Synonymous with wealth, glamor, power and opulence, the name “Waldorf” has featured in Manhattan tales for generations. In the movies it has meant everything from broken hearts to fortunes made. For Americans of all stripes, it has meant spending New Year’s Eve in front of the television watching Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians perform “Auld Lang Syne” from the hotel’s Starlight Roof.

One of the most expensive overnight stays in the country, the luxury hotel properly named Waldorf Astoria New York is a superior stay for humble history buffs. Its history dates back to 1893 when wealthy William Waldorf Astor opened his Waldorf Hotel on Fifth Avenue, attracting a wealthy clientele. William’s cousin John Jacob Astor IV opened a similar hotel right next door in 1897, attracting his wealthy friends and associates. The two Astors linked their buildings with a corridor and the complex became known as the “Waldorf Astoria.”

In 1929, these successful luxury hotel owners sold their high-priced Manhattan real estate to make way for the Empire State Building. The proceeds of the agreement were used to build the current Waldorf Astoria New York. When it opened on October 1, 1931, with President Herbert Hoover’s congratulatory remarks broadcast on the radio, the 2,200-room New York luxury hotel was the largest in the world, occupying the block of 49th Street at 50 and stretched 42 stories above the pavement. .

Since it opened as the world’s first skyscraper hotel in 1931, the Waldorf Astoria New York has played host to movie stars, royalty, business moguls, and every US president from Herbert Hoover, a permanent resident of the United States. exclusive Waldorf Towers of the New York luxury hotel. In the words of one guidebook author, “There is a certain electric thrill to being here, even among wealthy guests.”

Commonly called the “Waldorf,” this New York luxury hotel made its way into the social history of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Its staff claims it was the first hotel to introduce room service, abolishing separate entry for women and encourage frequent guests to make their suites permanent homes; The top 12 floors, called Waldorf Towers, are made up entirely of residential suites. Some of the residents of the Towers have been President Herbert Hoover and the five-star generals Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur and Omar Bradley.

The initial restoration of this New York City luxury hotel’s Art Deco treasures in the 1980s revealed a lost cache of exquisite artwork that had been hidden for decades, victims of the “modernization” craze that swept the country. in the 1950s and 1960s. Under a rug 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 they were hidden under heavy curtains. A false ceiling covered ornate moldings and gold leaf trim. Art Deco medallions, railings, and other ornaments are found in the hotel’s public areas.

With a pair of 42-story towers rising from an 18-story base, the Waldorf Astoria New York dominates a prominent position on majestic Park Avenue. The entrance to Waldorf Towers is around the corner on East 50th Street, and there is another main portal on Lexington Avenue. Just steps away are downtown landmarks such as Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, as well as the fine shops of Fifth and Madison avenues.

The Waldorf’s lobby offers comfortable seating, accented with marble, dark wood, potted palm trees, and dim lamps, conveying nuances of formal living rooms from a bygone era. The dress code here states that “T-shirts, tank tops, faded jeans, shorts, and casual hats are not allowed” in lobbies and lounges.

Dominating the reception area of ​​the main lobby of the Waldorf Astoria New York is an ornately carved bronze clock from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, which has become a symbol of this luxury hotel and a well-known gathering place. . Set on an octagonal marble and mahogany base and topped with a gleaming bronze Statue of Liberty, the two-ton, nine-foot tall clock was manufactured by Goldsmith of London. Faces carved on the sides include Queen Victoria, Benjamin Franklin, and Presidents George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant.

For people from all walks of life, staying or dining at the Waldorf Astoria New York is the best experience in Manhattan, a magic carpet ride fit for a king or queen. With style and finesse, this imposing palace on Park Avenue treats each guest like royalty.