However, it was only when Maedo walked into Satoru and Tomoe Kuwajima Upper East Side building, surviving by drinking water "left on the street next to a pay phone" (*shudder*) that the mystery was solved; the Kuwajimas were the first Japanese-speaking people Maedo had come across (she didn't think the police could help her) and after giving her some green tea and bread, they called the Japanese Consulate, who probably has an APB for missing Japanese elders in NYC. more ›

Panic Room, the movie, has been called a member of the "Manhattan luxury real estate thriller" genre by A.O. Scott, who also include Single White Female and Rosemary's Baby in it...plus Eyes Wide Shut, even though these NYC apartments were figments of Kubrick's mind. Gothamist would like to add Ransom, Sliver, and Laura. For the less luxury but still scary apartments, Gothamist recommends Wait Until Dark and the NYC apartment movie thriller to end all NYC apartment thrillers, Rear Window. more ›

The staff at the Pierre denies any fine: more ›