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Waldorf-Astoria Hotel facts for kids

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Waldorf Astoria New York
Quick facts for kids
The hotel from the north; you can see St. Bart's in the foreground.
The hotel from the north; you can see St. Bart's in the foreground.
Hotel facts and statistics
Location 301 Park Avenue
Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates 40°45′23″N 73°58′27″W / 40.75639°N 73.97417°W / 40.75639; -73.97417
Opening date 1893 (Waldorf Hotel)
1897 (Astoria Hotel)
1931 (Waldorf-Astoria Hotel)
Closing date 2017 (temporarily for renovations)
Architect Schultze & Weaver
Management Hilton Worldwide
Owner Anbang Insurance Group
No. of restaurants Peacock Alley
Bull and Bear Steakhouse
'La Chine
No. of rooms 1,413
No. of floors 47
Waldorf Astoria foyer
Park Avenue foyer (in 1988)

The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel is a famous luxury hotel in mid-town Manhattan, New York City. It has had two landmark buildings. The first was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a 47 floor, 625 feet (191 m) Art Deco landmark, designed by architects Schultze and Weaver and dating from 1931. The Waldorf Astoria New York is a member of Hilton's Luxury and Lifestyle Brands with Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and Denizen Hotels. The Waldorf Astoria brand is made up of the Waldorf Astoria in New York and The Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

The modern hotel has three American and classic European restaurants, and a beauty parlor off the main lobby. Several shops surround the lobby, which has won awards for its original period character. An even more luxurious "hotel within a hotel" in its upper section is known as The Waldorf Towers operated by Conrad Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel has its own railway platform as part of Grand Central Terminal, used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, and Douglas MacArthur, among others. People could go to the platform by using an elevator large enough for Franklin D. Roosevelt's car.

Notable residents

Waldorf-park
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Park Avenue with Helmsley Building and Met Life Building in background

Notable events

  • The investigation into the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 was held at the Waldorf-Astoria.
  • After a New York ticker-tape parade in his honor for winning four Olympic gold medals, Jesse Owens had to ride the freight elevator to attend a reception for him at the Waldorf-Astoria due to his being African-American because only white people could ride in the main elevators.
  • From 1960 until 1978, Guy Lombardo and The Royal Canadians televised their annual New Year's Eve show live (in the Eastern and Central time zones) from the Grand Ballroom.
  • The NASCAR Sprint Cup end-of-season awards banquet has been held at the Waldorf-Astoria every year since 1981.
  • The annual International Debutante Ball at the Waldorf-Astoria is held to formally introduce young high society women to New York society.
  • The Bronx High School of Science, Stuyvesant High School, Xaverian High School and Syosset High School hold their Senior Proms in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel. Regis High School and Hunter College High School in Manhattan and Pelham Memorial High School have also held their prom in the Starlight Ballroom.
  • Since 2006, Russian Children's Welfare Society (RCWS) hosts black tie gala - the "Petroushka Ball" - to raise funds to support orphaned and disabled children in Russia.
  • St. John's University holds its annual President's Dinner in the grand ballroom.

Related pages

Images for kids

  • The Waldorf and The Astoria Hotels, New York City c1915

    Engraved vignettes of the original separate hotels

  • Elsa Maxwell Marilyn Monroe April in Paris Ball 1957

    Marilyn Monroe with organizer Elsa Maxwell at the 1957 April in Paris Ball

  • Marlene Dietrich April in Paris Ball 1959

    Marlene Dietrich at the April in Paris Ball in 1959

  • Waldorf Astoria exterior

    Waldorf Astoria, Park Avenue facade

  • Waldorf Towers suite 30A

    Waldorf Towers suite 30A

  • Waldorf-Astoria menu Archbishop of York dinner

    1918 menu for a dinner honoring Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of York

  • Waldorf Astoria buffet

    Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria

  • Waldorfsalat

    The classic Waldorf Salad

  • Eleanor Roosevelt and the Royal Family of Norway with Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and Thomas Watson - NARA - 195657

    Eleanor Roosevelt and the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway with Princess Juliana and Thomas Watson

  • Khrushchev family at the Waldorf-Astoria 1959

    The Khrushchev family at the Waldorf Astoria in 1959

  • President Hoover portrait

    Herbert Hoover who lived at the Waldorf for over 30 years from the end of his presidency before he passed away in 1964 while living in the Hotel's Presidential Suite.

  • Dwight D. Eisenhower, official photo portrait, May 29, 1959

    ormer US president Dwight Eisenhower maintained a residence at the hotel until his passing in 1969

  • Cast from Parks and Recreation, Portlandia and Game of Thrones at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards

    The casts of Parks and Recreation, Portlandia, and Game of Thrones at the 71st Annual Peabody Awards inside the Waldorf Astoria.

  • 58th International Debutante Ball 2012, New York City (Waldorf-Astoria Hotel)

    58th International Debutante Ball, 2012, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Waldorf Astoria para niños

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