The Waldorf-Astoria and the story of 20th century America | The Skyline

NEW YORK (WABC) -- As the Waldorf-Astoria goes, so does the world...and the latest episode of our series, "The Skyline."

Perhaps the most famous hotel on the planet, the Waldorf-Astoria has played host to presidents, celebrities and many of the world's most influential people for nearly a century. The seeds of the country's major equality movements were sewn in its halls. And it's thanks, in part, to one of the hotel's first managers, Lucius Boomer.

David Freeland, author of "American Hotel: The Waldorf-Astoria and the Making of a Century" - explores Boomer's mysterious upbringing in a Florida cult, and how the experience may have influenced Boomer's perspective when he went out on his own. It's a perspective that eventually led to a deal between the Waldorf Astoria and the United Nations that changed the course of New York City...and beyond.

The Waldorf-Astoria is closed for renovations but is slated to reopen as the 375-key Waldorf Astoria New York and condominium residences, in late 2024.

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