The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29
FINEST HOTEL IN THE WORLD.
Such VIII Be the ST. Regis In New
York, Astor's New Hosiery.

From the New York Herald.
r. NJ. Ham, proprietor of John Jacob
Astor's new hotel. the st. Regis, at Fiji
ty-fifth street and Fifth avenue. said
Saturday evening the building and its
furnishings will be finest in the world.
He signed a contract with W. and ].
Sloane for the furnishings exclusive of
the first and second floors. The price is
more than 100000. The contract for the
first and second floors has not been given
as yet. Mr.. HAN also announced that
plans were being made for an addition
to the hotel 5ox100 in Fifty-fifth street.
to be twelve stories high, which will
give a total of 375 rooms
ION July l." said Mr.. HAN, 81 shall
sail on the Kronprinz Wilhelm with a
member of the Sloane firm for France,
to view chateau near Paris. The entire
contents of the chateau have been offer
ed to us for a sum approximating $780,
Geo. We shall examine the rare collec-
ton which we believe is there. and If
found suitable q large portion, If not
all, will be purchased.
TT may seem like boasting to declare
tho st. Regis the finest hosiery in the
world, but figures. 1 think, will prove 1t.
Throughout the house the main trim
tJt Iui IlluIG Will Db III SICdSSldn Wall
nut, together with vermillion and rose
woods and white and red mahogany and
sat1nwood. This item is 5000, 900 and the
mantels aggregate 100000 more.
THE trim of the rooms and the fur
niture will be of the same woods. be-
lieve this to be unique and the effect ele-
CANT. Every room in the building will be
harmorized In color, in STYLE tone and
In general effect
fha No ,fofN ~
ments, as they are called, will be fur
nished equal to any palace in Europe as
for as rsre woods are concerned. The
style chosen Is that of the period Of
Louis XIV. The five rooms in the suite
will cost for furniture alone $4,000. and
the cost of furnishing the bed room is
5000.
"On the first floor, where the restau-
rant, cafes. palm garden and office are
to be, the ornamentation Is In caen stone
in intricate patterns of high class cary
ing.
'The palm garden will be furnished in
Persian STYLE and the hangings will be
selected in Constantinople while on my
trip, as we'll as the rugs for the entire
building.
Throughout the hotel the corridors
will be finished in white marble. and 1
believe have given out tho largest mar
building 1t amounts to $260,000.
Elevator shafts and the entire base
ment and sub-basement occupied by the
Kitchens and the machine rooms, are
covered, including ceilings with white
thing, the cost Of which enters into the
thousands OF dollars.
Sin Belfast, Me-, tho liens for the st.
Regis will be made according to special
design. This item causes an expendi-
ture of 100000. and the silver, Of Ameri-
can manufacture, near equals that sum.
Royal Worcester crockery, also made
of spiral design in England. will be
used. Tho bedding, exclusive of the lin
ems, has been selected in the United
States, and is the finest manufactured.
For the single expense of plumbing
all the baths are rooms de luxe. with
large windows-the amount of 100000
las been set aside.
From the wine vaults and machinery
room IN the sub-basement to the seven
tenth story, the entire building will be
an exhibition structure as regards its
magnifcence, and Mr.. Astor has given
me carte blanche to procure the finest
necessary.
at can, perhaps, account for this. as
the plot On which the hotel stands was
originally purchased by his father, to be
used as a residence for hts son, who
chose. however. location farther up
town"