Waldorf Astoria Hotel
New York City, NY
Photo courtesy Gorb70

Here's the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel located on Park Avenue in Manhattan. This 1931 gem is well known throughout the world.

Rising 47 stories with its twin Art Deco towers, the Waldorf Astoria New York at 301 Park Avenue opened on October 1, 1931, claiming the title of the tallest and largest hotel in the world. Architects Schultze & Weaver designed the limestone giant after the original 1890s Fifth Avenue location was torn down to make room for the Empire State Building.

The hotel was a true pioneer in upscale hospitality, being the first to introduce 24-hour room service and credited with inventing everything from the Waldorf Salad to Eggs Benedict. It also served as a long-term home for cultural icons like Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and Cole Porter, whose Steinway grand piano still sits in the lobby. Deep in the basement levels sits one of the coolest roadside secrets in the city: Track 61, a private underground rail siding linked straight to Grand Central that President Franklin D. Roosevelt used to discreetly drive his armored limousine right into an elevator and up to the suites. 07-07

UPDATE: Following a massive multi-year restoration, the landmark reopened featuring luxury hotel rooms alongside private residences. 08-26

Plaza Hotel
New York City, NY
Photo courtesy Gorb70

The **Plaza Hotel** was first opened in 1907. The hotel is well known for being the site of the Plaza Accord.

Anchoring the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South at Grand Army Plaza, this 19-story French Renaissance chateau looks like a grand European palace dropped right into Manhattan. Designed by master architect Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, the landmark opened its doors on October 1, 1907, with white glazed brick and a soaring green mansard roofline.

Beyond hosting world leaders for the historic 1985 Plaza Accord economic summit, the hotel holds a huge spot in pop culture. It became world-famous as the home of Kay Thompson's mischievous storybook character Eloise, and movie buffs will recognize the grand entrance and lobby from classic films like Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. 07-07

UPDATE: The landmark building operates as a luxury hotel alongside private residential condominiums. 08-26

Latchis Hotel
Brattleboro, VT
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss / 2007

The Latchis Hotel is part of the Latchis Memorial Building, located in Brattleboro, VT. Built between 1937 and 1938 by the Greek immigrant Latchis family, this place is a rare Art Deco gem in the middle of New England. It was designed as an all-in-one entertainment palace, packing a hotel, coffee shop, ballroom, and a 750-seat movie theater with Greek mythological murals right under the same roof.

Believe it or not, the family name was originally Latsis, but an Ellis Island clerk accidentally spelled it with a "ch" when they arrived in America, and the new spelling ended up stuck on neon signs across Vermont for decades! The building was purchased in March 2003 by the Brattleboro Arts Initiative, who in partnership with the Preservation Trust of Vermont, is progressively working towards restoring the building. 07-07

UPDATE: The nonprofit Latchis Arts continues to operate the historic boutique hotel and theater on Main Street. 08-26

Hotel Brooks
Brattleboro, VT
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss / 2007

Just down the block along Main Street sits another grand old Victorian landmark.

This old building is the Hotel Brooks (also known as the Brooks House), located in Brattleboro, VT. Built back in 1871 to replace an earlier inn that burned to the ground, this lavish Second Empire structure was once considered one of the grandest hotels in all of New England, complete with an eighty-room layout and a massive ninety-foot front veranda.

Local lore has it that author Rudyard Kipling used to drop in for late-night poker games up in the central tower room while living just up the road in Dummerston writing The Jungle Book. The building stopped checking in overnight hotel guests back around 1970, transitioning to street-level shops and apartments, and even survived a massive downtown five-alarm fire in 2011 that nearly took the whole block out again. 07-07

UPDATE: The restored building continues to anchor the corner of Main and High Streets with local shops and residential apartments. 08-26

Wall Hotel (Closed)
Wall, PA
Photo courtesy Jim Zahniser

Wall, PA is home to the Wall Hotel. Check out the neon blade marquee on this gem. 01-08

Perched along Wall Avenue in an old railroad borough just east of Pittsburgh, this three-story brick tavern originally catered to rail crews and travelers back when the town grew up around Walls' Station on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

That vertical neon blade sign jutting out over the sidewalk was a true classic, with bold channel lettering that caught the eye of anyone rolling down the avenue. Over the years, the hotel saw its share of rough times, eventually operating as a local tavern and adult club before sitting vacant and quiet. By the 2010s, the aging brickwork had seen better days, with loose bricks tumbling down toward the pavement and prompting a county tax sale.

UPDATE: The hotel closed down years ago, and the vintage neon blade marquee has since been removed. 08-26

Surf Hotel (Demolished)
Coney Island, NY
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

Here's what appears to be early 20th century signage at the Surf Hotel in Coney Island. Not sure if this sign and building is also threatened by the demolition that's been going on in the area.

Tucked along Surf Avenue and Henderson's Walk, the Surf Hotel occupied the upper floors of the historic Henderson Building, which dated all the way back to around 1900 as a lively vaudeville music hall. In fact, theatrical lore has it that Harpo Marx made his very first professional stage appearance right here alongside his brothers Groucho and Gummo.

Down at street level, the building was classic Coney Island, packed with food walk-ups and arcade games like Faber's Fascination just steps from the boardwalk crowds. That vintage reverse-painted glass sign reading "Surf Hotel - S. Rooms" over the side entryway looked like a true survivor from another century. 10-10

UPDATE: Despite preservation efforts to save the historic Henderson Building, the structure was demolished between late 2010 and early 2011, and the vintage sign was removed. 08-26