| Waldorf=astoria Hotel |
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Information AboutWaldorf=astoria Hotel |
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The Waldorf=Astoria is the name of two luxury hotels in New York City — an original that formerly stood on the site of the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue and a modern American 42-story luxury hotel and Art Deco landmark that has been located at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan since 1931 . It is owned by the Hilton Hotels Corporation . The modern hotel has three American and classic European restaurants, and a beauty parlor, Kenneth's Salon, located off the main lobby. Several luxurious boutiques surround the distinctive lobby, which has won awards for its restoration to the original period character. An even more luxurious, virtual "hotel within a hotel" in its upper section is known as The Waldorf Towers. Officially, the name of the hotel, for now-historical reasons, is written ''Waldorf=Astoria'', with the two names separated by an Equals Sign . In January of 2005, Hilton Hotels, Inc, the hotel's owner, announced it would launch a luxury brand called the Waldorf-Astoria Collection. In addition to the namesake, three other landmark properties, the Arizona Biltmore, La Quinta Resort & Spa, and the Grand Wailea Resort & Spa, joined the brand. The Waldorf Towers is a member of Hilton's other luxury brand, Conrad Hotels & Resorts. HISTORY An Astor Family Feud contributed to the events which led to the construction of the original Waldorf-Astoria on Fifth Avenue . It started as two hotels: one owned by William Waldorf Astor , whose 13-story Waldorf Hotel was opened in 1893 and the other owned by his cousin, John Jacob Astor IV , called the Astoria Hotel and opened Four Years Later and four stories higher. William Astor, motivated in part by a dispute with His Aunt , built the original Waldorf Hotel next door to her home, on the site of his father's mansion and today's Empire State Building . The hotel was built to the specifications of George Boldt ; he and his wife Louise had become known as the operators of the Bellevue-Stratford, a boutique hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Broad Street. Later the great hotel host, Claude H. Bennett, became Manager during the 1920s through the 1940s. His son, Robert C Bennett, and grandson, Robert Jr., were also employed on the management staff of the 'Grand Dame' of Broad Street in the 1970s. Louise Boldt had been instrumental in making that hotel attractive and Socially Acceptable to wealthy women. William Astor's construction of a hotel next to his aunt's home furthered and strengthened his feud with her. But with Boldt's help, John Astor persuaded his aunt to move uptown. John Astor then built the Astor Hotel and leased it to Boldt. Initially foreseen as two separate entities, Boldt had planned the new structure so that it could be connected to the old by means what became known as Peacock Alley. To symbolize the connection, the official name of the combined hotel was given an equals sign. The combined Waldorf-Astoria became the largest hotel in the world at the time, while maintaining the original Waldorf's high standards. TRIVIA
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