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SonnyB · 12-05-2015, 08:31 PM

One stormy night many years ago, a elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get in out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night.

Could you possibly give us a room here? The husband asked. The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained there were three conventions in town.

All our rooms are taken, the clerk said. But I can't send a nice couple like you out in the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.

The couple declined thinking the clerk's actions were way to far kind. But the young man pressed on. Don't worry about me I'll make it just fine, the clerk told them. Amazed and deeply touched, the couple agreed to stay the night.

As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, you are the kind of manager that should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you.

The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.

As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptionally, in a world filled with selfish people, finding someone who was friendly and helpful was rare.

Years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled the stormy night and enclosed were a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay him a visit.

The old man met him in New York and led him to fifth avenue and 34th street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a place of reddish stone, with torrents and watch towers thrusting up to the sky.

That, said the old man is the hotel I have built for you to manage.

You must be joking the young man said.

I can assure I'm not said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth.

The old man name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The young clerk who became it's first manager was George C. Boldt.

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SonnyB
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MSHappyCampers · 12-06-2015, 02:38 PM

WOW! What a touching story!

will stevens · 12-06-2015, 06:26 PM

Check out Boldt castle in the thousand islands.
Quite the place and quite the story
Built by George Boldt for his wife
Put it on your list of places to stop and see on your travels.
Well worth the trip.

TheQuades · 12-07-2015, 06:00 AM

X2 on Boldt castle. Add to your bucket list

HD4Mark · 12-07-2015, 06:16 AM

Boldt turned a 24-room hotel on Philadelphia's Broad Street into the Bellevue, the best hotel in Philadelphia. (Another property, the Stratford, was soon added to form the Bellevue-Stratford.) Thus it was Boldt the manager of the Bellevue who, on the evening when the enormously wealthy William Waldorf Astor entered the Bellevue in search of living space for himself and his wife, moved his own family out of his personal suite of rooms to accommodate Mr. and Mrs. Astor. (A mere clerk would not have a room of his own in a hotel like the Bellevue, especially one that could accommodate a couple.) At forty-three, Astor was not exactly "elderly"; and Boldt, who was about forty, was no "young man."

Ray,IN · 12-08-2015, 06:08 PM

Mr. Astor died on the Titanic. He owned some silver mines near Silverton, CO. One of the old mines was purchased by a gemstone miner. That gemstone is named Astorite.

Old-Biscuit · 12-08-2015, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by will stevens

Check out Boldt castle in the thousand islands.
Quite the place and quite the story
Built by George Boldt for his wife
Put it on your list of places to stop and see on your travels.
Well worth the trip.

Even built a house for the mother-in-law

On a SEPARATE ISLAND

Ray,IN · 12-09-2015, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

Mr. Astor died on the Titanic. He owned some silver mines near Silverton, CO. One of the old mines was purchased by a gemstone miner. That gemstone is named Astorite.

My bad, I got the wrong Mr. Astor. The one who owned the mine was John Jacob Astor.