Waldorf Astoria Research Paper

“The Waldorf Astoria was the world’s first skyscraper hotel and today still exudes the glamour and grandeur of a luxury hotel.” Built In 1893, Multi-Millionaire William Waldorf Astor opened the 13-story Waldorf Hotel on the site of his home at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street in New York City. The hotel was designed by renowned architect Henry Hardenbergh (Hardenbergh is best known for his hotels and apartment buildings, some of which include: The Dakota apartments, The Vancolear, The Plaza Hotel and many more). In 1897, The Waldorf was joined by the 17-story Astoria Hotel, (built right next to the Waldorf), by Waldorf's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV. In 1929, the owners of the hotel (not the Astor cousins, as they passed away in 1912 and the other in 1919) decided to close it down due to new technological and industrial advances and the fact that the hotel was starting to become dated. So, the decision was made to sell the site to the developers of what would eventually be the Empire State building and to
“The Starlight Roof was the first supper club to have a retractable roof. It welcomed everyone from diplomats to presidents, sheiks to princes, and celebrities of all generations. From 1931, when the hotel opened, until well into the 1950s, the 6,000-square-foot Art Deco Starlight Roof had been the talk of the town.” It featured stars like Count Basie, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Glenn Miller (just to name a few). The murals and paintings of the Starlight Roof were conceived by Victor White and the metal grill-work was another Art Deco feature which made The Starlight Roof so unique. The ceiling of the Starlight Roof was entirely retractable, allowing guests to view the beautiful starry nights that a New York City night had to offer. However, in the 1950’s it was permanently closed due to the modernization of air