New York City first became a popular travel destination after the Erie Canal was finished in 1825, which allowed people to travel to the state of New York with greater ease. After the Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States in 1885, New York became an even more popular place to go for temporary and permanent visits, especially for oppressed individuals from Europe. Today New York City gets around 40 million tourists a year. Some famous and historic midtown hotels that tourists can stay in in New York City are the Waldorf Astoria, Roosevelt Hotel, Warwick New York Hotel, Plaza Hotel and Algonquin Hotel.
Located in midtown Manhattan on Park Avenue, the Waldorf Astoria was the tallest hotel in the world when it opened in 1931. The hotel's Empire Room is known as the place where Frank Sinatra and Diana Ross launched their careers, and the hotel itself was once home to generals Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur.
The Roosevelt Hotel is located on Madison Avenue and has been in operation since September 1924. It was originally named after Theodore Roosevelt. The hotel has hosted music acts such as Guy Lombardo and Lawrence Welk, and it has been featured in films such as "The Boiler Room," "Wall Street," and "Malcolm X."
The Warwick Hotel New York was built by William Randolph Hearst in 1926. At the beginning, it served as a place for his elite theater friends to stay, which was why it was built across from the Ziegfeld Theater. The hotel was once frequented by stars such as James Dean, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley.
The Plaza Hotel was erected in 1907 at Central Park South and Fifth Avenue. The hotel appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's film "North by Northwest," the movie "The Way We Were" and the film "The Great Gatsby." It has hosted presidents, kings, ambassadors, film stars and famous athletes, and it is registered as a National Historic Landmark.
Opened in 1902, the Algonquin Hotel features a red brick and limestone façade and a famous wood paneled jazz room. This hotel has served as a gathering place for people involved in literary and theater circles, and it has had guests such as Gertrude Stein, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Simone de Beauvoir, Maya Angelou and William Faulkner.
