Part history lesson, part dream-like fantasy, part luxurious indulgence, the Waldorf Astoria (from $250/night) is an iconic New York institution.
But in a city where the only constant is change, we can’t expect hotels — even legendary ones — to be an exception.
This twin-towered goliath shuts down March 1 for at least two years for a renovation reported to total $1 billion so, to celebrate its past and with a nod to its future, we present its most impressive (and quirkiest) stats.
US commanders-in-chief who have stayed in its 2,245-square-foot Presidential Suite, from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush.
Red velvet cupcakes, which the hotel allegedly created, baked weekly in the massive subterranean kitchens.
The popular dessert’s signature recipe includes beets and vegetable oil instead of butter to keep the cake dense and moist; the sweet icing contains cream cheese and mascarpone.
Available at lunch ($14 for four) at the hotel’s Peacock Alley eatery.
The Waldorf’s height in feet when it moved from Fifth Avenue (where it was built in 1893) to its current location. That altitude made it the tallest hotel in the world when it opened at 301 Park Ave., between 49th and 50th streets, in 1931.
Rooms and suites. It’s unclear how many there will be (plus condos, too!) after the revamp.
Magic shows that sleight-of-hand whiz Steve Cohen has performed in a 35th-floor suite over the course of his 16 years in residence. There are still tickets left for Feb. 9, 11 and 26 performances at the Waldorf. Cohen will relocate his intimate act to the Lotte New York Palace hotel starting March 3 (from $85 a ticket).
Types of caviar (four) and smoked fish (eight) served at the decadent Sunday brunch in the hotel’s Peacock Alley restaurant ($145 per adult, includes a cocktail, and $85 for kids; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).
Full-time silver polishers the hotel employs.
Years worked by the hotel’s longest-serving employee, bellman Jimmy Elidrissi.
Guests at the biggest party the hotel has ever hosted. The Waldorf’s Grand Ballroom couldn’t contain the magnitude of this corporate holiday bash — the identity of the company is confidential — so the fete was spread to other spaces.
Price, in dollars, of a Waldorf salad in 1959. (Today? That’s cost you $19.). Lore says that the dish, made of apples, celery, grapes and walnuts was created at the hotel in the early 1890s.
Amount Theresa and Genaro Salzano paid for a room in the Waldorf’s Towers — in 2015. The childhood sweethearts, who got married in 1955, spent a honeymoon staycation at the Waldorf and kept the receipt. The hotel honored their original rate for their 60th anniversary; the list price two years ago was $489 or more.
Movies in which the hotel has been featured, from “Coming to America” to “Scent of a Woman.” The world’s first-ever on-location movie, 1945 rom-com “Weekend at the Waldorf,” was filmed there.
Square feet of the opulent Royal Suite. The second-biggest guest accommodation after the Presidential Suite, it is the former NYC residence of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and has also served as a hideaway for stars from Elizabeth Taylor to Britney Spears. The price is available upon request.
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Courtesy Everett Collection
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