Ngomhla ziyisi-7 kuNdasa, 2017, Ikhomishini Yokulondolozwa Kwezimpawu Zendawo yavotela ukuvikela imininingwane ye-Art Deco yangaphakathi ye-Waldorf Astoria Hotel ingaphandle layo seliphawuliwe vele. Ngo-2015, i-Anbang Insurance Group yase-China yathenga i-Waldorf Astoria cishe ngezigidigidi ezimbili zamaRandi kwa-Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. U-Anbang usanda kuvala ihhotela ukuze enze ushintsho oluphelele oluhlanganisa ukuguqulwa kwamakhulu ezindlu zezivakashi zibe amakhondomu aphethwe abantu ngabanye.
Encwadini yami ethi "Hotel Mavens: Lucius M. Boomer, George C. Boldt no-Oscar of the Waldorf" (AuthorHouse 2014), ngitshela indaba ethakazelisayo yokwakhiwa kwe-Waldorf-Astoria entsha kusukela ngo-1929-1931, abanikazi bamahhotela abadala. yona, idizayini eyodwa kanye nohlu lwezivakashi olumangalisayo.
Ngo-December 20, 1928, i-Boomer-duPont Properties Corporation yamemezela ukuthi i-Waldorf-Astoria yokuqala (eyakhiwe ngu-Henry J. Hardenbergh) ku-Fifth Avenue kanye ne-Thirty-Fourth Street izobhidlizwa. Badayisele abathuthukisi bezindlu ihhotela ngamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-13.5 ukuze kwakhiwe i-Empire State Building futhi i-Boomer yakwazi ukuthola amalungelo egama elithi Waldorf-Astoria ngenkokhelo yedola elilodwa. I-Waldorf-Astoria entsha yayizokwakhiwa phezu kwebhulokhi yonke eqashwe ku-New York Central Railroad phakathi kwePaki ne-Lexington Avenues phakathi kweMigwaqo Engamashumi amane nesishiyagalolunye kanye ne-Fiftieth.
Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba i-Waldorf-Astoria yasekuqaleni kuvalwe ukubhidlizwa, uLucius Boomer ucele ifemu edumile yezokwakha yaseSchultze & Weaver ukuthi iqale ukuhlela i-Waldorf-Astoria entsha, enkulu. Imiklamo yabo yamahhotela yayihlanganisa i-Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, i-Atlanta Biltmore Hotel kanye ne-Coral Gables Biltmore Hotel ka-John McEntee Bowman. Le nkampani iphinde yaklama iBreakers Hotel ePalm Beach kanye neMiami Nautilus Hotel. Ngaphezu kwalokho, baklame amahhotela amaningana ayingqophamlando eNew York, okuhlanganisa iPark Lane Hotel, iLexington Hotel, iPierre Hotel kanye neSherry-Netherland Hotel. Umdwebi wezakhiwo ophambili wakwaSchultze & Weaver uLloyd Morgan (1892-1970) uklame iWaldorf-Astoria Hotel okwathi lapho iqedwa ngo-1931, yaba nkulu emhlabeni, inamakamelo angu-2,200. Ngokubuka imifanekiso yakudala kaMorgan eminyakeni engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili nesishiyagalombili kamuva, umuntu angakhamisa ngokuncoma ubuhlakani bukaMorgan.
Le ndawo yayingaphezu kwamathrekhi kaloliwe aseNew York Central Railroad awethule izinkinga ezikhethekile zobunjiniyela nezokwakha njengoba ihhotela bekufanele liphumule kumakholomu ensimbi aphakathi kukajantshi wesitimela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubekwa kwamakholomu kwakudingeka kwenziwe ngaphandle kokuphazamisa amashejuli esitimela. Bekuyisakhiwo esiyinkimbinkimbi kanti ihhotela linakwe ngamaphedi ensimbi kanye nezikhala ezidonsa ukudlidliza phakathi komgwaqo oseceleni nesakhiwo.
Ngenxa yokuthi i-Waldorf yayivula ngesikhathi soKuwohloka Okukhulu Kwezomnotho, uMongameli u-Herbert Hoover wacabanga ukuthi ukuvulwa kungase kube ugqozi kulabo ababelahlekelwe ukuthembela emnothweni wezwe labo. "Ukwakhiwa kwalesi sakhiwo esikhulu," esho enkulumweni yakhe, "kube negalelo ekugcinweni kokuqashwa, kanye nombukiso wesibindi nokuzethemba esizweni sonke."
Ukuketulwa umbuso kwaba yinto exakile kuLucius Boomer njengoba omongameli bangaphambilini babekhulume kuphela ekunikezelweni kwamadamu amasha amakhulu, ezikhumbuzweni zikazwelonke, ngesikhathi kuvulwa amanyuvesi amasha anikezwa umhlaba, kodwa bekungakaze kukhumbuleke ngesikhathi kuvulwa leli bhizinisi elingaka. ihhotela. Kamuva uBoomer wayezobuyisela umusa kumngane wakhe wakudala kanye nomngane wakhe wokudoba. Ngobusuku bokugcotshwa kukaMongameli uFranklin Roosevelt, lapho u-Herbert Hoover eshiya i-White House ngemva kweminyaka emine enzima, wacela abakwaBoomers ukuba babe nesidlo sakusihlwa esithulile naye eNew York eWaldorf Towers.
Kwakukhona izivakashi ezingamakhulu amahlanu emakamelweni ayizinkulungwane ezimbili ehhotela ngalobo busuku bokuqala. Kwenye indawo edolobheni, uNorma Shearer noClark Gable bebeyizihlabani ze-A Free Soul, esontweni layo lesibili lokushaya eCapitol. U-Ann Harding wayevela ku-movie ethi Devotion no-Leslie Howard. U-Eddie Dowling, uGinger Rogers, uRay Dooley, kanye ne-Albertina Rasch Girls babesesiteji se-Broadway Theatre entsha ku-53rd Street. IGrand Hotel ibiwumdlalo weNational. I-Scandals kaGeorge White yango-1931 e-Apollo yayihlanganisa u-Rudy Vallee, u-Ethel Merman, uWillie no-Eugene Howard, noRay Bolger. Inja yeMeya yeDolobha laseNew York u-Walker, i-setter yase-Ireland ebizwa ngokuthi “Chauncey Olcott,” ibilahlekile ekhaya layo eliseFar Rockaway. UDavid Sarnoff ubegubha iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu e-CBS. U-Katharine Cornell wanquma ukumisa i-The Barretts of Wimpole Street ukuze aphumule amasonto ayisithupha. I-Greenwich Savings Bank ibinikeza inzalo engamaphesenti angu-4 kanti abakwaBrill Brothers babenezimpahla zokushayela eziphelele ngo-$169. Ungathola isudi yokuwa e-John David's ngo-$36.50 futhi ulalele i-Rudy Vallee Orchestra kanye no-Eddie Cantor nge-WEAF ngo-21 PM. UPhiladelphia ubedlala iSt. Louis kuWorld Series, uRoxy ubenikezwa isidlo sasemini eBerlin ngaphambi kokudlulela eRussia ukuyobhalisa ithalente. UWill Rogers wayengumuntu waseMelika owayenamahlaya kunabo bonke futhi uNdunankulu uLaval waseFrance wayelibangise eMelika. I-Berkshire Hotel ku-52 East XNUMXnd Street, ibikhangisa “Izindawo zokuqasha ezivumelaniswe nezimo zamanje.”
Leyo kwakuyizwe laseNew York ngenkathi kuvulwa i-Waldorf-Astoria yesibili ku-Park Avenue ngo-1st ka-Okthoba 1931. Ngomhla zizi-4 kuJulayi 1932, i-Waldorf yayinabantu abaholayo abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesithupha, kodwa emakamelweni ayo ayizinkulungwane ezimbili kwakukhona nje. izivakashi ezingamakhulu amabili namashumi ayisithupha.
Nakuba ingeyinde kangako njenge-Chrysler Building noma i-Empire State Building, i-Waldorf-Astoria entsha yabelane ngephrofayela engaqondakali esibhakabhakeni sase-New York City. IFacing Park kanye neLexington Avenues yizitezi ezimbili ezinezitezi ezingamashumi amabili. Phakathi kunombhoshongo onezitezi ezingamashumi amane nambili phezu kwawo kukhona ama-turrets amabili avale imishini yamakheshi, amafeni namagumbi ethangi lamanzi.
Indawo yokungena eyinhloko ku-Park Avenue izungezwe amasimu amabili aphakeme nangale kwalokho, amagumbi amabili okuhlangana: I-Sert Room kanye ne-Empire Room. Ziqhubekela phambili zidlule usebe lwamakheshi, izivakashi ziwela i-Peacock Alley (iphaseji-igumbi lokuphumula eliqanjwe ngomgwaqo odumile ose-Waldorf-Astoria yasekuqaleni). Ngale kunendawo yokwamukela izivakashi engenawindi emaphakathi nesakhiwo. Iqukethe imisebenzi evamile yehhotela (ideski elingaphambili, i-concierge, i-cashier, isiteshi sensimbi) kanye nendawo yokudlela kanye newashi elihle lakudala elivela e-Waldorf-Astoria yasekuqaleni.
I-Waldorf-Astoria entsha yayiwumsebenzi omkhulu owenziwa ngamadoda amaningi kanye nezinkampani ezicishe zibe ziningi. Izimali zokwakha ezifinyelela ezigidini ezingamashumi amane zamaRandi zahlinzekwa yinhlangano yamabhange nezitimela, okuhlanganisa noHayden, Stone & Company; Hallgarten & Inkampani; Kisser, Kinnicutt & Company, kanye neNew York Central neNew York, New Haven kanye nojantshi weHartford. Ifemu yokwakha yakwaThompson and Starrett yaqashwa ukwakha lesi sakhiwo. U-Schultze & Weaver kwadingeka ukuthi banake ngokukhethekile indawo yezinsiza ezingemuva kwendlu. Akukho ababengakwenza ngoba ihhotela lalinendawo encane engaphansi, etholakala ngaphezu komzila wesitimela waseNew York Central. Noma kunjalo, eminyakeni engaphansi kwemibili kamuva, ngo-October 1, 1931, iHhotela elisha laseWaldorf-Astoria lavulelwa umphakathi.
Ukuchaza ihhotela kwakufana nokuzama ukuveza izimangaliso zeDamu i-Hoover noma i-Golden Gate Bridge—umsebenzi ngezibalo ze-ooh-and-ah: Ihhotela lanwetshwa ngamamitha angu-200 eduze kwe-Park ne-Lexington Avenues kanye namafidi angu-405 eduze kwe-Forty-ninth kanye ne-Fiftieth. Imigwaqo. Kwasetshenziswa amathani angu-27,100 76,700 ensimbi ekwakhiweni kwawo, ama-cubic ft ayizinkulungwane ezintathu; imiphongolo kasimende engu-1,000,000 2,695,000; amamitha-skwele ayi-11,000,000 wensimbi yokufaka izinsimbi kanye noboya; 300 amafidi-skwele e-terra cotta namabhulokhi e-gypsum; 625 izitini; kanye nezigqoko zemabula ezingama-XNUMX ezivela kwamanye amazwe. Amathrekhi e-Penn Central Railroad ayegijima ngaphansi kwehhotela, elivinjwe ukudlidliza ikalishi lensimbi eliwubuciko. Kusukela ekungeneni kwayo okuseceleni komgwaqo kuya phezulu kwemibhoshongo yayo engamawele, ihhotela linyuke ngamamitha angu-XNUMX emoyeni. Njengoba inamagumbi angaphansi nje kwezinkulungwane ezimbili, kwakuyihhotela elikhulu kunawo wonke e-United States, uma lingekho emhlabeni.
U-Oscar wase-Waldorf (ihhotela le-maître d' u-Oscar Tschirky) ubekhona lapho kuvulwa ngokumamatheka kwakhe okubanzi njengakuqala. Labo ababekhumbula i-Waldorf-Astoria endala babekujabulela ukumbona njenganoma ubani ehhotela elisha. Izindonga zayo zazinamekwe ngoqweqwe lwe-French burl walnut olunamekwe nge-ebony, izinsika zalo zibhekene ne-French rouge marble futhi zinezihloko nama-cornices ethusi le-nickel. Eduze kwezindonga ze-Peacock Alley ngezikhathi ezithile kwakuphumula ama-maple vitrines ngaphambili ngengilazi lapho abathengisi abaholayo baseNew York babebonisa khona izimpahla zabo. Bekuyiphaseji elihle elithwebule umoya, noma lingazange lifane nokubukeka kwenganekwane e-Waldorf yasekuqaleni. Kodwa yayinegama elifanayo elithi, I-Peacock Alley, futhi lelo qiniso lanele ukufudumala izinhliziyo zabantu abangazi lutho.
Ngisho nangale minyaka yobumnyama yokuwohloka komnotho, i-Waldorf yahlonishwa kabanzi njengehhotela elikhulu kunawo wonke emhlabeni. Abaculi abadumile bavele njalo e-Empire Room yayo okuhlanganisa u-Eddy Duchin, uPaul Draper, uFrank Sinatra, Xavier Cugat, Edith Piaf, Benny Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Harry Bellafonte, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Liberace, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald nabanye abaningi, abaningi. Amabhola abalulekile namadili ayebanjelwe ku-ballroom yayo. Esinye sezici ezimangalisayo zehhotela kwakuwumzila wesitimela ozimele ongaphansi kwebhilidi lapho izihambeli ezihamba ngezimoto ezizimele zazingeza ngqo ehhotela ngamathrekhi aseNew York Central.
Esikhangisweni se-Waldorf-Astoria ngo-1946 esaphinde sakhiqizwa encwadini egunyaziwe ka-Lucius Boomer ethi Hotel Management, (Harper & Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1938), la magama alandelayo avela ngaphansi kwesithombe sika-Waldorf-Astoria:
“I-Waldorf-Astoria nakanjani ingaphezu kwehhotela. Iminyaka engaphezu kwamashumi amane, abantu abakhulu bomhlaba baye bakhetha i-Waldorf-Astoria njengehhotela elilodwa elihambisana nesithunzi sabo sezombangazwe, ukubaluleka kwabo kwezomnotho, noma udumo lwabo lobuciko.”
I-Waldorf Towers enesango layo eliyimfihlo lokungena kanye ne-elevator ku-Fiftieth Street ibiyenzelwe abaqashi besikhathi eside kuphela. Amakhulu abantu abaphawulekayo, kusukela emakhosini ase-Europe kuya kuma-Indian maharajas, alala phansi ezindlini zawo eziwubukhazikhazi zombhoshongo. UMongameli Hoover, ngemva kokusuka kwakhe e-White House, wenza ikhaya lakhe e-Waldorf, njengoba kwenza uJenene Wezempi uDouglas MacArthur, uMbusi noDuchess of Windsor, abashicileli uHenry Luce noWilliam Randolph Hearst, Jr., umbhali wengoma uCole Porter, U-Elizabeth Taylor, uBob Hope, uSultan waseBrunei, nabanye abaningi. I-Towers inama-suites angu-115 kanye namakamelo angu-90 ku-28th kuya ku-42nd floor.
Uqwembe olukuMongameli Suite luthi:
I-Waldorf-Astoria Presidential Suite.
Abambalwa babahlali abadumile:
Njalo uMongameli wase-United States kusukela ngo-1931
INdlovukazi u-Elizabeth II, eNgilandi
INkosi uHussein, eJordani
INkosi Saud, Saudi Arabia
UGeneral Charles de Gaulle, eFrance
Usihlalo uNikita Khrushchev, Soviet Union
UNdunankulu uDavid Ben-Gurion, kwa-Israyeli
UNdunankulu uMenachen Start, kwa-Israyeli
UNdunankulu uGiulio Andreotel, e-Italy
UMongameli uValery Giscard D'estang, eFrance
U-Emperor no-Empress Hirohito, eJapan
INkosi uJuan Carlos I, eSpain
UMongameli Nicolai Ceausescu, eRomania
INkosi u-Olav V, eNorway
INkosi Faisal, eSaudi Arabia
Ehlobo lika-1949, umlobi ogama lakhe linguThomas Ewing Dabney walungiselela ukushicilelwa kwencwadi yomlando womsebenzi wamahhotela uConrad Hilton. Le ncwadi ilandelela indaba yokukhuphuka kuka-Hilton ekusithekeni eNew Mexico, ukungena kwakhe ebhizinisini lamahhotela e-Cisco, e-Texas, kanye nokuthenga kwakhe okudumile kwe-Chicago's Palmer House kanye ne-Plaza Hotel yaseNew York. Le ncwadi, enesihloko esithi “Indoda Ethenge I-Plaza”, yaqedwa futhi yaphathwa abanyathelisi ngesikhathi abashicileli bethi kungazelelwe umsebenzi umiswe. Amakhasi ezihloko acekelwa phansi, amabhantshi othuli alahlwa, futhi umbhali wabizwa ukuze abuyekeze umbhalo. U-Conrad Hilton wayeyisifundo esihle se-biography kodwa, njengoba u-Dabney afundile, wayesanda kuba umnikazi wehhotela i-Waldorf-Astoria. Yabuyekezwa ngokushesha, le ncwadi yakhululwa ukuze ibhukhe izitolo ngo-1950 ngaphansi kwesihloko esisha— “Indoda Ethenge i-Waldorf: Impilo kaConrad N. Hilton”.
UDabney wabhala, “Engqondweni yabanye besifazane nabanumzane abahlonishwayo, ukuthengiswa kwehhotela iPlaza eNew York eminyakeni embalwa edlule kwakungahlotshaniswa kuphela nokuwa kweBastille, ukunqunywa kwekhanda kukaCharles Wokuqala, kanye nokwethulwa kwesine kweRoosevelt. . Kwakubhekwa njengenhlekelele efana nokuzamazama komhlaba kwaseSan Francisco noma isikhukhula saseJohnstown.”
Kungani u-Hilton, owayesezuze udumo lwamahhotela kakade futhi wazuza imali eyanele ukuze aphile ngokunethezeka ukuphila okuningana, anqume ukuthenga i-Waldorf? Kwakuyindawo edumile enomlando okhazimulayo, “idolobha elikhulu phakathi kwedolobha” elinamathuba angenamkhawulo okukhiqiza imali. Kwakuyisakhiwo esihle esasingase sisetshenziswe ngokunenzuzo ngokubambisana nochungechunge olukhulayo lwamahhotela amakhulu akwa-Hilton kwamanye amadolobha. Zonke lezi zizathu, nokunye okwengeziwe, zafingqwa emshweni owodwa odwetshwe umnikazi wamahhotela onesifiso sokuvelela esithombeni se-Waldorf-Astoria: “Omkhulu kunabo bonke.” Ngenxa yokuthi lalilikhulu kunawo wonke, u-Hilton wayezimisele ukuba ngumnikazi walo. Ngo-Okthoba 12, 1949, i-Waldorf yaba ihhotela laseHilton.
Ukuvakashela amakhosi nezindlovukazi kwakwenza kwaba ukuma njalo lapho uvakashela eNew York, njengoba kwenza omongameli base-United States. Inxusa Lase-United States kuNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene ligcine igumbi ehhotela, njengoba kwenza amanxusa avela kwezinye izizwe ezingaphezu kwamashumi amathathu. Ngolunye usuku ekuqaleni kwawo-1960, owayenguMongameli u-Eisenhower wayese-Grand Ballroom edilini ngenkathi uMongameli u-John F. Kennedy ehambele isidlo sakusihlwa sokuqongelela imali e-Empire Room. Osomkhathi abayisithupha bebengena. UFrancis Cardinal Spellman ubehambele isidlo sasemini sokuhlonipha uGeneral Mark Clark, kuyilapho oMongameli bakusasa uLyndon B. Johnson noRichard M. Nixon bezulazula emahholo. Njengoba omongameli abahlanu baseMelika kanye nenkosi yangaphambili yaseNgilandi esakhiweni, kwakungelona usuku oluvamile lwe-Waldorf, kodwa kwakungeyona into evamile kakhulu kangangokuthi yayibangela noma yikuphi ukuthuka okukhulu kubasebenzi basehhotela.
I-Waldorf “yayiyiSigodlo esingekho emthethweni” saseNew York, inqaba yokunethezeka, isikhungo samandla nengcebo, kanye nomnyuziyamu ophilayo womlando waseManhattan. Kunamanothi lapha nalaphaya akhumbula i-Waldorf endala ku-Fifth Avenue—izithombe zezikhanyisi zamahhotela, kuhlanganise neseyili esihle sika-Oscar waseWaldorf, ekufeni kwakhe ngo-1950 wonke amafulege akwaWaldorf ehliswa aba ingxenye yezisebenzi; i-Peacock Alley eyakhiwe kabusha; iwashi elihle elilondolozwe ehhotela elidala elinamamitha ayisishiyagalolunye ethusi elihlotshiswe ngesithombe esincane se-Statue of Liberty, izinkozi ezine ezinamaphiko, uchungechunge lwezigcawu zezemidlalo, kanye nezifaniso zeNdlovukazi uVictoria, uGeorge Washington, u-Ulysses S. Grant, noBenjamin Harrison.
Kodwa isiko elihle elihlala esakhiweni likhumbula isikhathi esidlule kangcono nakakhulu kunalezi zinsalela—izinkumbulo zama-Astors, okunanela “kaDiamond Jim” Brady, “Bet-a- Million” Gates, kanye neBradley Martin Ball; izikhumbuzo zika-T. Coleman duPont, uDouglas MacArthur futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke, uLucius Boomer. Lapho kusihlwa kwehla eNew York futhi umoya wokuthula okunenhlonipho ungena ezindaweni zokungcebeleka ezinkulu namaphasishi, indlu yezihambi yesigodlo iphefumula ngokujulile—kodwa izipoki zasePeacock Alley azilali, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuthi ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kwengama-66, iWaldorf-Astoria ine umnikazi omusha ngenkathi, okwamanje, isaphethwe yi-Hilton Corporation.
Umbhali, uStanley Turkel, uyisikhulu esaziwayo kanye nomeluleki embonini yamahhotela. Usebenzisa umkhuba wakhe wehhotela, wokungenisa izihambi kanye nokubonisana onguchwepheshe ekuphathweni kwempahla, ukucwaninga kwamabhuku okusebenza kanye nempumelelo yezivumelwano zokuthengiselana kwamahhotela kanye nezabelo zokuxhasa amacala. Amakhasimende angabanikazi bamahhotela, abatshalizimali kanye nezikhungo ezibolekisayo. Izincwadi zakhe zihlanganisa: Amahhotela Amakhulu AseMelika: Amaphayona Embonini Yamahhotela (2009), Akhelwe Ukuze Ahlale: Amahhotela Aneminyaka Eyi-100+ YaseNew York (2011), Akhelwe Ukuhlala: Amahhotela Aneminyaka Engu-100+ EMpumalanga Ye-Mississippi (2013 ), i-Hotel Mavens: uLucius M. Boomer, uGeorge C. Boldt no-Oscar be-Waldorf (2014), kanye nama-Great American Hoteliers Volume 2: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry (2016), wonke angase a-odwe kwa-AuthorHouse ngokuvakashela bnokuthul.com
