New-York tribune., 1913-12-29
BILTMORE TO OPEN
new YEARS Eve
New Hotel Rising 26 Stories
and Covering Block Built
in Record Time.

The Bitmore, twenty-siX story hotel
with its roots in that rapidly expanding
underground community about the Grand
Central Terminal, will open its doors to
the public for the first time on New
Years Eve. This new hotel is really
part OF the terminal since It rises right
over the tracks and platforms. Guests
desiring 10 Leave New York may take an
elevator from the hotel lobby TO their
train while incoming strangers have only
TO step aboard the same elevator at the
train platform and be taken 10 their
rooms.
The Bltmore. since II had no cellar TO
excavate has established a record in the
matter OF construction. The structure
which covers an entire block, bounded by
Vanderbilt and Madison avenues and 4Sd
and 44th streets, was begun on March
OF this year. Its completion is two months
ahead OF the contract requirements. The
erection OF its steel frame was completed
on August Is. This week 1900 men are
10 work on II night and day, putting on
the finishing touches.
Every table was reserved some time
ago for the New Years Eve opening.
Yesterday afternoon the men who built
the giant hotel were entertained at the
first dinner given in it by John Nee.
Bowman, vice-president OF the operat-
ing company. They ate in the main
restaurant, on the first floor. one hundred
Of them, including Messrs. Warren and
Wetmore, tho architects and their various
assistants, the head decorators. steel men
masons. and, in fact, every one who had
supervision Of any OF the work
The hotel will have private opening to-
morrow evening and also dinner for the
stockholders, Mayor-elect Mitchell, Borough
President McAneny. members OF the press
and OF the outgoing city administration.
including Mayor Kline.
The exterior Of the new structure has
been designed to harmonic with the
other buildings of the terminal 1t is or
granite. limestone, brick and terra Gotta,
IN q modern adaptation Of the Italian
Renaissance style. It's principal entrance
| is IN 43d street There are two other
vestibules in Vanderbilt avenue, one con-
Meeting with the mems side OF the hotel
on the south and the other with the wom-
ems corridor on the north. From the main
entrance in 43d street stairs lead down
10 the grillrOom floor where, besides the
grllroom, are a mems clubroom and the
bar.
The hotel Offices adion the 43d street
entrance. From them a corridor leads 10
the mems cafe and the main dining room.
side by side on the Madison avenue side
| Of the hotel Next 10 the main dining
room is the palm court, lounging room,
and opening off the corridor on the north
side are the womens reception rooms.
The mezzanne floor contains writing
rooms.
The kitchen and general refrigerator
storage boxes are situated above the main
dining room floor. The fourth floor is de-
voted TO private dining rooms and TO a
special suite duplicating a private home,
designed for entertainment purposes. The
main ballroom in the Louis XIV style, Is
on the 22d floor In the summer II VIII
he converted into what will virtually be a
roof garden restaurant.
Every one Of the one thousand bed
rooms i'm the hotel has its private bath
room. and all the walls are painted, no
Wallpaper OF any kind being used In the
hotel Tn the basement is a Turkish bath
and swimming pool. All the water used
throughout the Biltmore will be softened
by the Permuttit system, invented by Dr.
Robert Cans. Of Berlin. Gustav Bad-
mann, formerly Of the Holland House, VIII
be in charge.