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130-480: The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City , United States. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets , is a 47-story, 625 ft (191 m) Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultze and Weaver and completed in 1931. The building was the world's tallest hotel until 1957, when it

260-478: 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

390-449: 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

520-526: A travertine frame. Each wall is made of painted plaster with limestone pilasters , wainscoting, and white-metal doors. The men's room and cloakroom are on the north wall, while the ladies' room and shoe-shine room are on the south wall; a set of metal-and-glass doors originally led to the West Lounge. The center aisle has a coved ceiling with indirect lighting and metal finishes, while the north and south aisles have paneled ceilings similar to those above

650-533: A $ 150-million renovation, $ 555 million in 2023 dollars , by Lee Jablin in the 1980s and early 1990s. The Anbang Insurance Group of China purchased the Waldorf Astoria New York for US$ 1.95 billion in 2014, making it the most expensive hotel ever sold. The Waldorf Astoria closed in 2017 for renovations. The upper stories were converted into 375 condominiums, while the lowest 18 floors will retain 375 hotel rooms. Dajia Insurance Group took over

780-642: A 26-year lease from New York Central, and placed a $ 11 million first mortgage on the site. On March 24, 1930, the first steel column in the new hotel was installed, and stonework installation began on June 3. The hotel's construction required massive amounts of materials, including 10,000 metal door frames, 11 million bricks, 2.695 million square feet (250,400 m) of gypsum and terracotta partition blocks, and 1.2 million square feet (110,000 m) of concrete floors. The new Waldorf Astoria had gold-plated doorknobs on eight stories, and its guestrooms, totaling 20.487 million cubic feet (580,100 m), made

910-635: A 90-minute press conference was held in a suite in the hotel. In November 1975, the US government insisted that PLO leader Yasser Arafat stay at the Waldorf during his visit to America, against the wishes of the hotel staff; security was stepped up severely. On August 12, 1981, IBM unveiled its Personal Computer in a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria. The National Basketball Association held its first-ever draft lottery between non-playoff teams at

1040-701: A New York City landmark in January 1993, which prevented Hilton from demolishing or altering the hotel's facade without the LPC's permission. At the time, Hilton did not have any plans to alter the hotel's facade. On May 27, 2001, the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America had a grand banquet at the hotel to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's conversion to Christianity, with Ambassador Edward Djerejian as guest speaker. On May 7, 2004,

1170-430: 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

1300-422: A boutique "hotel within a hotel". In October 2014, Chinese company Anbang Insurance Group bought Waldorf Astoria New York from Hilton for US$ 1.95 billion, making it the most expensive hotel ever sold at the time. A Chinese restaurant, La Chine, opened at the Waldorf Astoria late the following year. On July 1, 2016, Anbang announced plans to refurbish the hotel and turn some rooms into condominiums , The Towers of

1430-873: A cashier's desk and front-office desk. Special desks in the lobby are provided for transportation and theater, where exclusive tickets to many of the city's prominent theaters can be purchased. The grand clock, a 4000-lb bronze, was built by the Goldsmith's Company of London originally for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was purchased by the Waldorf owners. Its base is octagonal, with eight commemorative plaques of presidents George Washington , Abraham Lincoln , Ulysses S. Grant , Andrew Jackson , Benjamin Harrison , and Grover Cleveland , and Queen Victoria and Benjamin Franklin . A shield once belonging to

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1560-623: A commanding figure to whom Tony Rey referred as "the greatest hotelman of his era". Boomer was elected chairman of the board of the Waldorf-Astoria Corporation on February 20, 1945, a position he held until his death in July 1947. Like the original hotel, from its inception, the Waldorf Astoria gained worldwide renown for its glamorous dinner parties and galas, often at the center of political and business conferences and fundraising schemes. Author Ward Morehouse III has referred to

1690-731: A dresser, a refrigerator , and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a television, and en-suite bathrooms . Small, lower-priced hotels may offer only 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

1820-486: 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

1950-652: 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

2080-781: 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

2210-460: A hotel next to his aunt's house worsened his feud with her, but with Boldt's assistance, Waldorf's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV , persuaded his mother to move uptown. On November 1, 1897, John Jacob Astor IV opened the 17-story Astoria Hotel on an adjacent site, and leased it to Boldt. The hotels were initially built as two separate structures, but Boldt planned the Astoria so it could be connected to

2340-538: A large, opulent hotel should be available in New York for distinguished visitors. Financial backing was not difficult to get in the summer of 1929, as times were prosperous. The stock market had not yet crashed, nor had the Depression arrived. However, before ground was broken for the new building, some of the investors became dubious about whether this was the right time to be investing in a luxury hotel. The land for

2470-459: 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

2600-457: 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

2730-412: 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

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2860-408: A plaster ceiling. The tops of the walls contain a bas-relief frieze , installed in a 1980s renovation. The lobby is furnished with polished nickel-bronze cornices and Rockwood stone. In the main lobby is a chandelier measuring 10 feet (3.0 m) by 10 feet (3.0 m). Initially, the north wall of the lobby had a porter and cigar store; the east wall had a transportation desk; and the south wall had

2990-708: A press conference was held by MGM, discussing Steve Martin 's The Pink Panther of the Pink Panther series. The 5th Annual DGA Honors Gala was held at the Waldorf on September 29. In 2006, Hilton launched Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts , a brand named for the hotel. Branches of the Waldorf Astoria were launched in Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, and Louisiana in the United States, and abroad in France, Israel, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. In 2006, Hilton

3120-410: 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

3250-536: 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,

3380-534: A soft opening the previous day. It was the tallest and largest hotel in the world at the time, covering the entire block. The slender central tower became known as the Waldorf Towers, with its own private entrance on 50th Street, and consisted of 100 suites, about one-third of which were leased as private residences. NBC received the exclusive right to broadcast events and music from the hotel and to book live entertainment there. President Herbert Hoover said on

3510-909: 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

3640-572: 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

3770-502: 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 ,

3900-560: 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

4030-613: 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

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4160-736: A welcoming dinner at the hotel given by Governor Thomas E. Dewey , and from November 4 to December 12, 1946, the Big Four Conference was held in Jørgine Boomer 's apartment on the 37th floor of the Towers. On November 24, 1947, 48 prominent figures of the Hollywood film industry met at the Waldorf Astoria and discussed what would become the Waldorf Statement , banning people with Communist beliefs or tendencies from

4290-881: 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

4420-428: Is a flashback to the glamor days of the 1930s when this Art Deco masterpiece was the tallest hotel in the world and the epicenter of elite society. A legendary limestone landmark occupying a whole block of prime real estate in midtown Manhattan, it's still a prestigious address that embodies luxury and power in the richest city on earth." The 47-story, 625 ft (191 m) hotel, was the tallest and largest hotel in

4550-491: 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

4680-428: 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

4810-648: 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

4940-880: 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

5070-552: 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

5200-729: 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

5330-890: 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

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5460-404: Is topped by a pair of towers. The tops of the towers contain bronze-and-glass lanterns measuring 15 feet (4.6 m) high and 15 feet wide. The upper stories of the towers are faced in brick, which was intentionally designed to match the stonework on the lower stories. The use of brick led many to believe that the builders ran out of money. The Waldorf Astoria's facade has undergone few changes over

5590-742: 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. Double hyphen In order to avoid it being confused with

5720-651: 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

5850-645: 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

5980-909: 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

6110-683: The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission as official landmarks. The original Waldorf-Astoria was built in two stages along Fifth Avenue and opened in 1893. It was demolished in 1929 to make way for the construction of the Empire State Building . Conrad Hilton acquired management rights to the hotel on October 12, 1949, and the Hilton Hotels Corporation bought the hotel outright in 1972. It underwent

6240-843: The Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Mar Samuel in the basement of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to negotiate the purchase of four Dead Sea Scrolls for Israel ; Yadin paid $ 250,000 for all four scrolls. Hilton acquired management rights to the hotel on October 12, 1949. Restaurateur George Lang began working at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1955, and on December 13, 1955, he helped organize the American Theatre Wing's First Night Ball to celebrate Helen Hayes 's 50th year in show business. He did much to organize dinners at

6370-427: The equals sign = , the double hyphen is often shown as a double oblique hyphen in modern typography. The double hyphen is also not to be confused with two consecutive hyphens (- - ), which are often used to represent an em dash — or en dash – due to the limitations of typewriters and keyboards that do not have distinct hyphen and dash keys. The double hyphen is used for several different purposes throughout

6500-455: The "free-standing Waldorf clock, covered with bronze relief figures" in the main lobby. The first, third, fourth, and 18th floors were dedicated entirely to public rooms and spaces. Many of the public areas used indirect lighting, with lightbulbs concealed in objects such as lamps and vases, "so as to create a restful atmosphere". Tours are conducted of the hotel for guests. The hotel is accessed by two foyers at ground level: one on Park Avenue to

6630-524: The 13-story, 450-room Waldorf Hotel, designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh in the German Renaissance style, was opened on March 13, 1893, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street, on the site where millionaire developer William Waldorf Astor had his mansion. The original hotel stood 225 feet (69 m) high, with a frontage of about 100 feet (30 m) on Fifth Avenue, with an area of 69,475 square feet (6,454.4 m). The original hotel

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6760-548: The 18th story on their western elevation and at the 13th and 16th stories on the eastern elevation. The slab on Park Avenue contained a retractable metal and glass roof above the 18th and 19th stories, above the Starlight Roof nightclub. The slabs are covered with gray limestone and lack colorful ornamentation. The facade of the lower stories is divided vertically into numerous bays, which contain recessed windows and spandrel panels. There are three patterns of spandrels on

6890-691: 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

7020-435: 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

7150-464: The 375 remaining hotel rooms would not reopen until 2021. Following Anbang's bankruptcy in 2020, Dajia Insurance Group Co. took over Anbang's American assets, including the Waldorf Astoria. Sales of the Waldorf-Astoria's condos began that March. By late 2020, the hotel was set to open at the end of 2022; however, by March 2021, the timeline had been postponed to early 2023. At its busiest point,

7280-528: 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

7410-737: The Hollywood film industry. On June 21, 1948, a press conference at the hotel introduced the LP record . From March 27 to 29, 1949, the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace, also known as the Waldorf World Peace Conference, was held at the hotel to discuss the emerging Cold War and the growing divide between the US and the Soviet Union. The event was organized by the struggling American Communist Party and

7540-413: The Knickerbocker (1906), and the Savoy-Plaza Hotel (1927). By the 1920s, the hotel was becoming dated, and the elegant social life of New York had moved much farther north than 34th Street. The Astor family sold the hotel to the developers of the Empire State Building and closed the hotel on May 3, 1929. It was demolished soon after. The idea of a new Waldorf-Astoria hotel was based on the concept that

7670-611: 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)

7800-433: The Parisian circus of the 18th century. By 1959, the hotel emerged as the annual host for live broadcasts from the ballroom by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians Orchestra during New Year's Eve celebrations. Lasting until 1976, these broadcasts were carried worldwide on CBS and invariably concluded at midnight with a performance of " Auld Lang Syne ". Time observed that the American public would simply not believe it

7930-410: The Park Avenue lobby has a stepped ceiling, the terraces and Park Avenue foyer have painted panels on their ceilings, and the terraces' alcoves have metallic-trim ceilings. The Park Avenue Colonnade connects the Park Avenue lobby to the west and the West Lounge to the east. The space is divided into three aisles by two colonnades of square columns. The mosaic floor contains rosette motifs surrounded by

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8060-405: The Park Avenue lobby's terraces. The west lounge, originally the Peacock Alley, runs in a north–south direction, connecting the Park Avenue lobby and colonnade to the west and the west elevator bank to the east. It contains wooden paneled walls and red-marble pilasters with silver Ionic capitals. The northern portion of the west lounge has been converted into a restaurant area. This space contains

8190-419: The Peacock Alley restaurant, which includes the main restaurant, a bar and lounge, and three private dining salons. The southern portion remains intact and contains a set of decorative metal gates that formerly led to a beauty salon. The west elevator lobby consists of a bank of six elevators with stainless steel doors that contain bas-reliefs of women. The elevator lobby also has a carpet, wooden paneling around

8320-464: The Pompeian style. The Park Avenue lobby is surrounded by raised terraces on the north and south walls, the Park Avenue foyer to the west, and the colonnade to the east. The north terrace connects with the Empire Room, while the south terrace connects with the Vanderbilt Room; both terraces have an alcove to the west and a stair to the east. The Park Avenue lobby contains classical-style square columns, as well as pastoral murals by Louis Rigal. The center of

8450-441: The Presidential Suite, was designed with Georgian-style furniture to emulate that of the White House . The hotel has three main restaurants: Peacock Alley, The Bull & Bear Steak House, and La Chine—a Chinese restaurant that replaced Oscar's Brasserie in late 2015. Sir Harry's Bar in the hotel, is named after British explorer Sir Harry Johnston . The Waldorf Astoria has been known for its lavish dinner parties and galas, often at

8580-430: The Starlight Roof for the 1985 NBA draft . Lee Jablin , of Harman Jablin Architects, fully renovated and upgraded the property during the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s in a $ 150 million renovation. The main lobby was renovated in 1986 as part of the project, and the hotel was also downsized from 1,800 to 1,700 rooms. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated the Waldorf Astoria's exterior as

8710-491: 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,

8840-405: The US and the Middle East. In November 1974, the hotel was placed on high alert when a "20-car motorcade, with eight shotgun-toting police marksmen aboard in bullet-proof vests" brought Palestinian Fatah party leader Farouk Kaddoumi to the Waldorf from John F. Kennedy International Airport . The following month, President Ford met with Nelson Rockefeller after he was voted vice president , and

8970-425: The Waldorf Astoria and the Astor Hotel were reported to have been worth £10 million. On the evening of November 15, 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) broadcast its inaugural program from the grand ballroom of the old Waldorf-Astoria. The hotel faced stiff competition from the early 20th century, with a range of new hotels springing up in New York City such as the Hotel Astor (1904), St. Regis (1904),

9100-435: The Waldorf Astoria as "comparable to great national institutions" and a "living symbol deep within our collective consciousness". It had the "greatest banquet department in the world" at the time according to restaurateur Tom Margittai, with the center of activity being the Grand Ballroom. On August 3, 1932, some 200 people representing the "cream of New York's literary world" attended the Waldorf Astoria to honor Pearl S. Buck ,

9230-412: The Waldorf Astoria when Anbang went bankrupt in 2020, and, after several delays, the hotel is not expected to reopen until 2025 at the earliest. In 2009, the Waldorf Astoria and Towers had 1,416 rooms. The main hotel had 1,235 single and double rooms and 208 mini-suites. The Waldorf Towers on the 28th to 42nd floors had 181 rooms, of which 115 were suites with one to four bedrooms. The most expensive room,

9360-591: The Waldorf Astoria. Under the plan, some of the hotel's rooms would be turned into apartments, while the remaining guestrooms would be operated by Hilton. The final event in the Grand Ballroom, on February 28, 2017, was a charity gala celebrating NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital with Stevie Wonder playing. As part of the refurbishment process, the hotel closed on March 1, 2017. The hotel's restaurants, including Peacock Alley, The Bull and Bear Steak House, and La Chine, were all closed; they were planned to reopen when

9490-507: The Waldorf appeared destined for failure. It was "Astor's Folly", with the general perception of the palatial hotel being that it had no place in New York City. Wealthy New Yorkers were angry, because they viewed the construction of the hotel as the ruination of a good neighborhood. Business travelers found it too expensive and too far uptown for their needs. However, the hotel became a major success, earning $ 4.5 million in its first year, exorbitant for that period. William Astor's construction of

9620-472: The Waldorf by an alley, Peacock Alley, named for the parade of well-dressed, well-to-do people who strutted between the two fashionable buildings. The hotel subsequently became known as the "Waldorf-Astoria", the largest hotel in the world at the time. With a telephone in every room and first-class room service, the hotel was designed specifically to cater to the needs of the socially prominent "wealthy upper crust" of New York and distinguished foreign visitors to

9750-521: The Waldorf from 1979 until 1988. Some of the luxury suites were named after celebrities who lived or stayed in them, including Cole Porter , the Duke and Duchess of Windsor , Douglas MacArthur , and Winston Churchill . The name of the hotel is ultimately derived from the town of Walldorf , which lies in the north of the German state of Baden-Württemberg , south of Mannheim and Heidelberg . The name of

9880-478: The Waldorf to assist Hungarian issues and relief. On one occasion, an event was attended by Edward G. Robinson and pianist Doklady and some $ 60,000 were raised. The April in Paris Ball was an annual gala event whose mission was to improve Franco-American relations , to share cultures, and to help assist the US and French charities, aside from commemorating the 2000th anniversary of the founding of Paris. It

10010-578: The Waldorf was moved to the Alexis restaurant on W. Franklin Street in 1984. The main lobby is surrounded on all four sides by a system of secondary corridors. The eastern corridor allowed direct access from Lexington Avenue to the various rooms on the third and fourth stories. The architects used different colors of marbles for the lobby-floor lounges to distinguish them from each other. The west lounge has French walnut burl panels separated by red French marble;

10140-527: The Waldorf", maître d'hôtel from the hotel's inauguration in 1893 until his retirement in 1943. Tschirsky gained renown among the general public as an artist who "composed sonatas in soups, symphonies in salads, minuets in sauces, lyrics in entrees". He had an excellent memory and an encyclopedic memory of the culinary preferences of many of the guests, which further added to his popularity. The Waldorf gained significant renown internationally for its fundraising dinners and balls, regularly attracting notables of

10270-673: The Wedgwood Room, guests dined during performances by entertainers including Frank Sinatra , Victor Borge , the Mischa Borr Orchestra, with John Serry , the Leo Reisman Orchestra, Annamary Dickey , Corinna Mura , Paul Draper , and Gracie Fields . The hotel played a considerable role in the emerging Cold War and international relations during the postwar years, staging numerous events and conferences. On March 15, 1946, Winston Churchill attended

10400-527: The annual calendar during the 1950s, with one early show featuring a "three-hour spectacular of five tableaux, directed by Stuart Chaney ", [depicting] a 12th-century scene of troubadours at the court of Eleanor of Aquitane , Henry VIII 's meeting at the Field of the Cloth of Gold , Louis XIV at Versailles , and a fashion show of 40 creations by Dior , Fath , Balmain , Desses , and Givenchy ". The 1957 event

10530-467: The apartments and amenity areas, while Pierre-Yves Rochon refurbished the hotel rooms. In early 2018, the Chinese government took over the Waldorf Astoria and Anbang's other assets for one year, alleging economic crimes by Anbang. The firm Douglas Elliman was hired to sell the condos. In November 2019, it was announced that the 375 condos in the Waldorf-Astoria would go on sale early the next year, while

10660-589: The author of The Good Earth , which was the best-selling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932. One dinner alone, a relatively "small dinner" attended by some 50 people in June 1946, raised over $ 250,000. During the 1930s and 1940s the hotel's guests were also entertained at the elegant "Starlight Roof" nightclub by the Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra and such noted musicians as: Xavier Cugat , Eddie Duchin , Lester Lanin and Glenn Miller . In

10790-404: 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

10920-454: The center of political and business conferences and fundraising schemes involving the rich and famous. After World War II, it played a significant role in world politics and the Cold War , culminating in the controversial World Peace Conference of March 1949 . The Presidential Suite was the residence of Herbert Hoover from his retirement for over 30 years, and Frank Sinatra kept a suite at

11050-486: The city. The hotel became, according to author Sean Dennis Cashman, "a successful symbol of the opulence and achievement of the Astor family". It was the first hotel to offer complete electricity and private bathrooms. Founding proprietor Boldt, whose motto was "the guest is always right", became wealthy and prominent internationally, if not so much a popular celebrity as his famous employee, Oscar Tschirky , known as "Oscar of

11180-470: The day such as Andrew Carnegie , who became a fixture. Banquets were often held in the ballroom for esteemed figures and international royalty. The Waldorf Astoria was influential in advancing the status of women, who could be admitted as single guests. One article in 1899 claimed that at any one time, the hotel had $ 7 million worth of valuables locked in the safe, testament to the wealth of its guests. Upon his death in 1919, William Waldorf Astor's half-share of

11310-576: 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

11440-486: The elevator doors, and a stepped ceiling with crystal chandelier. The elevators are furnished with paneled pollard oak and Carpathian elm. The main lobby, at the center of the lobby floor, measures 82 by 62 feet (25 by 19 m) across and 22 feet (6.7 m) high. The lobby has four wood-paneled walls, all of which originally contained archways, but the archways on the north and south walls have been infilled. There are also square columns made of black marble, which support

11570-484: The end of the business day, the 2,200-room hotel had only 500 occupants. The hotel contained several innovations for its time. The Waldorf Astoria contained phones that rang automatically, a first for its time; teletype devices; a telephone extension in each of the 1,550 two-bedroom suites; and a telephone switchboard that served 2,535 extensions. There were radios in all 2,000 guestrooms and in 15 public rooms, connected by 190 miles (310 km) of wire. 140 suites on

11700-610: 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

11830-407: The former north lounge had yellow Siena marble; the south lounge has white gray Breche Montalto marble; and the east arcade has serpentine cladding. East of the main lobby is the main lobby hall, which leads to the hotel's east arcade and eastern elevator bank. The room includes wall panels made of burled wood, as well as bronze vitrines . The east arcade runs in a north–south direction, connecting

11960-565: 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

12090-443: 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

12220-471: The hotel and were reportedly banned from the hotel for life; however, they were allowed to visit the hotel in 1990, when they performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction. In 1972, the Hilton Hotels Corporation bought the hotel outright from New York Central's successor, Penn Central . In the 1970s, the Waldorf Astoria continued to play an important role in international politics, particularly between

12350-580: The hotel in 1949. The double hyphen visually represents "Peacock Alley", the hallway between the two hotels that once stood where the Empire State building now stands today. The use of the double hyphen was discontinued by its parent company Hilton in 2009, shortly after the introduction of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts chain. The original hotel started as two hotels on Fifth Avenue built by feuding relatives. The first hotel,

12480-531: The hotel the most spacious in New York City. 27,100 short tons (24,200 long tons; 24,600 t) of steel were used, more than was used in the Woolworth Building . The hotel's steel frame topped out, 625 feet (191 m) above street level, on October 22, 1930. The last stone on the Waldorf Astoria's facade was installed at a ceremony on February 4, 1931. On October 1, 1931, the new building opened on Park Avenue, between 49th and 50th streets, following

12610-406: The hotel's expected reopening later that year. In October 2024, the hotel's reopening was postponed yet again to early 2025. The hotel was designed by architects Schultze and Weaver and constructed at 301 Park Avenue , between 49th and 50th Streets, several blocks north of Grand Central Terminal . The hotel occupies an entire city block, measuring 405 feet (123 m) wide between Park Avenue to

12740-524: 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

12870-437: The main lobby hall to the west and a stair hall to the east. Its design is similar to that of the west lounge. The east arcade has elevators with nickel-bronze doors that contain bas-reliefs of floral patterns and figures. The east arcade also contains Japanese-ash wall paneling; green-marble pilasters with Corinthian capitals; and metal-and-glass doors. The northern end of the east arcade has been divided into another room, while

13000-536: 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,

13130-524: The men's cafe contained a map of the New York metropolitan area with notable golf courses; another dining room had canvases painted by Josep Maria Sert , gold walls, and a silver ceiling. On the west side of the lobby floor is the Park Avenue lobby, also called the main foyer; it is accessed from the Park Avenue foyer and is illuminated by that foyer's windows. The LPC describes the space as being in

13260-629: 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

13390-601: The new hotel was formerly owned by the New York Central Railroad , which had operated a power plant for Grand Central Terminal on the site. New York Central had promised $ 10 million toward the building of the new Waldorf-Astoria. The railroad and all the other investors decided to honor their commitments and take their chances with the uncertain financial climate. In October 1929, the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria Corporation obtained

13520-495: 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

13650-606: 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

13780-517: 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 ,

13910-472: The radio, broadcast from the White House : "The opening of the new Waldorf Astoria is an event in the advancement of hotels, even in New York City. It carries great tradition in national hospitality...marks the measure of nation's growth in power, in comfort and in artistry...an exhibition of courage and confidence to the whole nation". About 2,000 people were in the ballroom listening to this speech, but by

14040-557: The renovation project employed 1,000 workers per day. The renovation of the Waldorf Astoria stalled in mid-2022 as the project exceeded its $ 2 billion budget. According to the Wall Street Journal , this had pushed the renovation back to at least 2024. In March 2023, news media reported that the building would not reopen until 2025 at the earliest. Hilton Hotels & Resorts hired a leadership team in April 2024 in advance of

14170-414: The renovation was completed. A week after the hotel closed, on March 7, 2017, the LPC voted unanimously to list the interiors of many of the hotel's public spaces as New York City landmarks, protecting them from major alterations. Public spaces like the Grand Ballroom and Peacock Alley were refurbished as part of the project. The hotel rooms were planned to be on the lowest 18 floors. Louis Deniot redesigned

14300-448: The skeleton superstructure, and 2.595 million square feet (241,100 m) of terra cotta and gypsum block. The hotel is accessed by six bronze-and-nickel doorways, three each on Park and Lexington Avenues, all measuring 13 feet (4.0 m) wide and 31 feet (9.4 m) high. The massing of the hotel rises from a pair of 20-story-high slabs at the base, which run parallel to Park and Lexington Avenues. The slabs contain setbacks at

14430-436: The southern end leads to a staircase that connects with the 49th Street Ballroom. The arcade also contains display cases and stores, although it originally functioned as a lounge. Luxury 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,

14560-400: The start of the US fall social season. It was staged in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf for eight years, until 1960. The ball was designed to cater to "very, very high-class people" according to Vaccaro. Raffle tickets cost US$ 100 per person and offered opulent prizes such as a US$ 5000 bracelet and other jewels, expensive furs, perfumes, and even cars. The Paris Ball became a notable event in

14690-467: The street. The center vestibule is a revolving door within a curved frame, while the other vestibules have doors that swing outward. Above the vestibules are grilles, wood paneling, and beveled mirrors. The west wall contains escalators to the north and a stairway to the south, which ascend to the lobby floor, as well as a hallway leading to additional spaces at ground level. A private driveway, measuring 90 feet (27 m) wide and 200 feet (61 m) long,

14820-426: 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

14950-587: The town is derived from the German words Wald , meaning "forest", and Dorf , meaning "village". Walldorf is the ancestral home of the Astor family , the prominent German-American family that built the hotel. The hotel was originally known as the Waldorf-Astoria with a single hyphen, as recalled by a popular expression and song, "Meet Me at the Hyphen". The sign was changed to a double hyphen , looking similar to an equals sign , by Conrad Hilton when he purchased

15080-405: The upper stories had provision for privately owned receivers. Soon after the hotel opened, hotelier Conrad Hilton , almost bankrupt at the time, reportedly cut out a photograph of the hotel from a magazine and wrote across it, "The Greatest of Them All". Nonetheless, the Waldorf-Astoria did not begin operating at a profit until 1939. Lucius Boomer continued to manage the hotel in the 1930s and 1940s,

15210-515: The vestibule, as well as large windows on the west wall, illuminating the space. These large windows are divided by wide mullions with bas-reliefs, and they also have pierced metal screens. Stairs on the east wall lead up to the Park Avenue lobby. The Lexington Avenue foyer is at the center of the Lexington Avenue elevation and also contains nickel-bronze decorations. The east wall has three vestibules with metal-and-glass doors leading to

15340-496: The west and Lexington Avenue to the east, and 200 feet (61 m) deep between 49th Street to the south and 50th Street to the north. The hotel was developed atop the existing railroad tracks leading to the station as part of the Terminal City complex, using the air rights above the tracks. Travel America stated: "To linger in the sumptuous salons of the Waldorf-Astoria is to step back in time. Your trip down memory lane

15470-444: The west and one on Lexington Avenue to the east. Three vestibules at the middle of the Park Avenue elevation contain metal-and-glass doors that lead to the foyer there. The center vestibule is composed of a limestone frame, which projects slightly inward and contains two revolving doors. The vestibules on either side contain doors that swing outward, as well as ornate nickel-bronze metalwork. There are nickel-bronze grilles between each of

15600-436: The western and eastern elevations of the facade, facing Park and Lexington Avenues respectively. Gilded letters with the hotel's name are placed above the entrances on either avenue. On Park Avenue, the letters are flanked by representations of maidens. Above the 20th story, the hotel rises as a single slab to the 42nd story. This slab is oriented parallel to the side streets and is also faced in gray limestone. The 42-story slab

15730-415: The world for several years after its completion. The structure uses 1,585 cubic feet (44.9 m) of black marble imported from Belgium, 600 cubic feet (17 m) of Brech Montalto and 260 cubic feet (7.4 m) of Alps Green from Italy, and some 300 antique mantels. In addition, 200 railroad cars brought some 800,000 cubic feet (23,000 m) of limestone for the building's facing, 27,100 tons of steel for

15860-436: The years, except for the installation of openings for air conditioners; replacement of aluminum windows; and modifications to storefronts, marquees, and entrances at ground level. Frommer's has cited the hotel as an "icon of luxury", and highlights the "wide stately corridors, the vintage Deco door fixtures, the white-gloved bellmen, the luxe shopping arcade", the "stunning round mosaic under an immense crystal chandelier", and

15990-411: Was New Year's Day unless Guy Lombardo heralded its arrival from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Time celebrated its 40th anniversary at the hotel on May 6, 1963, at an event attended by some 1,500 celebrities. When Pope Paul VI made the first papal visit to the United States in 1965, he met with U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson at the Waldorf Astoria. In 1968, British rock band The Who checked into

16120-407: Was attended by some 1300 guests, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor , Senator John F. Kennedy , his wife, Jackie , and Marilyn Monroe , who donated $ 130,000 to charities. The following year, the ballroom was decorated with 30 feet (9.1 m) high chestnut trees, earning US$ 170,000 for charities. The final ball to be hosted in the hotel was held on April 10, 1959, with the main theme being

16250-432: Was attended by the likes of Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Vyshinsky , composer and pianist Dmitri Shostakovich , and writer Alexsander Fadeyev ; it was picketed by anti-Stalinists running under the banner of America for Intellectual Freedom , and prominent individuals such as Irving Howe , Dwight Macdonald , Mary McCarthy and Robert Lowell . In 1954, Israeli statesman and archaeologist Yigael Yadin met secretly with

16380-549: Was built from 49th to 50th Street. Similar to the old Waldorf-Astoria's 34th Street carriageway, this allowed private vehicles and taxis to drop off and pick up guests without blocking traffic. The driveway led to a parking lot with 300 spaces. Unlike in other American hotels, the lobby floor of the Waldorf Astoria is raised one story above ground level, which both created the impression of grandeur and allowed storefronts to be placed at ground level. Many rooms contained murals from both 18th-century and contemporary artists. For example,

16510-502: Was described as having a "lofty stone and brick exterior", which was "animated by an effusion of balconies, alcoves, arcades, and loggias beneath a tile roof bedecked with gables and turrets". William Astor, motivated in part by a dispute with his aunt Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor , had built the Waldorf Hotel next door to her house, on the site of his father's mansion, hiring George Boldt as its first managers. At first,

16640-441: Was established by Claude Philippe , the hotel banquet manager, in 1952. While the hotel's management handled invitations and publicity, other details were coordinated by socialites . Elsa Maxwell was given the primary responsibility in organizing it. It was initially held annually in April, but according to Ann Vaccaro, former executive director of the ball, it was changed to October . After being changed to October, it often marked

16770-626: Was reported to be considering opening a new Waldorf Astoria hotel on the Las Vegas Strip . In 2008, the Waldorf Astoria opened the Guerlain and Spa Chakra, Inc. spa at the hotel, as part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection. The Waldorf Astoria New York is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation . "The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria" continued to operate as

16900-405: Was surpassed by Moscow's Hotel Ukraina . An icon of glamor and luxury, the Waldorf Astoria is one of the world's most prestigious and best-known hotels. Once owned by Conrad Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts , a division of Hilton Hotels, operates under the name of the original hotel in locations around the world. Both the exterior and the interior of the Waldorf Astoria are designated by

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