Waldorf Astoria hotel beloved by Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Angelina Jolie closes its doors to turn decadent rooms into FLATS
The iconic hotel, which was built in 1931, will be closed for up to three years
THE legendary Waldorf Astoria in New York is being converted into luxury flats - bringing to an end decades of showbiz glamour.
Since opening in 1931, the legendary Art Deco style building has welcomed some of the world’s powerful people including movie stars, presidents and royalty.
The last guests will check out by noon local time today after enjoying one last night before the multi-million pound makeover.
When the hotel reopens, hundreds of its 1,400 guest rooms will have been converted into privately owned apartments.
Built during the Great Depression, the building was bought for nearly $2 billion in 2015 by a Chinese company, the Anbang Insurance Group from the Hilton hotel chain.
Exact details of the renovation haven't been released, but its conversion into a hybrid of private residences and a smaller hotel follows a model set by another landmark New York City hotel, The Plaza.
The legendary establishment opened at its Park Avenue location in midtown Manhattan in 1931 with more than 1,400 rooms, the largest - and tallest - anywhere at the time.
It has hosted a stream of international political leaders, Hollywood actors, tycoons and power players of all kinds for more than 85 years.
From Marilyn Monroe to Grace Kelly, US presidents Herbert Hoover to Barack Obama, as well as global leaders in town for the United Nations General Assembly every year, the Waldorf Astoria has been the place to be.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also enjoyed the hotel’s luxurious décor and round the clock service.
Other illustrious guests include WW2 General Douglas MacArthur, iconic singer and actor Frank Sinatra, actress Grace Kelly and her husband Prince Rainier III of Monaco.
The Waldorf is massive, occupying a full city block of prime New York real estate.
Famous for its upscale services, the hotel says it invented the concept of 24-hour room service.
The Art Deco style is carried through details down to the door handles in the lobby bathrooms.
But, the legendary hotel is showing its age.
Guests have complained about dated rooms, peeling paint and issues with cleanliness.
The facade - which became an official landmark in 1993, joining the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge – will not be changed during the renovation.
But the interior is not protected under the landmark designation, and some are worried that such treasures as the four-story grand ballroom will disappear forever.
Despite the concerns, Anbang has promised to consult preservation officials.
"I'm very, very sad," said 70-year-old Donna Karpa from Washington, a regular from the age of five who was in town for the weekend.
"I'd come every year as a little giHrl," she said. "We would come with my family for Christmas and we'd see the Rockettes (dance show) and we would go ice skating at Rockefeller Center. It's great and the location is wonderful!"
Sandra Thomson, from Birmingham, left enchanted after six days in the hotel with her family to celebrate her daughter's 18th birthday.
"We just absolutely loved it" she said. "I love the architecture, all the Art Deco and also the history. It's just an icon of America, isn't it? And you want to experience it."
The hotel's employees - 1,400 of them in total - chiefly remember the rich, famous and powerful who have frequented the Waldorf every day.
A stay by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt is still fresh in everyone's minds.
Michael Romei, head concierge of the 42-story central tower known as the ‘The Towers’ - a hotel-within-a-hotel boasting the most luxurious suites - has stopped counting the celebrities he's met during his 23 years of service.
His best memory: "Being blessed by the Dalai Lama."
"This is such a great place to work" said Paul Hopkins, who has been a bellhop here for a dozen years.
"Right in the elevators, you can meet so many celebrities, all the different presidents, lots of CEOs, all the one-percenters."
But just like many of the guests, the hotel's employees agree that even if they adore the place, it's time to refresh.
"We love the nostalgia, but it's kind of dated," said Ron Ruth, an aircraft mechanic from San Francisco who came for his 23rd wedding anniversary.
"The heating and the cooling, and the bathrooms are really small, too small for my wife."
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