Since opening in 1931 as the world's first skyscraper hotel, the Waldorf-Astoria
New York 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 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.
Dominating the Waldorf Astoria New York 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.
For people from all walks of life, staying or dining at the Waldorf-Astoria
is the ultimate New York experience, a magic carpet ride fit for a king or
queen. With flair and finesse, this imposing palace on Park Avenue treats
every guest like royalty.
