New-York tribune., 1906-05-08
LATEST BIG HOTEL.
Many Special Features in the Bel
mont. Which Opens To-day.

The Hotel Belmont. at Park avenue and 42d
street fhe latest and Of the most elaborate OF
the hotels in this city, will be open this morning.
In decoration and furnishings the hotel is said
to equal any In the city. In height it surpasses
any hotel in the world There are twenty-seven
stories making 36S feet. The foundation of the
hotel built upon solid rock and nearly ten thous-
and tons Of steel form the skeleton Of the sky
scraper Granite limestone. brick and terra
Gotta are the materials which clothe the frame.
Four years elapsed between the laying Of the first
beam and the date of completion and several mill
ions of dollars have been expended. There Is a
private entrance to the hotel from the subway at
the Grand Central Station
A special feature there is the humidor. the
largest in the world, and the only one of its kind
In this are contained a million cigars, boxed and
open and the guests may inspect any and every
brand if desired. Cigars Of all sorts were on
view yesterday. They ranged from the ordinary
10 cent cigar up TO those sold at IS each Besides
a special exhibition was a box Of fifty cigars for
the silver wedding breakfast OF Emperor William
H. having the imperial insignia on the laoels'
These are said to be priceless and not for sale
The color scheme Of the corridors and parlors OF
the hotel is of dark red. Dark red velvet curtains
hang from the windows, the furniture is in dark
red and the rugs are CT the same color. The lobby
is reached by broad flight Of stairs and mezza-
nine gallery around the oh1ces. Thls gaIlery
is supported by columns of variegated marble ana
carvatfdes modelled by Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney
In the rear on the main floor Is the main res
raurant The mural and ceiling decorations are by
NJ. Picard. -. 49,.
the hotel is as hreproof IL is possible to MAKE
any building There is a minimum OF wood ana
woodwork has been freprocfsd: DraPerles ana
upholstery the only food letL IoI Lale&S, & DI'
nIanv of these as far possible have been cheinl-
CaIIv treated
The kitchen is said to be triumph in modern
c,IinarV anpontn The cuisine, it is promised,
viii be OF the highest type, and the Vine cellars
have been we'll stocked - 49,, n,
r. l. NJ Bates the proprietor ot the ttotsI be1- I1
mont also conducts the Murray Hill Hotel. Il block
away lie is also associated with ms Ialhe[. W u.
lam Bates in the nauaRerneat Of the Everett
House. -. tI,.
At a dinner Eivcn by the management last nisht
to friends following q private view. George n
Daniels OF the New York Central Railroad. an
ncunCed that the hotel would begin its ofnclal
existence to-day with 4G0 permanent guests;
August Belmont was of tire speakers. lie sara
the hotel was not of design. but Of necessity IN
other words il had be built. The Interborough
Company needs the site for an easement of the
subway and obtained part OF il from the New
York Central Railroad on condition that hotel
should be built it. Martin ". ltttleto1 took
easement for the to his speech, and re-
marked that some one should ind easement
for BROOKLYN; that il was gradually becoming an
ahutment for bridges and altogether was be
nl,,rbed borough" There were about 900 at the
dinner Including Mr.. Belmont, Mr.. LLttletOn.
Frederic Watrous. Otto VI. Eidiit2. John A.
Slechcr. Herbert F. Gunnison and George w
il ~