Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-14
Americans Want the Very Best and
viii Pay for It.
HOUSES THAT HAVE COST MILLIONS
Fitted Up With Every Comfort
That Can Be imagined.
EXPENS USES AND RECEIPTS
Capyri-nt. rI"e, by W w. YoungJ

Copyright E"e by W W. Young)
Written for The Evening Star
The United States has not only the larg-
est and most luxurious hotel in the world.
but there are more magnificent hotels.
ranging in cost from s1.noo's0 to $1,000
Oo0 here than in any other country.
Nowhere else = - much money raid for
hotel accomm 1dations rs in New York city.
either by individual guests or by the hotel
population collectively. Moreover, the
most luxurious hotc,s are by far the most
prosperous The present effort is not to
build economically. but extensively: to
crowd as much luxury a. possible into hotel
building: for the rich American can be
depended on 10 make the most lavish ex-
pendiiure profitable investment.
Counting permanent and transient guests,
the five score hish-ciass hotels in the city
of New York take care of about 5000 peo-
pie every day The lowest estimate made
by three representative hotel men places
the average price paid for rooms and
board at $50 day. AT that rate the re-
Ceipts are St12.r1 day, or s11t.G62.JOO a
year.
What part of this great sum is paid for
luxury. pure and simple? 1t is uard to
tell but perhaps the best way of est ma ting
II is by comparison with the famous Mi Is
hotels in New York. These two houses,
one costing a miil.In and the other about
half a million dollars. are not charitable
institutions; they are profitable as invest
ments. The price If a sleeping room. with
bath ard sictipe room privileges in either
of these houses. IS ~ cents a day, and
meals are IL cents each. making the total
cost of living e., cents day. / ne Mills
hotels are scrupulousiy neat. The mea
are served in courses. and more than ne
can eat is given to each guest
Thus it wou.I seem that everything above
s., cents n day is paid for luxury and added
comfort. New Works frst-claSs hotel pop
ula.ion of 50.0O could live in houses like
the Mills hotels for 5000 day. or SILL
$1,000 a year Figuring on that basis.
$4,000 a day. or $l02 90 go a year. is Paid
for luxury.
still Greater Luxury is Demanded
Notwithstanding this. the demand is for
greater luxury, not only In New York but
proportionateIy throughout the entire coun-
try Tina. shrewd hOtelmen recognize this
Is plainly evident; for. although the num-
Der of hotels costing from sl.0OO.OO0 up
ward and in which the cost of living is 81
a day or more has doubled within the past
ten years. more buildings Of this type are
now being planned and constructed than a
any previous time.
The estirna; led cost of four of the project
ed hotels is S14,G0.O0o One is the New
Brunswick. to be built in New York at a
cost of SJ.OOO.O1O on the site of the famous
old hotel Of that name and adjoining prop
erty. Another is the w. E D. Stokes
81 O-O.O0O hotel in New York occupying
the ives side of broadway between I3d
and T4th streets. Another is the 81 900. 900
hotel which George c. Roldt is to erect on
the site Of the Stratford in Philadelphia
The fourth is the S2.COO,OOO house which a
syndicate headed by Joseph E Willard of
Virginia is to build 20 take the place of the
famous Willard Hotel in Washington
Among other noteworthy projected hotel