Famously Fun Facts about the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Few Manhattan hotels can stand up to the illustrious history of the Waldorf-Astoria. As one of the largest art deco structures still standing in the world, it is also one of New York’s most storied hotels. However, after being purchased by a Chinese insurance group who plans to renovate and remodel the space to fit modern luxury trends, we must say goodbye to the hotel as we know it. With that in mind, here are five famously fun facts about the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

1. The hotel was built out of a family feud. William Waldorf Astor opened a 13-story hotel on 5th Avenue & 33rd Street and named it the Waldorf. Four years later, his cousin John Jacob Astor IV built a 17-story hotel, named the Astoria, to upstage William. Eventually the two ended their competition, connected the hotels with a corridor and combined the names.

2. 

   Photo Credit: Conde Nast Traveler; Getty Images

   The corridor used to connect the hotels is the famous Peacock Alley. With a restaurant on each side during its creation, the alley was named so because male and female fashionistas of the time liked to strut through the space for the public to see. Now Peacock Alley is one of the most famous hotel lobby bars in the city.
3. The Waldorf-Astoria invented room service. Unheard of before the 1930s, the service-oriented hotel changed the industry forever. You can order almost anything during regular business hours and the hotel even has a special menu for hours between midnight and 5 a.m.
4. Track 61 is a secret train line only accessible from inside the Waldorf-Astoria. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously took advantage of the hidden mode of transportation back during his time. Today, the train sits ready to be boarded by a president.
5. The hotel held some of the most famous names of the century. Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco held their engagement party at the hotel in 1956. Frank Sinatra was often a guest there, and Cole Porter bequeathed his Steinway to the Waldorf-Astoria after having such a deep love for the hotel.

While it is sad to think that the Waldorf-Astoria will soon no longer look like the beautiful space we know and love, we can always on all the historic memories it has created. To this beloved hotel: we’ll always have New York.

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