By:Marcia Abramson
I have always been impressed with the elegance and grandeur of the Waldorf Astoria and was delighted when it became an official New York City landmark in 1993. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to spend a night there recently all the stories I had heard and read came to life for me. True, I did not get to stay in the exclusive Waldorf Towers (floors 28-42) where that great musical talent Cole Porter lived for decades and composed many of his great songs as well as the hit musical "Kiss Me Kate" which is currently in revival on Broadway.
This suite was later taken over by another man of song, Frank Sinatra. I was told that on many-an-evening Frank Sinatra would join Cole Porter at the two grand pianos in the suite. The pianos were placed curve to curve so the players -- including Porter and Sinatra -- could face each other. One of the Steinway pianos was given to Porter as a gift by the Waldorf.
This magnificently floral decorated piano was then willed to the Waldorf upon Porter's death. It is now ensconced in the Cocktail Terrace of the Waldorf-Astoria's Park Avenue Lobby and still makes beautiful music every evening. It was thrilling to see and listen to this wonderful piece of memorabilia. I particularly enjoyed getting a glimpse of the Presidential Suite where every President since Herbert Hoover has made his New York City abode except for newly-elected George W. Bush during his 100 days as President.
The Royal Suite which served as the New York home for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is certainly worthy of royalty. Some other noteworthy suites are the General Douglas MacArthur, the Marilyn Monroe and the Joe Dimaggio and the Dalai Lama. It was also no surprise when I learned that the Waldorf has served as the only hotel in the world to serve as an embassy. It is the official residence of the American Ambassador to the UN and the site for many UN General Assembly events.
This hotel is huge and just as mighty. It stretches all the way from Park Avenue to Lexington Avenue from 49th to 50th Streets and is 42 floors high above midtown Manhattan and called the first skyscraper hotel to be built in NYC in 1931 with 2,200 rooms. Its history is fascinating and dates back to 1893 when millionaire William Waldorf Astor decided to build a 13-story hotel called the Waldorf, named for his family's native Walldorf, Germany, at Fifth Avenue near 34th Street. He envisioned this as a replacement for the Astor residence and wanted it to be a hostelry that would have the ambiance of a European palace with the warmth of a private residence.
New York's society found their way to the hotel and marveled at the electricity in the rooms as well as the private baths. It was then used for the great galas and charity balls. But imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and just three years later, the 17- story Astoria Hotel was built right next door to the Waldorf as a replacement for the mansion of Astor's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV.
The two hotels flourished as individual hotels but connected by an elegant corridor and soon became known as a single entity completely equal. They were henceforth known as the Waldorf-Astoria. The year 1929 saw other changes -- not only the start of the Great Depression and the monstrous stock market crash -- but the sale of the property to make way for the Empire State Building, another famous landmark.
However, just one day before the stock market crash on Oct. 28, 1929, construction began on the new Waldorf-Astoria. People watched as the building came to completion and whispered amongst themselves, that this was just "another rich man's folly." But it opened two years later in 1931 to wide acclaim.
The Art Deco decorations were heralded by art connoisseurs, the world over, and the new Waldorf-Astoria was embraced as the standard by which all other grand hotels would be judged. In fact, Conrad Hilton, the renowned hotelier, was so enamored with the Waldorf-Astoria that he kept a picture of it under glass on his desk with the word "the Greatest of Them All" scrawled across it in his handwriting and vowed to one day become its owner. He fulfilled his wish in 1949 by buying 68 percent of its stock for $3,000,000.
Today, it is operated by Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and has kept its legendary reputation for quality with hundreds of millions of dollars in renovations to keep pace with the 21st century. The original Art Deco splendor is a thrilling sight for the eyes in the public areas and I found the accommodations to be deluxe with gracious renovations and configurations. This was indeed a great place for bedding down for the night with wonderful hospitality.
For further information you can call toll free: 1 888-925-3673.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
E-mail:mascribe@aol.com
