The Roosevelt Hotel, a New York City landmark for over a century, has once again found itself at a crossroads. Last month, city officials announced plans to stop using it as a migrant shelter and processing center beginning this summer. This news has left many wondering about the future of this iconic hotel, which has stood tall through some of the most challenging times in American history.
Built in 1924 to cater to passengers using the nearby Grand Central Terminal, the Roosevelt Hotel has become a symbol of resilience and strength. It has withstood Prohibition, the Great Depression, a World War, and even the tragic events of 9/11. However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 proved to be its toughest challenge yet. The financial losses incurred during the pandemic forced the hotel to close its doors to guests. But, in a short-lived reincarnation in 2023, the Roosevelt became a hub for undocumented migrants flooding the city.
Through it all, the Roosevelt, affectionately known as the “Grand Dame of Madison Avenue,” has remained a favorite movie backdrop, featured in countless Hollywood classics and TV shows. Its grandeur and charm have captured the hearts of people worldwide, making it a symbol of New York City and American history.
Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the hotel opened just four years after the start of Prohibition, the 13-year national ban on alcohol in the United States. While Prohibition forced some city hotels to close, the area around Grand Central flourished, attracting commercial developers, including those behind the Roosevelt. The four-star property stood tall in Midtown Manhattan, rising 19 stories into the skyline. Due to Prohibition, the Roosevelt broke away from tradition and featured storefronts instead of lounges and bars on its street level. It was also among the first hotels in the world to offer pet service, child care, and an in-house doctor.
With alcohol off the menu, the Roosevelt became a magnet for tourists and music lovers. At the height of Prohibition, famed bandleader Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians performed their first live show at the hotel’s Roosevelt Grill, continuing to entertain fans for the next three decades. Their rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish song about old friendships and loves, became a New Year’s Eve tradition. Variety magazine later hailed Lombardo as the “only Canadian ever to create an American tradition,” cementing his legacy at the Roosevelt.
In 1943, hotel magnate Conrad Hilton bought the Roosevelt, along with The Plaza hotel, calling it “a fine hotel with grand spaces.” He even took up residence in its Presidential Suite. This acquisition established Hilton as the first coast-to-coast American hotel chain. Four years later, the Roosevelt made history again when it became the first hotel to offer a television set in every room. However, Hilton’s ownership ended in 1956 when his company was forced to sell the property as part of an antitrust lawsuit brought by the government.
The Roosevelt became a political hub in the mid-20th century, serving as the campaign headquarters for Republican presidential nominee Thomas Dewey in 1944 and 1948. Dewey lost both elections and conceded them from the hotel. In the years that followed, the hotel hosted other high-profile political events.
Starting in the 1970s, the Roosevelt, with its neoclassical facade and old-world interior, became a favorite filming location for Hollywood studios. It has been featured in more than a dozen movies, including “The French Connection” (1971), “Wall Street” (1987), “Presumed Innocent” (1990), and “Maid in Manhattan” (2002). Several TV shows have also been filmed there, such as “Mad Men” and “Law & Order.”
The hotel changed ownership multiple times before Pakistan International Airlines, with backing from Saudi Prince Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud, took over its management from a New York real estate family in 1979. The agreement came with the option to buy the hotel for $36.5 million after 20 years – a deal the airline finalized in 2000. Considered a national asset by the Pakistan government, the Roosevelt became the preferred lodging place for visiting Pakistani prime ministers and other dignitaries to New York. In the late 1990s, the hotel hosted a live performance in the Grand Ballroom by Junoon, Pakistan’s biggest rock band.
In recent decades,
