Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-05-25

L
The Savoy, tn Capitol Building
Manhattan. the Imperial. the Buck
ingham, the Murray Hill, the Holland
the Majestic, the Empire. the Hoff
| man and other great hotels have .
| similar number of permanent board
ers who pay corresponding prices
many of mem more than the renta
charged for any unfurnished house in
the United States. Such people
claim that they are driven to hotels
| by the inability to find good servants
and other annoyances of housekeep
ing. The hotel men Justify these
high prices on the ground that the
co. OF running first class hotel is
so great that they cannot afford 10
accept lower rates, and they insist
that the multiplication of hotels will
not lower prices because the cost OF
maintenance will remain the same,
and is likely to Increase. The public
taste is becoming more and more ex-
acting as well as luxurious. As no
tells increase there Is greater de
mand for first class servants, and
that in turn raises the cost. Hotel
managers tell me that wages OF
cooks and walters aud other skilled
employees are going up all the time.
They nave increased 25 per cent In
the last three or four years. and the
cost of meats, vegetables and other
supplies has increased even more
rapidly. The Waldorf-Astoria pays
1000 a month for flowers and plants
alone. Formerly all the walters in
the first class hotels were Swiss and
Alsatians Now Greeks are beginning
to appear. They learn rapidly and
make good servants
The rates of the new Broadway no
tells. the Astor, the Breslin, the I'M
perial and others are about 20 per
cent lower than those on Fifth ave-
nue.. which is accounted for by the
fact that ground costs more and taxes
are higher on the latter street. But
there is something in the name also.
The manager Of the Hotel st.
Regis, which has the reputation Of
charging the highest prices Of any
house in the world, declares that ne
has been grievously injured by news
paper paragraphs which have mis-
represented and exaggerated bis
charges In an outrageous manner.
He admits tnat they are high. but de
MES tnat they are higher than those
of several other hotels in New York,
and declares that they are no higher
than SHOULD be charged for such ac-
commodations as he is prepared to
furnish. Other hotel people explain
that the construction of the st. Regis
was so expensive and Its appoint
ments are SO extravagant that the
managers are compelled to charge
extraordinary prices to make 1t pay,
and it is the general opinion that
there are enough Midases and Croe-
suses in the country to furnish the
necessary patronage.
Immediately opposite the St Regis
next to the University club, at the
corner OF Fifty.nfth street and Fifth
avenue, is the Hotel Gotham. which
is now being furnished and will be
opened with one Of the unique din
ners of the Gridiron club early in the
fail T. will be managed by Frank G.
Bennett. who is manager Of the Ar
lington hotel at Washington for twen-
ty-three years, and was built for him
by stock company composed OF the
solid friends he nas made among the
Of W I'M
time. In the list Of stockholders you
will find the names OF j. Pierpont
Morgan, Cornelius N. Bliss, George
Westinghouse Norman B. Ream. Geo
F. Baker, James J. Hill. Grant B
Schley, George r. Sheldon, Thomas
Clyde, Herbert l.. Terrell. II. @. Tim
| norman, l.. V. Bell, Mrs. Mark Han
| ma, Dan Hanna and other members
| of the family OF tne late Senator Han
ma, who was warm personal friend
| of Mr.. Bennett None of these gentle
| men or any Of the other stockholderi
has ever had any experience in the
hotel business, and they have gon,
| into 1t this time because OF their re
| gard for him. Some OF them have al
ready engaged suites Of rooms by th'
year, to be furnished to suit thei
tastes and comfort and to be Away
ready for their use when they visi
New York The Gotham Is about TN
same size as the Holland, the st. lie
gis, the Netherlands and the Savoy
II has 800 rooms and 308 baths. an
the rates will be about the same q
those charged at the Waldorf and tn
Holland. The rooms are more spa
cious. however, and have more clos
cts than are usually found in hoteli
The Knickerbocker hotel. at tn
corner OF Forty-Becond and Broadwa
was TO have been running long b.
fore this. but is still unfinished, an
the windows and doors are all boar
ed up. II is one of the largest an
was intended TO be one OF the hnes
: in the city, and was erected BY
, syndicate upon ground leased "a
, nipety.nine years from the Astor e
, tate. The company failed. and I b.
, Iieve 1t was the nrst hotel failure