The Waldorf Astoria is a luxury hotel chain whose origins and popularity are rooted in New York. The first hotel under the brand was built in 1893 and started as 2 hotels on Fifth Avenue, built by clashing families. The first hotel was already had 13 stories and 450 rooms, setting the luxury theme for the rest of the years to come. It was designed by Henry Janeway Hardenbergh after the German Renaissance aesthetic. The hotel publicly opened in March 13, 1893 at the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 33rd street. This is also the site where William Waldorf Astor had his mansion.
Fast forward to the World War II, it is in a Waldorf Astoria where the World Peace Conference of March 1949 was culminated - the time when Stalinism was officially called off. In the same year, Conrad Hilton bought the management rights to the hotel, and the Hilton Hotels Corporation acquired the hotel in 1972. With the $150 million renovation in the 1980s to 1990s, Waldorf Astoria became a resilient, historical establishment which now has 10,502 rooms in 31 locations across the globe as of 2018. According to statistics, Waldorf Astoria’s currently estimated annual revenue is $59 million.