The Washington herald., 1919-02-13

New York, Feb. 1.-THE opening
or the new Commodore and Penn
syIvania hotels marks a new epo h
in New York hotel history AID
makes the metropolis the greatest
hotel city in the world. The Corr
modore has 1000 rooms and the
Pennsylvania 1900 rooms.
For those who thrive on figures
here are a few: New York now has
300 hotels of first and second class.
more than London and Paris com-
bined. Every night 10000 guests
occupy 100000 sleeping rooT'5. In
one year 54,60O.0o persons paid
s1S6,500.0OO to sleep in New York
hotels. New York's hotels repre-
sent an investment of S300,0o0,oeo
and have annual payrolls of Sl10,-
OOO. 900.
The craze for new hotel building,
so psychologists believe, is going
peculiarly to boom the smaller and
exclusive hotels like the Ritz, Hol-
land, st. Regis and Gotham, There
is the complaint that the big hotels
are like a union station and there
is no denying the fact that guest
becomes merely IL nuHlDCl liOhA hHN
time he arrives until he leaves.
I know a man, for instance, VINO
stopped at one mammoth hotel for
six weeks. Every day he would go
TO the desk and ask for his mail
and would be asked his name. 1t
finally got on his nerves so he
sought out n manager and insisted
that somebody around the place be
hfp, he could he
called by his name. 1t was finally
arrangcd but in three daXs the man
to whom he was introduced lie l.
and the guest was a compl te
stranger again.
New York hotels are now doing the
greatest business of their careers. II
is n far cry from the old Fraunce's S
Tavern of l7T6 to the monster hos
telry of today The old tavern.
where Washington bade farewell to
his troops, could be placed in the bali
room of the new Commodore.
There is no question but what the
new hotels will succeed. The tran
sients who come to New York for a
day or so will fill them. and as one
can be reached without leaving the
Grand Central station and the other
without leaving the PENNSYLVANIA, the
new places have the bulge on all the
other big hotels.
But the discriminating guest, it is
argued. is going to seek the quiet
place-not SO large-where the clerk
can call him by name and the cashier
cash his check without having his
skin scraped with glass in the exam
inatiOn.
The Luxury Habit It is a theme
for a time that would thrill the ham
mock readers this summer. 1 heard
the story in the smartest tearoom in
town. and l saw The Girl She came
from the South, seeking the chance
to embark upon an operate career.
She was told of the son of one of the
reigning old families and a multi
millionaire, who interested himself in
struggling singers. She went to him.
She impressed him.
He was, in the language of Broad
way. a smooth worker" Very sub
tly the girl found herself occupying
an expensive apartment on the Drive.
He called on her now and then--1'-
ways under careful cha aperonage. She
finally rode around in limousincs. aud
had charge accounts at all the big
stores.
There came time of reckoning.
She had to choose between luxury and
reSpectability. The luxury habit is
not an easy one to break. This girl
was struck with terror at going back
to shabby boarding house when she
was used to lunching on terrapin IN
the most expensive places. OF courre.
it was the old story. But to me it has
new theme: The Luxury Habit"