Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-07
Best Hotel
Suites for
Service Men
Some Have Never Seen
Inside Of HosteIry
BY DAMON RUNYON

oAN - ~
ONE of the unusual features Of
" this war is the transforma-
ton of hotels throughout the
country into barracks for sol
diers and sailors.
Thousands of our young men
who probably never before set
foot inside one of the elaborate
modern day hostelries are now
tenants of the best suites, and of
course the best is none too good
for them.
In most cases they are in
training for the air corps or
some other specialized branch Of
the service. The hotels are a
matter of eXpediency, saving the
cost of building new canton
ments as we'll as the delay in the
building.
The gular camps are
crowded with other soldiers and
there would have been no room
for the students. Thus the hotels
came in handy.
THEY are not exactly the same
l. as when they were occupied
by guests paying fancy prices.
The army and navy speedily
change the interiors of the tav-
ems TO suit their own purposes,
taking up the carpets, removing
the fancy decorations, and some
times installing new kitchen ia
cilities. Some of the most mod
ern hotel kitchens are not up 10
the demands Of the service.
The men sleep four and five
and six 10 a room, depending
upon the size OF the room. A
hotel with only couple Of hum
dred rooms can be made 10 ac-
commodate several times that
number of soldiers and sailors.
The deals with the hotel own
ers are usually based on the
number of rooms, the govern
ment paying so much per room,
with the agreement that II will
restore the hotels 10 their orig
inal condition when they are
turned back 10 the owners.
THIS is a pretty good deal for
Il the owners in most cases
especially in resort towns for
which the government is dis
playing a great fancy.
In winter resorts where the
owners would have little buSl-
ness in summer. if in fact their
hotels were not closed down en-
tirely. the revenue covers the
whole year. In summer resorts
where winter business is nil, the
same thing applies.
The great winter resort o'
Miami Beach was one OF the
first invaded 10 any considerable
extent by the service men. There
are thousands Of them there now
occupying the SwankieSt Of the
hotels and training for the an
corps on nearby golf courses
and in public parks and what =
usually the dull season in Miami
Beach is now reported quite
lively and with no interference
with the normal civilian life.
IN ATLANTIC CITY. one Of
Il the greatest Of the American
seaside resorts. number OF bIp
hotels have been taken over by
the service and IL is expected
that others will follow. The IA.
nous boardwalk will soon ne
crowded with men in uniform.
Several other resort cities or
the Atlantic Coast that have
large hotels. are being eyed ny
one branch or the other Of the
service, and IL would be a bless
ing TO several old-time municl.
palities that are dying on the
vine if the boys moved in.
There is talk that upwards oi
$4,000 service men may he quar-
tered in New York City hotels
and. in fact, il is said the gov
eminent has already inspected A
mum b er Of big town taverns
with that in view.
Similar rumors prevail in Los
Angeles and other West Coast
cities.
The navy, which has already
taken over one hotel in Palm
Springs. is said TO he contem-
plating the requirement Of one
of the biggest ana most famous
hotels in the heart of Los An
geles.
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