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The Waldorf-Astoria: the great gray dowager of Park Avenue personifies New York City at its best - Resort Of The Month
Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2002 by Randy Mink
To linger in the sumptuous salons of the Waldorf-Astoria is to step back in time. Your trip down memory lane 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 prestige address that embodies luxury and power in the richest city on earth. Happily for historic preservationists and today's demanding travelers, recent facelifts totaling more than $300 million have restored the grande dame to her former glory.
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Since opening in 1931 as the world's first skyscraper hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria has played host to movie stars, royalty, business tycoons, and every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover, a permanent resident of the hotel's exclusive Waldorf Towers. In the words of one guidebook author, "There's a certain electric thrill about being here, even among the well-heeled guests."
With a pair of 42-story towers rising from an 18-story base, the Waldorf-Astoria commands a prominent perch on majestic Park Avenue. The entrance to the Waldorf Towers is just around the comer on East 50th Street, and there's another main portal on Lexington Avenue. Just a short walk away are midtown landmarks like Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral, plus the smart shops of Fifth and Madison avenues.
The roots of this New York institution go back to 1893, when millionaire William Waldorf Astor opened the 13-story Waldorf Hotel on the former site of his mansion at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. A private bathroom in every guest chamber and electricity throughout were two on a long list of Waldorf firsts. Four years later, the Waldorf was joined by the 17-story Astoria Hotel, erected on an adjacent site by Waldorf's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV. The corridor connecting the two buildings became an enduring symbol of the combined Waldorf and Astoria hotels, represented by the quirky "=" the Waldorf=Astoria uses instead of a hyphen in its official logo. In 1929 the original Waldorf-Astoria was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building.
The initial restoration of the hotel's Art Deco treasures in the 1980s revealed a long-lost cache of exquisite artwork that had been covered up for decades, victims of the "modernization" craze that swept the country in the 1950s and `60s. Underneath a carpet in the Park Avenue lobby, for example, was the magnificent, 148,000-piece "Wheel of Life" mosaic by French artist Louis Rigal, whose 13 allegorical oil murals on the adjacent walls were hidden under heavy draperies. A dropped ceiling covered ornate mouldings and gold leaf decorations. Art Deco medallions, grillwork, and other adornments are found throughout the public areas.
To drink in this Art Deco splendor, set aside some time for an English afternoon tea at the Cocktail Terrace, which overlooks the Park Avenue lobby. The "Classic Tea" ($32), served Tuesday through Saturday, includes tea sandwiches, currant scones with jam and Devonshire cream, and pastries.
Cocktail Terrace guests are serenaded nightly by the Steinway grand piano that once belonged to composer Cole Porter, who lived at the Towers for 25 years. The piano, decorated in a floral print, was a gift to Porter from the hotel. The Towers' Cole Porter Suite, where he wrote many of his famous lyrics, was later occupied by Frank Sinatra and his wife Barbara.
Dominating the main lobby's front desk area is an ornately carved bronze clock from the 1893 Chicago's World Fair, a symbol of the Waldorf and a well-known meeting place. Set on an octagonal marble-and-mahogany base and topped with a shiny bronze Statue of Liberty, the two-ton, nine-foot-tall clock was made by Goldsmith of London. Carved faces on the sides include Queen Victoria, Benjamin Franklin, and Presidents George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant.
The lobby's comfortable seating ensembles, accented with marble, dark wood, potted palms, and dim lamps, convey overtones of formal living rooms from a bygone era. The dress code stipulates that "T-shirts, tank tops, faded jeans, cut-offs, and casual hats are not permitted" in the lobbies and lounges.
Peacock Alley, the hotel's posh French restaurant, presents an extensive Sunday brunch buffet that spills into the lobby and wraps around the antique clock. The mind-boggling display features everything from beef Wellington to sushi and includes no less than 22 desserts. Peacock Alley's cocktail lounge, overlooking the lobby, is one of the city's best people-watching venues.
Upscale boutiques complement the main lobby's elegant environs. At Bauman Rare Books a mere $2,500 buys an early edition of Gone With the Wind bound in Moroccan leather. Precious jewels sparkle at Cellini and H. Stern, while Boccelli offers fine leather from Italy. Elliott Stevens is heaven for collectors of fine art and antiques.
The Waldorf-Astoria's concierges, many of whom are members of the elite international association of the Clefs d'Or, provide assistance in more than 50 languages. They are masters at securing tables at the city's most popular restaurants. The Theatre Desk secures tickets for New York's most sought-after cultural and sporting events.
