The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-16
HOTEL ST. REGIS,
NEW YORK
AS DESCRIBED IN THE "LoNDON
TIMES.n
A Tribute Unparalleled in Hotel His
tory-New Devices and Novel Fea-
lures Conducive to the Comfort
and Health of Guests-Rates
No Higher Than First ...a
Glass Hotels Every
where.
From The London Times, August %, 1905.


Europeans have been accustomed to
regard America as the land Of marvels, !
mechanical and natural, but not per-
haps as the land where personal COM
fort has reached it's highest known de-
veiopment. " "-.
Yet brief consideration Of the Hotel
St. Regis, New York, will convince a
fair-minded inquirer that the latter def
milton is the true one. The St.. Regis
has been somewhat widely talked about
as the finest hotel in New York, perhaps
in the world; but in justice to It's pro-
prietor, Mr.. R. M. Haan, it should be
recognized above all as the hotel which
gives its guests the largest measure OF
1 personal comfort.
Its standard of comfort is, of course,
that of the man Of cultivation and re-
finement. 1t is, perhaps, the only hotel
where the owner of perfectly ap-
pointed house can stay without missing
any Of the things essential to his com
fort. The servants are just as we'll
trained as those in the best of the
1 great private houses Of England. All
the arts, all the sciences, all the re-
sources of modern ingenuity have been
employed, not to produce a dazzling
magniicence, but to insure the comfort
of the guest Exquisite marbles, rare
4 woods, crimson brocades are lavished
among its eighteen stories, not because
they are costly, but because they pre-
4 sent the combinations of form and
color most pleasing to the cultivated
4 eye.
4 The St. Regis is not an hotel for
a millionaires only. It's charges do not
exceed those Of frst-class hotels any
4 where, and in proportion to the com
a forts afforded they are less. For in
I stance, one can get a good room with
parlor, bedroom and bath for twelve
1 dollars. These and the restaurant
charges are not higher than those OF
q any other frstclass hotel.
The most splendid rooms in the hotel
q are the public ones, and these are open
4 to all guests. In contrast to the dig
a nifed splendor of these rooms is the
4 room. Here the story of Cupid and
Psyche is depicted in a series Of dainty
! lunettes on the ceiling by two famous
q artists. In the adjacent cafe, which
is paneled in oak, are hung a series
4 Of splendid sixteenth century Flemish
4 tapestries representing incidents in the
life of Solomon.
u On the floor above is a succession Of
3 public apartments leading to the great
4 floor to cornice with polished white
4 statuary marble, divided into panels.
q Yellow and white Venetian damask
4 hangings lend softness to the effect.
q Through a corridor hung with treasures
q of medieval art-tapestries, altar cloths
brOcades-one passes to reception
D rooms paneled in Circassian walnut and
q white mahogany; then to the library,
\ lined with rich brown English oak filled
4 with books. meant to be read and fur
q nished with catalog and librarian,
0He on; ma may a; en- Joy ci clear y view through
y The far-famed state apartments,
q after all, are only the final key Of the
. symphony which has been played
a tt throughout the st. Regis. And why
4 should there not be a luxurious suite
n where the city may house an honored
q dividual may indulge his taste for lux
n ury and comfort? The attitude toward
s it ought to be one Of pride, as much SO
a as toward their superior office build
81 ings.
a J., A delightful feature of>the St. Regis
& is the stamp Of artistic individuality
in every room and every piece of work
B machine-made effect SO usual in large
b hotels. Every suite of rooms has its
ea individual character, it's specially made
81 Belfast linen, it's silk brocade paneling
Il it's oriental rugs Of special design
81 Every bedroom in the hotel has al
81 attached bathroom with porcelain tub
81 and silver-plated plumbing.
q 'The soul of hotel is the kitchen
y If that is wrong, all is wrong.' That
= epigram. In the kitchen of the St
n Regis hygiene reigns. It is a great
q white hall, stretching almost as far as
d the eye can reach, lined with white tiles
q foored with white marble, and divided
q into working compartments by counters
of glass and white Carrara marble
There is not piece of wood in it. The
j soup cook, the fish cook the roast cook
and the pastry cook, each has his sep
arate section. Pneumatic tubes bring
- down the orders from the eighteen
floors above, for dinner is served OF
every floor. Electric elevators fly uE
with the dishes in response.
The triumph Of science, as applied tt
personal comfort at the St. Regis, is the
system of ventilation. Nowhere in the
town can one breathe such pure air
. One shuts the window at the st. Regi!
z to make sure of good ventilation. Be
fore the air is permitted to circulate il
q the hotel it is filtered through dozens OF
folds Of cheesecloth, which removes al
q day. Then the air passes through AZ
apparatus in which it is dried or mois
r tened, according to the prevailing stat'
Z of the atmosphere. It is also cooled il
summer by refrigerating pipes, am
warmed in winter by: steam coils, s,
that it constantly remains at the tenn
perature most conducive to health. Th
purified air is distributed through tn,
"a building by electric blowers and enter
"a the bedrooms through openings con
B cealed by artistic bronze work,
On the wall Of each room is ther
mostat which automatically regulate
the temperature. By means Of this tn
at guest can permanently keep his room a
the temperature most pleasing to him
The exhausted air is constantly draw
through the roof by an electric fan an,
carried away. ,E,-..z.<>. T.. -
This is only one of the many hundre
he devices for guarding the health Of tn
he guest at the st. Regis. No broom 0
es busters are used to stir up the dust an
80, shift it from one place to another. TIL
or chambermaid moves a vacuum pipe t
the chair or carpet to be cleaned an
instantly the dust is drawn to the base
ment by a suction pump. -.
- In conclusion, it may be said that
~, great millionaire, who was also
i great art connoisseur. planned to fu1
nj nish a house so that it would give th
on highest pleasure and comfort to his il
innate personal friends, he could do n
a at more than the St. Regis does for all it