New-York tribune., 1918-05-06
Belmont, Murray Hill, Bilt-
more, Manhattan and Com
modore Are Linked
Bates and Bowman
Sign Agreement
Underground Access Given
to Entire Chain From
Grand Central

Ten thousand persons soon will be
able to find hotel accommodations
without ever having to venture into
the open air from the Grand Central
Station, through the merger of the
hotel interests of B. L. NJ. Bates and
John Nee. Bowman, announced yes
terday.
This merger will place under one
management the Belmont and Murray
Hill. owned by Mr. Bates, and the Bilt-
more, Manhattan and Commodore (now
under construction), owned by MIR.
Bowman's company. James Woods,
managing director of the Hotel ST.
Francis in San Francisco and Police
Commissioner Of that city, will take
over part of the work of managing the
big group Of hostleries.
When this merger is finally in oper-
alton visitor to New York will be
able to live and make merry without
venturing into the open air. Directly
from his stateroom on a New York Cen
trail train he may go underround to to
any or all of the five hostleries. A tun-
mel connects the Grand Central with
the Biltmore. Thes ubway leads direct
ly from the concourse to the Manhat-
tan and the eBlmont.
Will Not Need Taxi
The Commodore will have a similar
underground a venue. And tunnel is
presently to be built by the new cor
poration connecting the Belmont with
the Murray Hill, which lies just be-
hind, on Park Avenue, between For
tieth and Forty-frst streets. Thus the
visitor, without trusting himself to
the mercy of taximeter, will find him
self on his arrival practically inside
single hotel of more than five thousand
rooms. Here he can eat and sleep; in
the shops of the Grand Central he
may buy everything from chocolate
drops to overcoats. So he may live for
weeks, if he likes, without ever look
ing into the open air.
The five thousand rooms in these
five hotels will accommo date, it is as
serted, mully two million persons a
year. The new Comm odore will be
able to boast of at least two thousand
rooms.
No announcement was made yester-
day as to the amount of money in
volved in the merger But the Com
modore alone is rated as a $4,000, 900
proposition, and estimates on this basis
would put the total values of the five
at something close to $4O,OOO,0OO. The
employees number at least 7,O0O The
payroll of the Bitmore alone last year
exceeded $1,000,00O.
Each Of the five hotels has an "at-
mosphere" of it's own The MURRAY
Hill is the relict of more placid are ee
than the present, and is one of the
few houses still remaining in New
York which pride themselves on being
"homelike." The Belmont is preem-
inently the business mans stopping
place. The Manhattan is one of the
best liked of the Shopping district"
hotels, and the Biltmore may plume it.
self most on its social prestige.
Will Be a Favorite for Transients
What the Commodore will come to
is yet to be seen, but it will certainly
be a favorite for transients. Some
thing of its ambitions may be gath
cred from the fact, announced by Mr..
Bowman's management, that it recently
placed an order for $4,000 pieces Of
silverware at a cost of S252,00
The merger of these hotels will make
possible the speedy accommodation of
guests wherever rooms are available
if the one first applied to is full. 1t
service and supplies from one to the
other to meet unexpected demands
Mr.. Woods was formerly assistant
manager at the Waldorf Astoria. which
he left thirteen years ago to take
charge of the ST. Francis. He will
resign his commissionership in San
Francisco Immediately, and will, of
course. relinquish active management
OF his Western hotel. He was in
New York Saturday night ut the sign
ing OF the merger papers, but left for
Washington yesterday.
MY. Bowman became president of
the Biltmore Hotel four years ago on
the death of Gustave Bauman. He later
acquired the Manhattan and launche d
the Commodore scheme s At the re-
quest of MIR. Hoover, several months
ago, he accepted the position Of Chief
OF the Hotel, Restaurant, Dining Car
and Steamship Division of the United
States Food Administration, and has
been primarily responsible for the
enormous savings of essential food
stutts effected by the public restau-
rants in the last year
Mr.: Bates formerly was manager of
the Everett House. Thirteen wears ago
he opened the Belmont and some wears
later bought the Murray Hill.
Though the agreement on the new
merger was signed and sealed late
Saturday night, the formal articles of
incorporation have not yet been drawn
mp. The hackers would not announce
Yesterday the ALLEGATION of Offices in
the new concern, nor the details OF
incorporation. The merger. however
goes into effect at once. and will begin
70 blossom at its brightest when the
Commodore opens on New Years.