225-531: The Hyatt Grand Central New York is a hotel located at 109 East 42nd Street , adjoining Grand Central Terminal , in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . It operated as the 2,000-room Commodore Hotel between 1919 and 1976, before hotel chain Hyatt and real estate developer Donald Trump converted the hotel to the 1,400-room Grand Hyatt New York between 1978 and 1980. As of 2019,
450-478: A business degree , and/or certification programs formally prepare hotel managers for industry practice. Most hotel establishments consist of a general manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the "hotel manager"), department heads who oversee various departments within a hotel, middle managers , administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function, and
675-449: A general manager who serves as the head executive (often referred to as the " hotel manager "), department heads who oversee various departments within a hotel (e.g., food service), middle managers , administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. The organizational chart and volume of job positions and hierarchy varies by hotel size, function and class, and is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. The word hotel
900-551: A $ 22 million modernization program. Realty Hotels' president said the renovations had helped attract new and returning customers to the hotels. The New York Central had experienced financial decline during the 1960s, merging with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to form the Penn Central Railroad. Penn Central continued to face financial issues and failed to make mortgage payments. By late 1970,
1125-555: A 165 ft-long (50 m) bar at the Commodore in 1936, hiring 25 bartenders. The hotel was renovated in 1937 for $ 750,000; according to Crohan, this was the first major renovation of the Commodore in its history. The project involved renovating three ballrooms and all 2,000 guest rooms; installing ten new elevators; and adding a new kitchen and grill room. The renovations were completed by 1939. Crohan died in 1940, and Martin Sweeny
1350-495: A 50-year tax abatement, he later proposed reducing the tax abatement to 35 years, to which Trump objected. By then, several members of the New York City Council had expressed concerns about the proposed abatement, as did rival developers and hotel operators. Opponents said the city government would forfeit $ 4 million a year in tax revenue if the abatement was approved. The New York City Board of Estimate approved
1575-461: A bed, a dressing table, two small chairs, a large armchair, a small table with a telephone, and small writing tables with lamps. The bedrooms also had ornate light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. Each bathroom had a cold-water tap, as well as a shower and an illuminated wall mirror, which were novel features at the time of the hotel's construction. The rebuilt hotel was 32 stories high with 1,400 rooms. The Grand Hyatt also had five restaurants with
1800-450: A better level of service during off-peak hours and a similar level of service during peak hours. It was estimated that it would cost between $ 5.4 million and $ 13 million to install the system. On October 3, 1987, ten R62s made their debut on the shuttle, replacing the R17s that previously ran on the shuttle. In June 1992, these were replaced by R62As . On November 17, 1988,
2025-430: A block of hours typically between 8 am and 5 pm, before the typical night shift. These are similar to transit hotels in that they appeal to travelers, however, unlike transit hotels, they do not eliminate the need to go through Customs. Garden hotels , famous for their gardens before they became hotels, include Gravetye Manor, the home of garden designer William Robinson , and Cliveden , designed by Charles Barry with
2250-417: A brick-and-terracotta facade. It contained a large lobby designed in a manner resembling an Italian courtyard, as well as various dining rooms and ballrooms. The Commodore opened on January 28, 1919, and was originally operated by Bowman-Biltmore Hotels . Zeckendorf Hotels took over the Commodore's operation in 1958 before handing it to New York Central subsidiary Realty Hotels in 1966. Due to declining profits,
2475-544: A circus, fashion shows, and wrestling matches. The Commodore also hosted a party in 1924 to celebrate the removal of the Grand Central elevated station on 42nd Street, which had been directly above the hotel's main entrance. U.S. president Calvin Coolidge attended a large party at the Commodore in 1925 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of 42nd Street's opening. Bowman also hosted a circus in 1927, with an elephant in
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#17327720539892700-403: A combined 2,000 seats, as well as 65,000 sq ft (6,000 m) of retail space. The retail space was designed to be easily converted to a casino, but this conversion never happened, as gambling in the state remained illegal. Trump had wanted to redesign the lobby as a "big atrium ", but this was impossible because of the presence of the Commodore's original interior columns. Furthermore,
2925-446: A concierge for their respective story, the floor clerk coordinated room service, provided supplies, and obtained tickets and schedules for guests, among other tasks. When the Commodore opened, the corridors and rooms all had gray-and-black carpets above two layers of linings. The rooms had translucent curtains and shades that could be unhung, allowing each room to be ventilated during the summer and winter. Each bedroom typically contained
3150-468: A dance floor below. Above the ballroom was a roof garden for tea and luncheons. The ballroom was redecorated in coral and black during a 1937 renovation, with a carpet in yellow, blue, and tan. Two smaller ballrooms opened off the main ballroom and could be used separately or in tandem. These ballrooms contained silk and satin tapestries in the Louis XV style , as well as black-and-green satin chairs. To
3375-418: A few hundred feet to the east, and as a portion of the area used for boarding will be used for the reconfiguration of the fare control area for the entrance leading to the southeast corner of 42nd Street and Broadway. Passengers are also no longer able to board trains on track 4 from the north; extending the platform to the east allowed for the abandonment of the platform currently serving trains on track 4, which
3600-486: A form of property ownership also referred to as a vacation ownership involving the purchase and ownership of an individual unit of accommodation for seasonal usage during a specified period of time. Timeshare resorts often offer amenities similar that of a full-service hotel with on-site restaurants, swimming pools, recreation grounds, and other leisure-oriented amenities. Destination clubs on the other hand may offer more exclusive private accommodations such as private houses in
3825-519: A glass facade, a three-story atrium, a restaurant cantilevered over a sidewalk, and the Commodore's original ballroom. With the deteriorating partnership between Trump and Hyatt, the Pritzker family , which operated the Grand Hyatt, acquired Trump's stake in the hotel in 1996. The Project Commodore skyscraper was announced for the site in 2019, and the Grand Hyatt temporarily closed in 2020 during
4050-480: A grab-and-go restaurant that operated 24 hours a day. Market contained concrete counters, glass displays, wooden floors, and tiled walls. The renovated hotel includes a second-story restaurant cantilevered over the 42nd Street sidewalk; the restaurant measures 170 ft (52 m) wide. Because the restaurant overhangs a public sidewalk, the New York City Board of Estimate had to approve plans for
4275-652: A guest with lifestyle or personal image in specific locations. They are typically full-service and classified as luxury. A key characteristic of lifestyle resorts is focus on providing a unique guest experience as opposed to simply providing lodging. Lifestyle luxury resorts are classified with a Five Star hotel rating depending on the country and local classification standards. Example brands include: Waldorf Astoria , St. Regis , Wynn Resorts , MGM , Shangri-La , Oberoi , Belmond , Jumeirah , Aman , Taj Hotels , Hoshino , Raffles , Fairmont , Banyan Tree , Regent and Park Hyatt . Upscale full-service hotels often provide
4500-781: A hospital since the Middle Ages . The French spelling, with the circumflex , was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article – hence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria". Facilities offering hospitality to travellers featured in early civilizations. In Greco-Roman culture and in ancient Persia , hospitals for recuperation and rest were built at thermal baths . Guinness World Records officially recognised Japan's Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan , founded in 705, as
4725-459: A limited amount of on-site amenities. Economy hotels are small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer basic accommodations with little to no services. Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer longer-term full-service accommodations compared to a traditional hotel. Timeshare and destination clubs are a form of property ownership involving ownership of an individual unit of accommodation for seasonal usage. A motel
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#17327720539894950-457: A limited number of on-site amenities that only cater and market to a specific demographic of travelers, such as the single business traveler. Most focused or select service hotels may still offer full-service accommodations but may lack leisure amenities such as an on-site restaurant or a swimming pool. Examples include Hyatt Place , Holiday Inn , Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn . Small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer
5175-534: A major renovation was begun in 2019 reducing it to two tracks. With two stations, it is the shortest regular service in the system by number of stops, running about 2,402 feet (732 m) in 90 seconds as of 2005 . The shuttle is used by over 100,000 passengers every day, and by up to 10,200 passengers per hour during rush hours. The 42nd Street Shuttle was constructed and operated by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) and
5400-412: A neighborhood-style setting. Examples of timeshare brands include Hilton Grand Vacations , Marriott Vacation Club International , Westgate Resorts , Disney Vacation Club , and Holiday Inn Club Vacations . A motel , an abbreviation for "motor hotel", is a small-sized low-rise lodging establishment similar to a limited service, lower-cost hotel, but typically with direct access to individual rooms from
5625-419: A new 28-foot-wide (8.5 m) and 315-foot-long (96 m) platform was built atop the trackways of tracks 2 and 3, the former express tracks of the original subway. The platform will extend 360 feet (110 m) to the east, and will be flanked by track 1 on the south and track 4 on the north. Passengers at Times Square are no longer able to board trains on track 1 from the south, as the track would be cut back
5850-400: A new mezzanine at Grand Central and the replacement of the wooden platform at Times Square with a new concrete one of 300 feet (91 m). As part of the project, the tiles damaged by the smoke from the fire were replaced with tiles in the city's colors of blue, white and orange, with black tiles interspersed. In addition, fluorescent lighting, which was 12 times brighter than the old lighting,
6075-581: A pair of 1,400 hp (1,000 kW) boilers in the basement. The ventilation system contained 17 fans that were capable of supplying 845,000 cu ft (23,900 m) of air per minute. The Commodore contained ten passenger elevators, eight service elevators, one freight elevator, and two dumbwaiters . The hotel received water from the city's water supply system , with two intakes from 42nd Street and one from Lexington Avenue. The water-drainage system included two sewers to 42nd Street and one to Lexington Avenue, as well as sump pumps that drained water from
6300-410: A room and board arrangement. In Japan , capsule hotels provide a tiny room suitable only for sleeping and shared bathroom facilities. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe . For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, coaching inns served as a place for lodging for coach travelers. Inns began to cater to wealthier clients in the mid-18th century. One of
6525-536: A rose garden by Geoffrey Jellicoe . The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi , Sweden , was the first ice hotel in the world; first built in 1990, it is built each winter and melts every spring. The Hotel de Glace in Duschenay, Canada , opened in 2001 and it is North America's only ice hotel. It is redesigned and rebuilt in its entirety every year. Ice hotels can also be included within larger ice complexes; for example,
6750-419: A small airplane hangar north of the hotel. The project involved numerous extremely large material orders, including a contract for 159,000 pieces of silverware and 1.06 × 10 ^ sq ft (98,000 m) of mesh reinforcement. The hotel's completion was delayed by supply-chain issues and steel shortages during World War I, although the hotel's managers had awarded almost all construction contracts before
6975-909: A stay or re-admission through security checkpoints. Some hotels are built with living trees as structural elements, for example the Treehotel near Piteå , Sweden, the Costa Rica Tree House near the Jairo Mora Sandoval Gandoca-Manzanillo Mixed Wildlife Refuge , Costa Rica ; the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park , Kenya ; the Ariau Towers near Manaus , Brazil, on the Rio Negro in
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7200-644: A study to develop the requirements for a second program to automate the shuttle was included in the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program. However, this study was removed from the program in the July 2017 amendment to the Capital Program. Funding for the renovation of the Times Square shuttle platforms and the reconfiguration of the shuttle was provided as part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program. Improving access to Times Square will cost $ 28.93 million, while
7425-427: A telephone system to keep voice communication with human dispatchers at the two shuttle terminals. At each station there was a cabinet that housed 24 relay systems that made up electronic dispatchers. The relays controlled the train's starting, acceleration, braking, and stopping, as well as the opening and closing of the car doors. The relays were operated by electrical impulses initiated by a punched tape. At full speed,
7650-509: A time would be taken out of service for construction. During the first phase of work, service operated on tracks 1 and 4. The second phase of work began on October 6, 2019, with service being limited to tracks 3 and 4. During this phase, only three of the four cars of the train on track 3 were available for use. On November 8, 2019, the MTA solicited bids for a consultant to manage, oversee, and coordinate work on construction projects taking place in
7875-572: A traditional hotel. Extended stay hotels may offer non-traditional pricing methods such as a weekly rate that caters towards travelers in need of short-term accommodations for an extended period of time. Similar to limited and select service hotels, on-site amenities are normally limited and most extended stay hotels lack an on-site restaurant. Examples include Staybridge Suites , Candlewood Suites , Homewood Suites by Hilton , Home2 Suites by Hilton , Residence Inn by Marriott , Element , and Extended Stay America . Timeshare and destination clubs are
8100-403: A train on track 4 needed to be removed from service. As a result of the changes, dwell times will slightly be reduced at Times Square. As part of the redevelopment of One Times Square , a new 15-foot-wide (4.6 m) entrance with a glass canopy will be built. A new elevator to the building's observation deck will be installed and maintained by Jamestown Developers. The entrance will replace
8325-564: A train to go from the IRT Lexington Avenue Line to the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line or vice versa by using the shuttle tracks. The shuttle operates at all times except between midnight and 5:50 a.m. weekdays, and between midnight and 6:00 a.m. weekends, when alternate service is provided by the parallel 7 train. When in service, each of the shuttle trains uses its own track; e.g.,
8550-502: A type of booking for less than 24 hours where the customer chooses the check in time and the length of the stay. This allows the hotel increased revenue by reselling the same room several times a day. They first gained popularity in Europe but are now common in major global tourist centers. Hotel management is a globally accepted professional career field and academic field of study. Degree programs such as hospitality management studies ,
8775-560: A type of economical hotel first introduced in Japan, where people sleep in stacks of rectangular containers. In the sleeping capsules, beside the bed, the customer can watch TV, put their valuables in the mini safes, and the customers also can use the wireless internet. Some hotels fill daytime occupancy with day rooms , for example, Rodeway Inn and Suites near Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida . Day rooms are booked in
9000-613: A very limited number of on-site amenities and often only offer basic accommodations with little to no services, catering to the budget-minded traveler seeking a "no frills" accommodation. Limited service hotels often lack an on-site restaurant but in return may offer a limited complimentary food and beverage amenity such as on-site continental breakfast service. Examples include Ibis Budget , Hampton Inn , Aloft , Holiday Inn Express , Fairfield Inn , and Four Points by Sheraton . Extended stay hotels are small to medium-sized hotels that offer longer-term full-service accommodations compared to
9225-402: A walnut wainscoting and a purple, green, and rose-colored vaulted ceiling in low relief. Next to the main dining room were the lobby supper room and the breakfast room, both designed in a similar manner to the main dining room. Stairs led from the dining room to the mezzanine, the hair-dressing parlor, and ladies' public rooms. The hotel's kitchen was on the same level as the men's restaurant and
Hyatt Grand Central New York - Misplaced Pages Continue
9450-881: A wide array of guest services and on-site facilities. Commonly found amenities may include: on-site food and beverage (room service and restaurants), meeting and conference services and facilities, fitness center, and business center. Upscale full-service hotels range in quality from upscale to luxury. This classification is based upon the quality of facilities and amenities offered by the hotel. Examples include: W Hotels , Sheraton , Langham , Kempinski , Pullman , Kimpton Hotels , Hilton , Swissôtel , Lotte , Renaissance , Marriott and Hyatt Regency brands. Boutique hotels are smaller independent non-branded hotels that often contain mid-scale to upscale facilities of varying size in unique or intimate settings with full-service accommodations. These hotels are generally 100 rooms or fewer. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments that offer
9675-690: A year for 21 years, with two renewal options. In addition, Bowman was obligated to pay 91 percent of the taxes and six percent of the total construction cost every year. The Commodore became part of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain in 1918 after Bowman and rival hotel operator Benjamin L. M. Bates agreed to merge their respective companies. The New York Central filed plans with the New York City Department of Buildings in May 1916. The hotel, to be designed by Warren and Wetmore,
9900-568: Is a New York City Subway shuttle train service that operates in Manhattan . The shuttle is sometimes referred to as the Grand Central/Times Square Shuttle , since these are the only two stations it serves. The shuttle runs at all times except late nights, with trains running on two tracks underneath 42nd Street between Times Square and Grand Central ; for many decades, three tracks had been in service until
10125-491: Is a hotel chain that offers branding to independently operated hotels; the chain itself is founded by or owned by the member hotels as a group. Many former referral chains have been converted to franchises; the largest surviving member-owned chain is Best Western . The first recorded purpose-built railway hotel was the Great Western Hotel , which opened adjacent to Reading railway station in 1844, shortly after
10350-428: Is a small-sized low-rise lodging with direct access to individual rooms from the car parking area. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. A number of hotels and motels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture. Some hotels are built specifically as destinations in themselves, for example casinos and holiday resorts . Most hotel establishments are run by
10575-648: Is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world, operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sexual activities , typically for one to three hours, but with overnight as an option. Styles of premises vary from extremely low-end to extravagantly appointed. In Japan, love hotels have a history of over 400 years. In 2021 a New York-based company introduced new modular and movable hotel rooms which allow landowners and hospitality groups to create and easily scale hotel accommodations. The portable units can be built in three to five months and can be stacked to create multi-floor units. A referral hotel
10800-828: Is a wonderful railroad terminal, but also a great civic centre." The Commodore was one of several hotels developed in Terminal City, along with other hostelries such as the Roosevelt , the Biltmore , and the Barclay . The New York Central acquired several lots on the west side of Lexington Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets in November 1910; the lots had formerly housed the site of the Hospital for Crippled Children. The railroad had already acquired multiple adjacent lots on
11025-880: Is built into the remains of an opal mine. Located on the coast but high above sea level, these hotels offer unobstructed panoramic views and a great sense of privacy without the feeling of total isolation. Some examples from around the globe are the Riosol Hotel in Gran Canaria, Caruso Belvedere Hotel in Amalfi Coast (Italy), Aman Resorts Amankila in Bali, Birkenhead House in Hermanus (South Africa), The Caves in Jamaica and Caesar Augustus in Capri. Capsule hotels are
11250-552: Is derived from the French hôtel (coming from the same origin as hospital ), which referred to a French version of a building seeing frequent visitors, and providing care, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, hôtel now has the same meaning as the English term, and hôtel particulier is used for the old meaning, as well as "hôtel" in some place names such as Hôtel-Dieu (in Paris), which has been
11475-548: Is located directly underneath the Hyatt Grand Central, and the Lexington Avenue Line platforms cut diagonally underneath the hotel. A subway entrance, with a stair and an elevator, is at the base of the hotel on Lexington Avenue. The site was formerly occupied by the Hospital for Crippled Children. Before the hotel opened, the site occupied an entire city block, which was bounded by Depew Place to
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#173277205398911700-434: Is now shuttle track 1. Tracks 2 and 3 no longer exist, but the trackbed of track 2 can be seen inside the tunnel from passing trains on track 1. At the two terminals, the trackway for track 2 was occupied by platforms that formerly provided access to track 3, which was the former northbound express track. There was also a switch between tracks 1 and 3 just west of Grand Central station. The former northbound local track, track 4,
11925-729: Is often determined by hotel ownership and managing companies. Boutique hotels are typically hotels with a unique environment or intimate setting. Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam , Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill , Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai
12150-410: Is on a very sharp curve and has gap fillers to bridge a large gap between the platform and trains. This platform will be converted into employee space. The exit to 43rd Street was closed, covered over, and turned into an emergency exit starting on October 19, 2019, allowing the metal bridge over track 4 to access the exit to be removed, which in turn will eliminate the need to remove the bridge every time
12375-633: Is on the ground floor near the Lexington Passage. It contains a foyer with artwork, stone floors, and leather furniture. This leads to an open-plan meeting space with stone counters, wooden floors, two wooden "pavilions", and a glass wall in the front. Also on the ground floor is the Manhattan Ballroom and a foyer for that ballroom. There were originally 1,407 rooms, including 125 guestroom suites. These rooms were arranged in 38 different layouts because of site constraints. According to
12600-890: Is one of India's most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the Indian independence movement . Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City , United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna , Austria, home of the Sachertorte . Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as
12825-637: Is part of the A Division of New York City Transit as of 2024 . The shuttle tracks opened in 1904 as part of the city's first subway . The original subway line ran north from City Hall on what is now the IRT Lexington Avenue Line to 42nd Street, from where it turned west to run across 42nd Street. At Broadway, the line turned north, proceeding to 145th Street on what is now the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line . This operation continued until 1918, when construction on
13050-752: The Amazon ; and Bayram's Tree Houses in Olympos , Turkey. Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as Utter Inn in Lake Mälaren , Sweden. Hydropolis , project in Dubai , would have had suites on the bottom of the Persian Gulf , and Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo , Florida , requires scuba diving to access its rooms. 42nd Street Shuttle The 42nd Street Shuttle
13275-702: The Astor , Commodore, and Manhattan hotels to raise money for the Freedomland U.S.A. amusement park in the Bronx , in which Zeckendorf also owned a majority stake. This plan was approved in June 1961, and Freedomland U.S.A. assumed the leases on the three hotels. The hotel was renovated the same year. As part of the project, a cocktail lounge and two large obelisks were installed in the lobby, and two ballrooms were also refurbished. In 1962, amid competition from other hotels,
13500-552: The COVID-19 pandemic in New York City . The hotel reopened in 2021 as the Hyatt Grand Central. As of December 2023, work on Project Commodore is expected to begin by 2026. The Hyatt Grand Central New York is at 109 East 42nd Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City . It occupies a rectangular site on the northwestern corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street , near Pershing Square Plaza , and abuts
13725-651: The George and the Tabard . A typical layout of an inn featured an inner court with bedrooms on the two sides, with the kitchen and parlour at the front and the stables at the back. For a period of about 200 years from the mid-17th century, coaching inns served as a place for lodging for coach travellers (in other words, a roadhouse ). Coaching inns stabled teams of horses for stagecoaches and mail coaches and replaced tired teams with fresh teams. Traditionally they were seven miles apart, but this depended very much on
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#173277205398913950-645: The Great Western Railway opened its line from London. The building still exists, and although it has been used for other purposes over the years, it is now again a hotel and a member of the Malmaison hotel chain . Frequently, expanding railway companies built grand hotels at their termini, such as the Midland Hotel, Manchester next to the former Manchester Central Station , and in London
14175-846: The Hotel de Paris where the crêpe Suzette was invented or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore , where the Singapore Sling cocktail was devised. A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London , through its association with Irving Berlin's song, " Puttin' on the Ritz ". The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as
14400-540: The New York Daily News , the rooms originally included 576 twin-sized beds and 549 king-sized beds, as well as "17 sitting suites, 88 junior suites, 30 VIP suites, 4 deluxe suites, 2 executive suites and just one presidential suite". GKR Design Consultants and Dale Keller & Associates designed the original furniture in the renovated Grand Hyatt. The decorations included brass-framed mirrors, curved wooden furniture, and upholstered seats. Guestrooms started on
14625-399: The Park Avenue Viaduct to the west. The land lot covers about 57,282 sq ft (5,321.7 m), with a frontage of 200.83 ft (61.21 m) on Lexington Avenue and 275 ft (84 m) on 42nd Street. The hotel shares the city block with Grand Central Terminal to the west, the MetLife Building to the northwest, and the Graybar Building and 450 Lexington Avenue to
14850-408: The worst fiscal crisis in its history . Trump formally requested a tax abatement from city officials in March 1976; he was the first developer to request a tax abatement under Beame's program. Hyman B. Cantor of the Carter Hotels Corporation made another offer for the Commodore in April 1976, while city officials continued to discuss the tax abatement. Although Beame originally planned to give the hotel
15075-495: The "flying kitchen", was equipped with a telephone and used for room service. The grand ballroom was one of the few parts of the Commodore Hotel preserved when it was renovated in the 1970s. The space, on the ballroom level (three stories above ground), was renamed the Empire State Ballroom and expanded to 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m) during the renovation. The ballroom retains its carved ceiling measuring 27 ft (8.2 m) high. There are also metal grilles that resembled
15300-488: The 19th century, New York Central Railroad lines north of Grand Central Depot in Midtown Manhattan were served exclusively by steam locomotives , and the rising traffic soon caused accumulations of smoke and soot in the Park Avenue Tunnel , the only approach to the depot. After a fatal crash in the tunnel in 1902, the New York state legislature passed a law to ban all steam trains in Manhattan by 1908. New York Central's vice president William J. Wilgus proposed electrifying
15525-522: The 19th century. Luxury hotels, including the 1829 Tremont House in Boston , the 1836 Astor House in New York City , the 1889 Savoy Hotel in London, and the Ritz chain of hotels in London and Paris in the late 1890s, catered to an ever more-wealthy clientele. Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is part of a United States law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation. Hotels are included as types of public accommodation in
15750-435: The 2000s as hotel chains have been building economy-priced, limited-service franchised properties at freeway exits which compete for largely the same clientele, largely saturating the market by the 1990s. Motels are still useful in less populated areas for driving travelers, but the more populated an area becomes, the more hotels move in to meet the demand for accommodation. While many motels are unbranded and independent, many of
15975-479: The Act. Hotels cater to travelers from many countries and languages, since no one country dominates the travel industry. Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies that operate hotels have set widely accepted industry standards to classify hotel types. General categories include the following: International luxury hotels offer high-quality amenities, full-service accommodations, on-site full-service restaurants, and
16200-555: The Biltmore, Commodore, and Roosevelt hotels formed an alliance to attract conventions with 1,500 to 5,000 guests. The alliance allowed the three hotels to host a single convention across 4,000 guestrooms, 90 meeting rooms, 15 restaurants, and 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m) of exhibit space. The 78013 Corporation, the subsidiary of Webb and Knapp that operated the hotel, owed over $ 850,000 in back rent by February 1964. Amid continued rent disputes, Franchard evicted Webb and Knapp as
16425-452: The Board of Estimate approved the plan it was not completed due to union opposition and high cost. On April 21, 1953, Board of Transportation Chairman Sidney H. Bingham, announced that the installation of the conveyor would cost $ 3.8 million and could be completed in 18 months after funding was budgeted for the project. He hoped that the city and Federal Government would each foot 25% of
16650-601: The Board of Estimate to scrap the project. On September 15, 1955, the Chairman of the New York City Transit Authority, which had taken over operations of the Board of Transportation in June 1953, said that the allocation of funds for the project was questionable. On October 20, 1955, the NYCTA told the Board of Estimate that it was rescinding its request for $ 4,991,000 to build the conveyor. The plan
16875-490: The Chairman of the New York City Board of Transportation , announced that his capital budget request for 1950 would include $ 3.5 million to improve the shuttle for the first time since it was created. As part of the project, double platforms would have been constructed at both ends of the shuttle, the abandoned track 2 would have been removed, and switches would have been installed on track 3 to allow trains to pull into either platform on either track 1 or track 3. In addition,
17100-717: The Children's Hospital site, the Public Service Commission had to acquire an easement from the New York Central, which would enable the commission to build part of the station under the proposed hotel. The commission was unwilling to pay the New York Central's asking price for the easement, so the IRT modified its plans in April 1913 to avoid the hospital site entirely. The Public Service Commission voted on
17325-606: The Commodore Hotel was facing foreclosure , as were several other buildings that Penn Central owned around Grand Central Terminal. After Penn Central went bankrupt that year, the company sought to sell its properties, including the land below the Commodore Hotel. The buildings were placed for auction in October 1971, but the proceedings were delayed for several years. Penn Central, which had placed all of Realty Hotels' properties for sale, subsequently withdrew its offer to sell
17550-444: The Commodore at a later date, but he did not have $ 250,000 on hand to pay for the option. City officials asked Trump to supply a copy of his agreement with Penn Central, but Trump sent the option agreement paperwork without signatures. Penn Central spent $ 1 million on renovations in 1975, remodeling the Commodore's bar and renaming it the "New York, New York". In early May 1976, Penn Central asset manager Victor Palmieri announced that
17775-405: The Commodore closed on May 18, 1976. Trump and Hyatt offered in 1975 to take over the Commodore and renovate it into the Grand Hyatt. After the city government granted a tax abatement for the renovation, Trump and Hyatt completely remodeled the hotel from June 1978 to September 1980, spending $ 100 million and removing almost all of the Commodore's original decorations. The renovated hotel includes
18000-477: The Commodore from Franchard, effective January 1, 1968. The chain formally acquired the hotel's leasehold in June 1967, several months ahead of schedule. Realty Hotels immediately announced plans to spend $ 6 million renovating the Commodore. During the 1960s, Realty Hotels replaced about half of the manually operated elevators at the Barclay, Biltmore, Commodore, and Roosevelt, and it renovated these hotels as part of
18225-465: The Commodore in September 1958, acquiring 96 percent of the stock. As part of a leaseback agreement, Zeckendorf immediately sold the lease on the land to Joseph I. Lubin for $ 6 million, subleasing the site from Lubin for three years. Zeckendorf also began looking to sell his lease of the hotel building itself in early 1960, although he would continue to operate the hotel. Claude Philippe was hired as
18450-452: The Commodore would be closed the next week, having lost $ 1.3 million in 1975. By then, the hotel's occupancy rate had decreased to 33 percent, and hotel officials said the Commodore was projected to lose $ 4.6 million that year. Trump was still negotiating to buy the option. The hotel closed on May 18, 1976, and Penn Central laid off all of the hotel's 500 employees. The Commodore hosted 19 guests and four small events on its last day of operation;
18675-461: The Commodore's original facade but also that of the nearby New York Biltmore Hotel , which was internally demolished in the early 1980s. The hotel contained large amounts of materials, including 16,000 short tons (14,000 long tons; 15,000 t) of steel, 4.256 million bricks, 1.653 million terracotta blocks, and 1.035 × 10 ^ sq ft (96,200 m) of fireproof floor arches. The hotel's heating system included 4,400 radiators, supplied by
18900-557: The Commodore's tax abatement two days after the hotel closed. To receive the abatement, Trump would pay Penn Central $ 10 million and resell the hotel for $ 1 to the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), a New York state government agency, which would lease back the hotel to Trump Organization subsidiary Wembley Realty Inc. for 99 years. Trump would make payments in lieu of taxes during the hotel's renovation. The hotel's rent would be discounted for 40 years, and
19125-462: The Flushing Line called for the use of two of the four tracks between Times Square and Grand Central for the new line, and the other two for shuttle service. Throughout the history of the shuttle there have been proposals to improve service on the line and to extend the line both to the east and to the west. However, it is not feasible to extend the line in either direction, as the line is at
19350-581: The Grand Central station on April 21, 1964, destroyed the demonstration train and resulted in the subsequent restoration of manual operations. The fire began under a shuttle train on track 3, and it became larger, feeding on the wooden platform. The train on track 1 was saved when the motorman saw smoke, and reversed the train. The basements of nearby buildings were damaged. Tracks 1 and 4 returned to service on April 23, 1964, while track 3 returned to service on June 1, 1964. The reinstallation of track 3
19575-572: The Lexington Avenue Line north of 42nd Street, and on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line south of 42nd Street was completed. One trunk would run via the new Lexington Avenue Line down Park Avenue, and the other trunk would run via the new Seventh Avenue Line up Broadway. The section in the middle, via 42nd Street, was converted into shuttle operation. Through the 20th century, various attempts to convert, replace, or extend
19800-1150: The Mammut Snow Hotel in Finland is located within the walls of the Kemi snow castle; and the Lainio Snow Hotel is part of a snow village near Ylläs , Finland. There is an arctic snowhotel in Rovaniemi in Lapland , Finland, along with glass igloos. The first glass igloos were built in 1999 in Finland , they became the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort with 65 buildings, 53 small ones for two people and 12 large ones for four people. Glass igloos, with their roof made of thermal glass, allow guests to admire auroras comfortably from their beds. A love hotel (also 'love motel', especially in Taiwan)
20025-482: The NYCTA announced plans to drop $ 343 million of projects from its Capital Program, including $ 23 million allocated for the reconfiguration of the Shuttle. The shuttle would have been rebuilt with two tracks and the platforms at Times Square would have been moved closer to other subway lines. Work was to begin in 1991, but was deferred so it could be done in conjunction with other rehabilitation work at Times Square, which
20250-887: The Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms. The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen , Appenzellerland , Switzerland, and the Concrete Mushrooms in Albania are former nuclear bunkers transformed into hotels. The Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the author ) in Guadix , Spain, as well as several hotels in Cappadocia , Turkey, are notable for being built into natural cave formations, some with rooms underground. The Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy , South Australia,
20475-709: The TWU's members. Between 1948 and 1951, the Stephens–Adamson Manufacturing Company and the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company proposed that the shuttle be replaced by a pedestrian conveyor system called "Carveyor". The "Carveyor" would have consisted of a set of wheelless cars running on conveyor belts. They would have run slowly–at speeds of 1.5 miles per hour (2.4 km/h)–in stations and would have run more quickly–at speeds of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)–between stations. 12 cars would move along
20700-495: The Transport Workers Union, Michael J. Quill , who pledged to fight the project and called the device "insane". A June 1961 report from the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) mentioned the automatic train was planned to be placed into service that November. On February 29, 1960, the NYCTA began to test a new tieless roadbed on track 1, which had been installed since the previous Thursday. The experiment
20925-478: The United States was repealed, although patrons could initially order drinks from rolling carts. After New York state repealed a Prohibition-era ban on standing bars in May 1934, Bowman-Biltmore Hotels installed a 125 ft-long (38 m) bar in the Commodore. That October, the Commodore's managers opened an English-style grill room, decorated with recessed lighting and wooden panels. Biltmore-Bowman added
21150-414: The barber shop, the manicure shop, and the Commodore Hotel's executive offices, as well as numerous small alcoves and retreats. Men's and women's rooms were positioned on opposite sides of the lobby. West of the lobby were offices, a stock-brokers' room, check rooms, a men's writing room, an English-style men's restaurant, telephones, telegraph services, and other business functions. On the lobby's west wall
21375-541: The basement of the Bank of America Tower . A new fare control area was to be constructed at the west end of the passageway, leading to a new entrance on the north side of 42nd Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue. The passageway was to be used for a free transfer to the IND Sixth Avenue Line 's 42nd Street–Bryant Park station, allowing passengers access to the B , D , F , and M trains. The underpass
21600-412: The basements into the city's sewage system. The Commodore also contained a telautograph system with 75 stations, in addition to a fire alarm system , which at the time of the hotel's opening was an uncommon feature. The hotel's main entrance was at 42nd Street, just east of Grand Central Terminal. At ground level was a vestibule, consisting of a central hallway flanked by wide stairways that ascended to
21825-481: The beds has a headboard designed by Fronth. In addition, Looney & Associates designed twenty VIP suites, themed as either lofts or modern residences. The loft suites include walnut furniture and other "masculine" design features, while the residence suites carry a more neutral color palette. George Wong Design also designed four premier suites, which were inspired by pieds-à-terre and are themed to either uptown Manhattan townhouses or downtown Manhattan lofts. In
22050-494: The beginning of the war. Most of the steel beams were delivered by truck, train, or barge, but in at least one case, a large girder was delivered by a pack of 18 horses. Even after the American Bridge Company had finished manufacturing steel beams for the hotel, these were sometimes delayed due to domestic steel embargoes during World War I. Deliveries of limestone, linen, and carpets were also delayed. Some of
22275-458: The bill, with the remaining 50% to come from the State. Funding for the project was included in the 1953 and 1954 capital budgets. On October 19, 1954, the single bid for the project was submitted by Passenger Belt Conveyors, which was a subsidiary formed the previous month by Stephens–Adamson Corporation and Goodyear Tire. The project was expected to be completed in 550 days. The cost of the project
22500-404: The car park. Motels were built to serve road travellers, including travellers on road trip vacations and workers who drive for their job (travelling salespeople, truck drivers, etc.). Common during the 1950s and 1960s, motels were often located adjacent to a major highway, where they were built on inexpensive land at the edge of towns or along stretches of freeway. New motel construction is rare in
22725-569: The ceiling were large beams painted by John B. Smeraldi , consisting of heraldic designs taken from illuminated manuscripts. The center of the grill room contained a dance floor measuring 45 by 25 ft (13.7 by 7.6 m). At the north end of the ground story was the Commodore Passage, which still exists but was renamed the Lexington Passage after the Commodore closed. The passage leads directly to Grand Central Terminal and also connects to Lexington Avenue. This passageway also connects
22950-418: The ceiling. The walls were made of rough plaster above a wainscoting of soft Italian stone, and the paneling on the walls consisted of blue Italian tiles. The space was illuminated by vases with concealed lighting. At the center of the main lobby was a small retreat surrounded by palm trees. The lobby's mezzanine contained a lounge, which was accessed by a wide staircase on the west wall and smaller stairs along
23175-403: The city if the train ran. Under the new contract with the TWU, the NYCTA agreed to put a motorman in the train during the experimental period. While in its experimental period, the automated train was only operating during rush hours. In July, the test was extended for three more months, and in October the test was extended for six additional months. The chairman of the NYCTA, Charles Patterson,
23400-504: The conveyor belt, and each car would have held 12 seated and 5 standing passengers. The system was expected to travel between Grand Central and Times Square in 1 minute 15 seconds, and was expected to move 18,000 passengers per hour as opposed to the 12,000 that could be accommodated by the existing shuttle. This proposal was formally presented to the Board of Transportation in March 1951. Even though New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) and
23625-407: The corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street was leased by a drugstore in 1954 and was extensively remodeled at a cost of $ 200,000. Webb and Knapp , led by developer William Zeckendorf , offered to buy all of the Commodore Hotel's outstanding common stock in October 1957 for $ 18 per share. At the time, Webb and Knapp wished to control 8,000 hotel rooms in New York City. Zeckendorf Hotels, took over
23850-576: The defining characteristic of a resort hotel is that it exists purely to serve another attraction, the two having the same owners. On the Las Vegas Strip there is a tradition of one-upmanship with luxurious and extravagant hotels in a concentrated area. This trend now has extended to other resorts worldwide, but the concentration in Las Vegas is still the world's highest: nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on
24075-402: The direction of the lobby, as well as a ceiling sculpture designed by Bentel & Bentel. The restaurant includes a lounge and a private dining area. Next to the restaurant was a wine gallery with white-quartz counters and gray-marble wall. The wine gallery included a 30 ft-long (9.1 m) glass artwork by Per Fronth , which depicted oceanic scenes. One of the service elevators, known as
24300-484: The east. At the Times Square end of this segment, the line curved sharply to the north under One Times Square , swinging northeast under Seventh Avenue before shifting under Broadway. The platforms at Times Square are located on this curve. Like the rest of the Original Subway, the line was built with a vertical clearance of 13 feet (4.0 m), and a total width of 49 feet (15 m). The maximum grade of
24525-437: The elimination of 20 columns in the concourse area. This plan would have kept the remaining platform columns, which are located every 5 feet (1.5 m). NYCT considered using platform screen doors to separate trains from the platforms. NYCT then asked WSP to engage in a study, TO-3, to look into eliminating all platform edge columns while keeping the station open with minimal impacts. Initially, $ 1 million in funding for
24750-415: The exit to 43rd Street and will lead to the west side of Broadway between 42nd Street and 43rd Street, as well as a previously closed exit to the northeastern corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue. The space currently used by passengers heading to and from the 43rd Street exit or to and from trains on track 4 will be placed outside of fare control for this new entrance. The portion of the existing station to
24975-534: The federal government imposed a 20 percent excise tax on such shows, and the Century Room became a luncheon room. Other amenities included a parking garage, which the Commodore shared with the Biltmore and the Hotel Manhattan , as well as a children's playroom. The hotel had 2,000 rooms when it opened. Each room faced either the street or a light court, and all guestrooms had bathrooms. Rooms on
25200-610: The first hotels in a modern sense was opened in Exeter in 1768. Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in the early 19th century, and luxury hotels began to spring up in the later part of the 19th century, particularly in the United States. Hotel operations vary in size, function, complexity, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies have set industry standards to classify hotel types. An upscale full-service hotel facility offers luxury amenities, full-service accommodations, an on-site restaurant , and
25425-519: The former 43rd Street entrance, and the rest of the station complex, there was a pedestrian bridge over track 4. The pedestrian bridge could be temporarily removed to allow the train on track 4 to leave for maintenance on an as-needed basis. Track 1 is connected to the IRT Lexington Avenue Line's southbound local track south of Grand Central station. Track 4 connects to the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line's northbound local track north of Times Square station. Since 1918, it has been physically impossible for
25650-645: The grand ballroom, to impress other hoteliers. By 1930, the Commodore was the second-most valuable hotel in New York City (after the Savoy-Plaza Hotel ), with an assessed value of $ 16.3 million. Bowman continued to operate the Commodore until he died in 1931, and David Mulligan took over as Bowman-Biltmore's president the next year. Frank J. Crohan began operating the Commodore after he became president of Bowman-Biltmore in 1934. The Commodore began serving alcoholic drinks in December 1933 after Prohibition in
25875-565: The highest level of personalized and professional service in major or capital cities . International luxury hotels are classified with at least a Five Diamond rating or Five Star hotel rating depending on the country and local classification standards. Example brands include: Grand Hyatt , Conrad , InterContinental , Sofitel , Mandarin Oriental , Four Seasons , The Peninsula , Rosewood , JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton . Lifestyle luxury resorts are branded hotels that appeal to
26100-443: The highest level of personalized service, such as a concierge , room service , and clothes-ironing staff. Full-service hotels often contain upscale full-service facilities with many full-service accommodations, an on-site full-service restaurant , and a variety of on-site amenities . Boutique hotels are smaller independent, non-branded hotels that often contain upscale facilities. Small to medium-sized hotel establishments offer
26325-410: The hotel in the 1970s to designs by Gruzen & Partners and Der Scutt . When the Commodore opened, it contained 2,000 rooms and was either 26 or 28 stories high, as well as five basement stories. Because of superstition surrounding the number 13 , the hotel did not have a thirteenth floor , nor did it have any rooms, mailboxes, elevators, or other fixtures with the number 13. The Commodore's facade
26550-466: The hotel is planned to be replaced with a skyscraper named Project Commodore. The New York Central Railroad had acquired the site in 1910 and started constructing the hotel in October 1916. The Commodore was designed by Warren & Wetmore , with the Fuller Company as the hotel's general contractor. The hotel was 295 feet (90 m), with up to 28 stories, and had an H-shaped floor plan and
26775-671: The hotel to the New York City Subway 's Grand Central–42nd Street station via the terminal's corridors. Additional passageways connect with other buildings such as the Biltmore and Roosevelt hotels, the Yale Club Building , the Graybar Building , and the Chrysler Building . In the late 1990s, the passageway was redesigned as a shopping arcade with marble storefronts. The lobby itself
27000-528: The hotel would cost $ 7 million. Donald Trump's Trump Organization and the Pritzker family 's Hyatt hotel chain entered a formal agreement in May 1975, making a joint offer to purchase the Commodore. Trump planned to buy the hotel for $ 10 million and convert it into a hotel called the Hyatt Regency, spending $ 70 million on renovations. Trump had one year to purchase the hotel and another 18 months to conduct renovations, after which Hyatt would take over
27225-508: The hotel's general manager in June 1960, but Philippe resigned seven months later to work for the nearby Summit Hotel . The Glickman Corporation (renamed the Franchard Corporation in 1963) bought the land lease from Lubin in November 1960. Glickman's lease ran until the end of December 1967, after which control of the hotel would revert to the New York Central. Around the same time, Zeckendorf contemplated selling his leases of
27450-460: The hotel's opening, and hundreds of businesspeople from across the United States had reserved rooms for the hotel's opening day. A women's club opened within the hotel in March 1919. The Commodore's opening coincided with an increase in the number of passengers that used Grand Central Terminal, in part because the subway station under the hotel had opened one year prior. During the hotel's first decade, it hosted such events as car shows, charity balls,
27675-408: The hotel's operator in May 1964 and began managing the Commodore directly. This prompted a dispute between Franchard and several companies that had supplied materials for the hotel, which were collectively owed $ 590,000. As a result, in September 1964, a creditors' committee was established to resolve the dispute. Realty Hotels, a subsidiary of the New York Central, agreed in November 1966 to take over
27900-580: The hotel. Trump planned to re-clad the hotel with a glass facade and expand its public rooms, providing additional space for conventions. The project was planned to create 1,500 jobs, boosting the city's struggling tourism industry, and was one of Trump's first major projects. One unidentified real-estate expert said that, if Trump succeeded in redeveloping the Commodore, "you could call him 'the William Zeckendorf of Bad Times'". Trump wanted to buy an option from Penn Central, allowing him to purchase
28125-404: The hotels. Both Penn Central and the Commodore continued to struggle financially, and the hotel recorded a 49 percent occupancy rate in 1974. Penn Central, which had not paid taxes on the site since June 1970, owed over $ 10 million in back taxes by the beginning of 1976. The Commodore could not be converted to an apartment building because of its large size and inefficient room layouts. Even razing
28350-524: The insulation values of the walls it needs no conventional heating or air conditioning system, although the Maya Guesthouse is built at an altitude of 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) in the Alps. Transit hotels are short stay hotels typically used at international airports where passengers can stay while waiting to change airplanes. The hotels are typically on the airside and do not require a visa for
28575-559: The large windows in Grand Central's Main Concourse , as well as chandeliers that consisted of 7,000 pieces of art glass . The Empire State Ballroom could be divided into five sections and could fit 100 to 1,500 guests. There are numerous smaller ballrooms on the mezzanine and conference levels. A 4,400 sq ft (410 m) event venue called the Gallery On Lex was added during the hotel's 2010s renovation. The event venue
28800-404: The light courts received more sunlight than rooms on the street, as the light courts were wider than any of the surrounding streets. Initially, approximately 1,000 rooms had rates of $ 2.50 a night, advertised as "a room and a bath for two and a half"; the remaining rooms cost $ 3 to $ 4 a night. Each guestroom floor was staffed by its own "floor clerk" who was stationed outside the elevators. Acting as
29025-409: The line and building a new electric-train terminal underground, a plan that was implemented almost in its entirety. The old Grand Central Depot was torn down in phases and replaced by the current Grand Central Terminal. Construction on Grand Central Terminal started in 1903, and the new terminal was opened on February 2, 1913. Passenger traffic on the commuter lines into Grand Central more than doubled in
29250-538: The line is 1.0 percent between Sixth Avenue and Broadway. In 1910, the platforms at the two stations were extended. In 1913, the IRT, the Brooklyn Rapid Transit , and the city agreed to the Dual System of Rapid Transit to expand the city's transportation. As part of the agreement, the existing IRT subway would be split into two north–south lines and a shuttle along 42nd Street. The section of
29475-477: The line south of Grand Central–42nd Street would be connected to a newly constructed line stretching from 41st Street and Park Avenue to the Bronx, running via Lexington Avenue, while the section of the line north of Times Square–42nd Street would be connected to a newly constructed line heading south under Seventh Avenue. The section along 42nd Street was left as a shuttle to connect the new East Side and West Side Lines. The new Lexington Avenue route curved off of
29700-448: The lobby had a cascading fountain and a brass sculpture by Peter Lobello, which measured 100 ft (30 m) high. After the renovation in 2013, the lobby was clad in stone and dark wood, laid in a carpet with gray stripes and furnished with black leather chairs. The ceiling was retrofitted with uplights that changed color depending on the time of the day. The registration and concierge desks were made of white quartz. The lobby's fountain
29925-422: The lobby had a relatively low ceiling because the original ballroom had to be preserved. The lobby covered 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m), measured 275 ft (84 m) long, and was three stories high. A set of escalators led to the lobby from a street-level foyer one story below. The lobby was originally clad with Italian Paradiso marble and contained mirrored walls and large bronzed columns. The center of
30150-557: The lobby's perimeter. The mezzanine railing contained boxes with plants. The mezzanine gallery was designed in the Italian Renaissance style, with flowers and palms. The walls contained satin hangings in blue, red, and yellow with green stripes, which were intended to complement the design of the floor. The gallery also had period furniture, including chairs and vases; the chairs were covered with blue and gold satin and velvet. Leading off this gallery were various writing rooms,
30375-540: The lobby. The central hallway continued to the grill room and to the Commodore Passageway at the rear of the ground level. The grill room was at the rear of the vestibule and was used for supper and dancing; it was also known as the supper room. The grill room's entrance was on a terrace with stone walls and columns and a tiled floor. A short flight of steps descended to the main part of the grill room, which had chestnut walls with alcoves and leaded windows. On
30600-415: The main dining room; stairs led down to the street-level grill room. The kitchen was capable of serving 10,000 meals per day, including 4,000 meals for employees. The kitchen was divided into several departments. These included a main kitchen, measuring 200 by 64 ft (61 by 20 m) wide; a separate kitchen for banquets, measuring 145 by 35 ft (44 by 11 m) wide; and a "preparatory kitchen" above
30825-591: The main kitchen, which was used for food preparation. Paper slips with guests' orders were delivered to the kitchen via a series of pneumatic tubes , and dumbwaiters connected the kitchen with each guestroom floor. When the hotel was built, the New-York Tribune called the main ballroom "the largest private ballroom of any hotel in the world". The space was described as being in the French Empire style. It covered 180 by 78 ft (55 by 24 m) and
31050-536: The meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table , and Hotel Chelsea , also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious ). Some hotels are built specifically as a destination in itself to create a captive trade, example at casinos , amusement parks and holiday resorts . Though hotels have always been built in popular destinations,
31275-629: The mid-18th century, and consequently grew in grandeur and in the level of service provided. Sudhir Andrews traces "the birth of an organised hotel industry" to Europe's chalets and small hotels which catered primarily to aristocrats. One of the first hotels in a modern sense, the Royal Clarence , opened in Exeter in 1768, although the idea only really caught on in the early-19th century. In 1812 Mivart's Hotel opened its doors in London , later changing its name to Claridge's . Hotels proliferated throughout Western Europe and North America in
31500-521: The modification in June 1913, and the new route was adopted that November. However, the commission voted in favor of the original diagonal route in February 1914. The commission subsequently acquired the easement in February 1915 for $ 902,500. The New York State Realty and Terminal Company, a division of the New York Central, leased the hotel to John McEntee Bowman in January 1916. Bowman paid $ 175,000
31725-568: The most basic guest services and facilities. Larger, higher-priced hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a swimming pool, a business center with computers, printers, and other office equipment, childcare, conference and event facilities, tennis or basketball courts, gymnasium , restaurants, day spa, and social function services. Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B&Bs ) to allow guests to identify their room. Some boutique, high-end hotels have custom decorated rooms. Some hotels offer meals as part of
31950-468: The new roadbed, track 1 had to be closed. From May 6 to June 5, 1961, track 4 was closed for the installation of the same roadbed as was tested on track 1. In the afternoon of January 4, 1962, the three-car automated train began service, with a ceremony. The trains carried a stand-by motorman during the six-month trial period. The train had scheduled to begin service on December 15, 1961, but Quill threatened to strike all city- and private-owned transit in
32175-402: The new underpass, as it had been obliged to do, and because mining the underpass would have disrupted shuttle service. At Grand Central, the center track, track 3, was removed and the two existing platforms were connected, providing one wide island platform, with an area of 22,000 square feet (2,000 m ). This became the largest platform in the subway system. The existing northern platform
32400-497: The north of the main ballroom was a vestibule that spanned the entire width of the room. Three chandeliers were hung from the vestibule's high ceiling, which was painted blue and white, and a carpet with " Old World designs" covered the marble floors. The western end of the vestibule was accessed to a direct entrance from the Park Avenue Viaduct. The hotel also had a vehicular elevator from 42nd Street, which ascended to
32625-404: The north side of 42nd Street several years prior. The following year, news media reported that the New York Central was considering erecting a hotel on the site. The New York Times also said that the railroad initially considered leasing the hotel to H. C. Griswold. When Grand Central Terminal opened in February 1913, the New York Central was already clearing the site of the old hospital. The hotel
32850-668: The north. Other nearby buildings include the Pershing Square Building and Bowery Savings Bank Building to the southwest, the Chanin Building to the south, the Socony–Mobil Building to the southeast, and the Chrysler Building to the east. The New York City Subway 's Grand Central–42nd Street station , serving the 4 , 5 , 6 , <6> , 7 , <7> , and S trains,
33075-517: The old line at 41st Street and ran underneath private property to reach Lexington Avenue at 43rd Street with a new Grand Central station located in the diagonal segment. Since there was 400 feet between the eastern end of the original line's station and the new Lexington Avenue Line station, a new shuttle station was to be built near the Lexington Avenue Line station. The construction of the narrow island platform station required building two new trackways extending east under 42nd Street. The two-track layout
33300-495: The oldest hotel in the world. During the Middle Ages , various religious orders at monasteries and abbeys would offer accommodation for travellers on the road. The precursor to the modern hotel was the inn of medieval Europe , possibly dating back to the rule of Ancient Rome . These would provide for the needs of travellers, including food and lodging, stabling and fodder for the traveller's horses and fresh horses for mail coaches . Famous London examples of inns include
33525-438: The one four-car train used on the former track 3, increasing capacity by 20 percent, from 100 cars of capacity per hour to 120 per hour. Times Square and Grand Central stations were reconfigured with wide island platforms, and access improvements will be completed at Times Square. Certain features of the Times Square station would be repaired and restored, and to increase capacity, 122 5-foot (1.5 m) spaced columns between
33750-606: The ones above St Pancras railway station and Charing Cross railway station . London also has the Chiltern Court Hotel above Baker Street tube station , there are also Canada's grand railway hotels . They are or were mostly, but not exclusively, used by those traveling by rail. The Maya Guesthouse in Nax Mont-Noble in the Swiss Alps, is the first hotel in Europe built entirely with straw bales. Due to
33975-437: The original construction plan. A construction contract was awarded on March 7, 2019, with an estimated completion date of March 2022. The project is expected to take three years to complete. On August 2, 2019, the MTA announced that work on the project would begin on August 16. Work on the project will be completed in multiple phases, which were originally intended to create minor reductions in service, since only one track at
34200-517: The other motels which remain in operation joined national franchise chains, often rebranding themselves as hotels, inns or lodges. Some examples of chains with motels include EconoLodge , Motel 6 , Super 8 , and Travelodge . Motels in some parts of the world are more often regarded as places for romantic assignations where rooms are often rented by the hour. This is fairly common in parts of Latin America . Hotels may offer rooms for microstays ,
34425-458: The project began as track 3 was taken out of passenger service. Shuttle service on track 4 resumed on November 9. As part of this phase of work, track 3 and its infrastructure was removed to allow for the construction of new platforms. In addition, structural work, and new power and signaling systems will be completed, and work will also begin on the new transfer passageway between the Times Square and Bryant Park stations. As of December 2020, work on
34650-467: The project was 55 percent complete. In preparation for the opening of the new platform, weekend service ran on a single track during July and August 2021, and the shuttle was closed for four days in July and twelve days in August and September 2021. The new platforms finally opened on September 7, 2021. As part of the project, the 42nd Street Shuttle became ADA-accessible, and track 3 was removed, reducing
34875-510: The project was scheduled to begin, with service then only running on tracks 1 and 3. However, on that date, New York City Transit issued a General Order that called for a complete shutdown of the line until December 31, 2020. Because the shuttle was already temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , the upgrades were expedited by two months. These upgrades included work laying new trackbed and track, and improvements in drainage and flood mitigation systems. The closure of
35100-479: The rear. Trains run on weekdays every 2 to 4 minutes during rush hours and every 5 minutes at other times. On weekends, trains run every 5 minutes during daytime hours and every 10 minutes during the early morning and late evening. 10 trains per hour run on each track in each direction. It takes 90 seconds for trains to travel between Times Square and Grand Central, and trains reach a top speed of 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) before they have to decelerate. Prior to
35325-402: The reconfiguration project will cost $ 235.41 million. The contract for the construction of the project was originally scheduled to be awarded in June 2018. However, this was delayed by several months because of changes to the project schedule and cost. The construction duration was expected to be extended by three months, and the cost would increase by $ 25 million, because of additions to
35550-477: The renovation of the 42nd Street Shuttle platforms would occur during the second phase of renovations. However, the curved platforms at Times Square made it very difficult to convert to ADA standards, and the shuttle platform renovation project was delayed. Although planning was completed in 2006, the project was delayed due to a lack of funding. In 2014 and 2015, the MTA commissioned WSP to undertake constructibility and feasibility studies to increase capacity on
35775-670: The rent payments would increase gradually to $ 2.27 million after 40 years. The tax abatement would allow Trump and Hyatt to save $ 56 million over forty years. If the hotel earned more than $ 5.5 million per year, the city government would receive half of the hotel's profits. Law professor Leon Wein filed a lawsuit, alleging that the tax abatement violated the Constitution of New York , but the New York Court of Appeals (the highest court in New York state) ruled in December 1977 that
36000-546: The restaurant, and the Grand Hyatt's operators had to pay an annual fee to the city government. The space was originally a cocktail lounge called the Sun Garden. In the early 2010s, the former lounge was converted into a restaurant called New York Central, which covers 6,000 sq ft (560 m). As part of the renovation, the firm of Bentel & Bentel covered the lounge with white louvers. The renovated restaurant includes multiple tiers of seating that slope downward in
36225-423: The rivets used in the hotel's frame had to be mailed to the construction site. In addition, rising labor and material prices increased the hotel's cost. By early 1918, the hotel was expected to cost $ 7.5 million, of which the furnishings were to cost $ 2 million. The Commodore's steel frame topped out on July 25, 1918. The Commodore opened on January 28, 1919. The Commodore's managers mailed out 10,000 invitations for
36450-470: The same level as the tracks of the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and those of the Lexington Avenue Line. There have been several proposals to replace the line with moving walkways or conveyor belts. In 1923, H.S. Putnam proposed to replace the shuttle with an endless moving platform system. There would have been three platforms with speeds of 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h), 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) and 9 miles per hour (14 km/h). The fastest platform
36675-503: The shuttle allowed the contractor to fix an unexpected tunnel settlement condition at Times Square, which would have otherwise delayed the project by three to four months. Despite the General Order, the shuttle reopened on August 10, 2020 to accommodate passengers displaced by unrelated construction on the Lexington Avenue Line, which caused a partial closure of that line. At midnight on November 7, 2020, another phase of work on
36900-421: The shuttle and to make it ADA-accessible. NYCT called for a plan that would include a wider center platform to accommodate two six-car trains to the east of the existing station. WSP developed a plan that allowed the shuttle to be reconstructed without any need to excavate along 42nd Street. The initial study, TO-1, only called for the elimination of 36 columns along platform edges to align with train doors, and for
37125-429: The shuttle from three to two tracks. As part of the project, train reliability will be improved with the installation of a new signal system, replacing the existing system, which dates back to the 1930s. The new signaling system will not use communications-based train control (CBTC), but will be CBTC-ready. The shuttle now runs with two six-car trains, compared to the two three-car trains used for tracks 1 and 4, and
37350-590: The shuttle have failed. The proposals have included conveyor-belt systems, as well as reconstruction of connections to the Broadway–Seventh Avenue and Lexington Avenue lines. One of the shuttle's trains was outfitted with automatic train operation on a trial basis in 1962, although the trial ended after a fire in 1964. A major reconstruction of the shuttle took place between 2019 and 2022. The reconstruction allowed trains to be lengthened to six cars while also expanding both shuttle stations' capacity, and brought
37575-462: The shuttle into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . The shuttle operates at all times except late nights, and each of the shuttle tracks in operation at any given time is independent of the other. Its route bullet is colored dark gray on route signs, station signs, and rolling stock with the letter "S" on the official subway map. The subway through which the shuttle runs
37800-423: The shuttle to pilot automatic operation. If the pilot were successful, the rest of the system could be converted to automatic operation in phases. The automatic system would make use of existing tracks, platforms and rolling stock with minor modifications. The project would cost $ 1 million, and Patterson said that automating the shuttle would save $ 150,000 annually by reducing 25 train operators and conductors. If
38025-456: The shuttle would have been extended 200 feet (61 m) to the east to shorten transfers to the Lexington Avenue Line. Chairman Reid also stated that he would look for ways to improve service for riders before any funding arrived, noting that a way was needed to get riders to the proper platform before the car doors closed. While there were lights giving the number of the platform for the next train, they did not give passengers enough time to get to
38250-494: The shuttle's renovation project, shuttle service was provided by three-car trains on tracks 1 and 4, and a four-car train on track 3. It is common for shuttle trains to display advertising that entirely covers the interiors and exteriors of the train, as opposed to other routes, whose stock only displays advertising on placards inside the train. Since 2008, the MTA has tested full-train advertisements on 42nd Street Shuttle rolling stock. While most advertisements are well received,
38475-496: The sixth story above ground level, which at Trump's request was labeled as floor 14. Although the renovation architects opposed this floor numbering system, Hyatt endorsed Trump's decision. Looney & Associates redesigned most of the suites and rooms in the early 2010s; after this renovation, there were 1,306 rooms, including 51 suites. The renovated rooms are furnished with Australian walnut furniture and various types of textiles. The rooms also include indirect lighting, and each of
38700-444: The structure to accommodate the conveyor, which was expected to cost $ 1.1 million, were to be received on December 10, 1954. The contract required the approval of the New York City Board of Estimate , but never received it. In May 1955, it was announced that the project was tabled for discussion for August 25 of that year at the request of City Controller Lawrence Gerosa, who considered the plan to be dangerous. He hoped to convince
38925-585: The subway mezzanine and the entrance to Grand Central Terminal at the shuttle without paying a fare. This was accomplished by moving the turnstiles at the eastern end of the passageway. In March, members of the Metallic Lathers Union Local 46 sought to halt construction on the project, which was 80 percent complete, as the union objected to having the work done by city employees who made less than union workers. The rebuilt passageway opened on March 18, 1946. On June 21, 1949, William Reid,
39150-467: The subway station had been completed by this point, and the George A. Fuller Company, the hotel's general contractor, took over the site. Construction commenced in October 1916; the project was expected to cost $ 6 million. Francis T. Gilling and several assistants spent six months creating a plaster model of the hotel, which was exhibited in several cities during 1917. Warren and Wetmore also drew up plans for
39375-433: The subway system between Times Square and Grand Central, in order to improve customer communication, minimize inconveniences, and to reduce the length and cost of these projects by bundling work. In January 2020, the MTA announced that it would package work on eight projects along 42nd Street, including the work to renovate the 42nd Street Shuttle, together into the newly branded 42nd Street Connection Project. The new approach
39600-448: The tax abatement was constitutional. Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refrigerator , and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a television, and en-suite bathrooms . Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only
39825-426: The terrain. Some English towns had as many as ten such inns and rivalry between them became intense, not only for the income from the stagecoach operators but for the revenue from the food and drink supplied to the wealthy passengers. By the end of the century, coaching inns were being run more professionally, with a regular timetable being followed and fixed menus for food. Inns began to cater to richer clients in
40050-820: The test succeeded, it was planned to automate the IRT Flushing Line , the Franklin Avenue Shuttle , the Myrtle Avenue Elevated , the BMT Canarsie Line , and the Culver Shuttle . However, the NYCTA did not have plans to automate the whole system. On April 16, 1964, an automated train derailed on the northernmost track east of Times Square during the morning rush hour, causing a short circuit, and thus, suspending service on all three tracks. A severe fire at
40275-413: The trackways and 11 mezzanine columns were removed and replaced by 45 new 15-foot (4.6 m) spaced columns that are at least two feet away from the platform edges for safety and to provide space for tactile warning strips. These columns will be supported by 45 new foundations. A plaque describing the history of the station was installed underneath the replicated Knickerbocker lintel. At Times Square,
40500-411: The train before their doors closed. On October 28, 1953, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) asserted that it was impossible for its members to follow the schedule of the shuttle, which called for a train every two minutes during rush hours. Its president, Michael Quill , said that if the New York City Transit Authority took action against train crews skipping scheduled runs, there would be unrest among
40725-409: The train on track 1 simply runs back and forth on track 1, and there is no switching involved in reversing at each terminal. To provide for quick turnaround of the shuttle trains, there is a motorman at each end of the train. Depending on which direction the train is traveling the operators swap jobs when the train gets to one end; one acts as the operator in the front and the other acts as conductor in
40950-404: The train operator falling asleep while operating the train, which led to his overrunning the stop sign and colliding into the bumper block. In 1998, MTA officials announced that the Times Square station would be renovated and that the entire complex would become compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The project was to be split into two phases, each lasting four years;
41175-458: The train ran at 30 miles per hour (48 km/h), slowing to 5.5 miles per hour (8.9 km/h) when coming into the two stations. When entering stations, the train passed through a series of detectors, which caused a series of tripper arms at trackside to go into the open position if the train was going at the speed. If the train was going too quickly, the tripper arms would stay upright and the train's brakes would automatically be set. The equipment
41400-504: The troughs, there were rubber tie plates spaced apart with flaps that encase the rail bottom. The rails were kept in place by lug bolts that were anchored in concrete. The third rail was also mounted on concrete. This differed from the normal roadbeds, which consisted of stone, with wooden ties set into it. The ties, under damp conditions, would rot and the spikes would become loose, resulting in bumpy rides. This test replicated similar roadbeds in Toronto's subway system . In order to construct
41625-414: The very last guest had not been notified of the hotel's closure until the day before. Then-mayor Abraham Beame had proposed a tax abatement in January 1976 to encourage commercial and industrial development in New York City. Beame and Trump's father Fred had long been politically connected, and Beame's deputy mayor Stanley M. Friedman championed the tax-abatement program, even as the city experienced
41850-453: The viaduct level and could carry up to 10,000 lb (4,500 kg). Another popular spot was the Century Room, which had its own orchestra. The Billboard magazine described the Century Room in 1947 as "one of the top name [orchestra] spots in the city". Major bands played at the Century Room from the 1930s to 1948, when the Century also started booking smaller bands. The shows in the Century Room were discontinued permanently in 1949 after
42075-401: The walls of the stations, black bands (at Times Square ) and green bands (at Grand Central ) were painted to guide passengers to the shuttle platforms. The shuttle was meant to be "temporary," and by 1922, there were proposals for the shuttle to be replaced by a moving sidewalk. On March 14, 1927, the extension of the IRT Flushing Line from Fifth Avenue to Times Square under 41st Street
42300-450: The west and 43rd Street to the north. The New York Central Railroad acquired the site in November 1910 as part of the construction of Grand Central Terminal . The Hyatt Grand Central New York was originally known as the Commodore and was designed by Warren & Wetmore . The Fuller Company was the hotel's general contractor, although the project also involved numerous other contractors and engineers. Donald Trump and Hyatt renovated
42525-455: The west of this new control area will no longer be accessible to passengers. To the west of the end of the platform on track 4, a wall decorated by artwork will be installed, blocking the view of the connection between track 4 and the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. A new underpass at the eastern end of the new platform was originally planned to be constructed. This underpass was to pass under track 4 and lead to an existing easement passageway in
42750-404: The whole system were automated, 90% of the 3,100 train operators, and 75% of the conductors and platform conductors could be eliminated. Starting in December 1959, the fully automatic train, consisting of three cars, was tested on 2,700 feet (820 m) of one of the BMT Sea Beach Line express tracks (E4) between the 18th Avenue and New Utrecht Avenue stations. The train was equipped with
42975-421: The years following the terminal's completion. The terminal spurred development in the surrounding area, particularly in Terminal City, a commercial and office district created above where the tracks were covered. Terminal City soon became Manhattan's most desirable commercial and office district. A 1920 New York Times article said, "With its hotels, office buildings, apartments and underground Streets it not only
43200-409: Was a cafe with natural-oak wainscoting ; a blue-and-gold carpet; Flemish oak chairs; and a ceiling with white-and-green plaster frescoes. East of the lobby, and a few steps above it, was the palm room, where after-dinner coffee and afternoon tea were served. The palm room was separated from the lobby by large majolica vases with palm trees. Behind the palm room was the main dining room, which contained
43425-424: Was also reduced in size. During the early-2010s renovation, Jaume Plensa designed a pair of 10 ft-high (3.0 m) sculptures of female heads for the lobby; known as Awilda and Chloe , the sculptures were intended to resemble moai heads. One of the sculptures was placed on an onyx wall, while the other was placed atop the fountain. On the lobby's rear wall was a blackened-steel archway that led to Market,
43650-448: Was appointed as the Commodore's general manager. The hotel's guests during this time included Republican Party presidential candidate Wendell Willkie , who established the personal headquarters of his 1940 election campaign at the hotel. The Officers Service Committee also occupied space in the hotel during World War II; at the end of the war, the committee's space became a bureau for United Nations delegations. An air-conditioning system
43875-408: Was built and installed by the General Railway Signal Company and the Union Switch and Signal division of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, after several years of research and development. The NYCTA contributed between $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 on the project, while the bulk of it, between $ 250,000 and $ 300,000, was contributed by the two companies. The automation of the shuttle was opposed by the president of
44100-488: Was canceled due to its high cost. In 1954, NYCTA created a design concept to reconfiguring the shuttle onto a tangent alignment under 42nd Street. This design was never executed because of the significant impact it would have had on utilities and the street above, and because it would have required a full shutdown of the station. On August 16, 1954, a project to replace 1,000 incandescent bulbs with 2,200 feet (670 m) of new fluorescent lighting at Grand Central platform
44325-430: Was completed and opened for operation. The extension was expected to significantly reduce overcrowding on the shuttle, and on its first night of operation, it reduced shuttle ridership by 50%. Crowding was expected to be reduced further as riders became familiar with the extension. In 1921, of the 100,000 daily shuttle riders, 25,000 transferred to the Flushing Line (then called the Queensboro subway). Originally, plans for
44550-412: Was completed. The new lighting fixtures replaced the green and red lines of light bulbs that had indicated the way to and from the shuttle, respectively, and lit up signs directing riders to the shuttle, with additional fixtures to direct riders from the shuttle to be installed in two weeks. In addition to replacing platform lighting, lighting was replaced to the mezzanine. This project, which cost $ 440,000,
44775-432: Was considerably widened. In September 2024, the MTA announced that it had finished retrofitting the 42nd Street Shuttle tunnels with 5G cell service. This made the 42nd Street Shuttle the first New York City Subway line to be fully equipped with 5G. Of the four shuttle tracks, only two are in use as of 2020 ; the former express track spaces are used as platform space at each terminal. The former southbound local track
45000-403: Was covered over by a wooden platform. A New York Times columnist later said that former southbound express track 2 was still usable for the first few hours of the shuttle's operation, but the wooden platform was placed over that track later the same day to allow shuttles to use former northbound express track 3, due to high demand for the shuttles on the former local tracks, numbered 1 and 4. On
45225-402: Was delayed because of the need to replace 60 beams that were damaged in the fire. Initially, a decision was not made concerning whether or not the automated shuttle train should be reintroduced. From September 19, 1966 to April 1967, service on the shuttle was limited in order to allow for the reconstruction of parts of the line. The entire project cost $ 419,000 and included the construction of
45450-440: Was delayed. The shuttle ran at all times until September 10, 1995, when night service was discontinued in order to avoid raising fares, meaning that late-night passengers had to use the 7 train. New York City Transit had been expecting a $ 160 million surplus in 1995, but due to reductions in state and Federal contributions, it was left with a deficit expected to reach $ 172 million. The elimination of late night service
45675-403: Was designed in a manner resembling an Italian courtyard, surrounded by an arcade with a mezzanine above it. At the hotel's opening in 1919, architectural media described the Commodore's lobby as the largest hotel lobby in the world. The lobby had a metal-and-white-glass ceiling supported by light-colored stucco arches. There was a large palm tree in the middle of the lobby, which reached nearly to
45900-407: Was disappointed by the automated shuttle train, doubting that the train could be operated without any transit personnel on board. Initially, the automation of the shuttle was expected to save $ 150,000 a year in labor costs; however, with one employee still required on the train, there would essentially be no savings. Tape recorded messages warned passengers that the doors of the train were closing. If
46125-414: Was expected to increase to $ 5.5 million to pay for additional structural changes needed for the new system. On November 4, 1954, the $ 3,881,000 contract for a modified version of the plan was awarded. The New York Times lauded the plan, stating that "the Times Square–Grand Central subway shuttle was an atrocity from the beginning and has had no substantial improvement in a third of a century." Bids on
46350-430: Was expected to provide ample capacity for the shuttle. On August 1, 1918, the Dual System's "H system" was put into service, with through trains over the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , and only shuttle trains under 42nd Street. The station was not ready in time, and therefore wooden flooring was temporarily laid over sections of the trackways at Times Square and Grand Central. The shuttle
46575-409: Was expected to reduce the time needed to complete renovations on the shuttle from 49 months to 36 months, allowed for the reengineering of project scope to reduce cost overruns, and improved the schedule of subway service during work. In February, work began on surveying the area that will be the new connection between the Times Square and Bryant Park stations. On April 6, 2020, a new phase of work on
46800-423: Was extended further west to accommodate six-car trains, using existing employee facility rooms. New consolidated employee facility rooms were constructed on the existing location of the switch connecting tracks 1 and 3. The P-4 staircase at the western end of the station leading to Madison Avenue from the existing northern platform was demolished and the P-3 staircase leading there from the existing southern platform
47025-423: Was heavily used, and the crowding conditions were so bad that the shuttle was ordered closed the next day by the Public Service Commission. The new, unused trackways of the planned station were covered with flooring and turned into a passageway between the Shuttle and Lexington Avenue stations. The shuttle reopened on September 28, 1918, with improved passageways and platforms. Track 2 at the Grand Central station
47250-422: Was installed in the Century Room in 1946, allowing the room to operate during the summer, and the entire hotel was air-conditioned by the next year. On April 21, 1949, the Commodore Hotel hosted the 1949 BAA draft in what became the final year of league operations under the Basketball Association of America name. Sweeny died in 1950, shortly after becoming chairman of the Commodore Hotel's board. The storefront at
47475-419: Was installed. In 1978, the United States Department of Transportation undertook a study to analyze and determine the feasibility of installing an Accelerating Walkway System in an urban environment. The study used the 42nd Street Shuttle as a case study. The two options the study analyzed were a one-directional reversible linear walkway and a bi-directional loop. The study found that the walkways would provide
47700-432: Was intended to produce a smoother and more comfortable ride for commuters, in addition to lessening the effect of moisture and erosion. It was planned that if the test succeeded, the rest of the tracks in the subway system would be retrofitted in such a manner. The setup included two parallel strips of concrete that would serve as the roadbed. Between them, flat-bottomed steel troughs were installed, cushioned by rubber. Inside
47925-423: Was largely made of buff-colored brick with architectural terracotta trim; the first three stories were clad in Indiana Limestone . The hotel's lowest three stories occupied the entire site, while the floors above were shaped like a "H", with light courts to the north and south. At the top of the facade was a cornice with copper faces. The design of the nearby 245 Park Avenue was intended to complement not only
48150-431: Was not carried out. On February 12, 1946, work began to double the width of the passageway connecting the shuttle platforms at Grand Central and the main mezzanine over the Lexington Avenue Line platforms. As part of the work, the wooden passenger walkway, which had an average width of 15 feet (4.6 m) was replaced by a 37 feet (11 m) wide passageway with concrete flooring. This walkway had been "temporary" when it
48375-420: Was not connected to either track 1 or track 3. Track 2 was removed between the two stations in 1975, and circuit breaker houses have been constructed on the roadbed of track 2. Track 3, the former northbound express track, was taken out of service on November 7, 2020, then removed in 2021. Prior to the 2020 renovation at the Times Square station, in order to provide a connection between the platform for track 4,
48600-446: Was opened on October 27, 1904, by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT), the first day of subway service in Manhattan . The current shuttle line was part of the first IRT subway line , which ran north to 145th Street via Broadway and south to City Hall via Park Avenue and Lafayette Street . The 42nd Street section of the line connected Broadway at Times Square , on the west, to Park Avenue at Grand Central Terminal , on
48825-477: Was originally decorated in white, purple, and gold, with green accents. The main ballroom could accommodate up to 3,000 guests for entertainments such as plays, and it could seat 2,000 guests during banquets. The room had 56 boxes, connected by a promenade and split across two tiers. This arrangement, inspired by the layout of seats in a Mexican bullring , was intended to maximize the number of boxes for sale during charity events, as well as provide sufficient space for
49050-401: Was part of a larger plan to reduce spending in order to avert a fare increase, which Governor George Pataki and Mayor Rudy Giuliani had pressured the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to avoid. Eliminating night service on the shuttle was done to avoid the need to reduce service on corridors without alternate service. Shuttle service had been running every ten minutes overnight, and
49275-490: Was planned to be 26 stories tall and cost $ 6 million. The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company gave the New York Central a $ 4.5 million loan for the site in September 1916. The Real Estate Record wrote at the time: "the release of such an enormous amount of money into a single building project is being regarded as highly significant inasmuch as there has been a marked tendency on the part of many builders to hold their projects in abeyance" during World War I. The excavations for
49500-404: Was put into place in August 1918. The new 350 feet (110 m)-long passageway covered most of the trackways used by downtown trains of the Original Subway prior to 1918. The iron railings along the planked walkway were removed. The project cost $ 45,800 and was intended to ease congestion. As part of the project, the upper passageway was moved to within fare control to allow passengers to go between
49725-408: Was the beginning of a program to improve lighting at old stations across the IRT system. As part of a demonstration for automation, track 4 was briefly automated from 1962 to 1964. It was the first automated service in the New York City subway system. On January 26, 1959, the Chairman of the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), Charles Patterson announced that the NYCTA was exploring converting
49950-473: Was to be mined below track 4, and trains running on the track would have been supported by micropiles and skeletonized track. In July 2021, the MTA amended the contract to eliminate the passageway under track 4 in favor of a new 300-foot-long (91 m) ramp between tracks 1 and 4, connecting at its eastern end to two staircases to the Sixth Avenue Line. The amendment was made because the Bank of America Tower's owner The Durst Organization did not want to pay for
50175-412: Was to be named the Commodore after "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt , the New York Central's founder. As part of the Dual Contracts , the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) planned a subway station for the IRT Lexington Avenue Line at 42nd Street, which was to run diagonally from Park Avenue in the southwest to Lexington Avenue in the northeast. Because the station was partially located under
50400-444: Was to have been installed with seats. Even though the plan was supported by the Chief Engineer of the New York City Rapid Transit Commission, it was not adopted. In 1930, Charles E. Smith , vice president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , proposed allowing trains from the Broadway–Seventh Avenue and Lexington Avenue Lines to use the shuttle tracks for through service, as well as discontinuing shuttle service. This also
50625-401: Was used by 275 passengers per hour. On February 28, 2005, a shuttle train crashed into the bumper block of track 3 at Grand Central, injuring the train operator and hospitalizing two passengers. The crash caused $ 100,000 in damage to the 4-car train. The New York State Public Transportation Safety Board's investigation into the collision concluded that the most likely cause of the accident was
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