Though the Waldorf-Astoria had always been considered one of the grandest and most prestigious hotels, new technologies and a relocated affluent clientele made it seem very dated by 1929. In order to keep up with the changing times, the Waldorf was demolished (the property it once inhabited would become the site of the Empire State Building) and a new hotel was built on its existing location on Park Avenue.

Already an iconic New York landmark, the Waldorf still had to get the word out about its re-opening. This ad welcomes back the hotel’s old “friends” and invites newcomers to experience the “standard of good living in the ‘thirties.” Only if they could swing the $6 nightly rate, of course.

Body Copy: “In New York, of course, the Waldorf!” So connoisseurs in good living used to say. It was their “home away from home.” The new Waldorf-Astoria, open now, welcomes back these old friends…a distinguished, critical clientele. It invites new friends. As the old Waldorf set the standard of good living for the ‘nineties, so the new Waldorf sets the standard for the ‘thirties. Yet rates, as of old, are from $6 a day. Let your next visit to New York be memorable for your stay at the Waldorf.

FUN FACT: Leonard Schultze, half of the Schultze & Weaver architectural firm that designed the new Waldorf-Astoria, helped to design several other New York landmark before partnering with Weaver, namely NYC’s Grand Central Terminal. (Source: The Cultural Landscape Foundation)