Penultimate Night’s Stay

Two years after my husband, Michael, and I moved to New York City, the legendary Waldorf Astoria hotel closed for renovation. A hospitality major, Michael couldn’t let the chance to stay at this iconic property pass. So we booked a staycation in Manhattan on the hotel’s penultimate night open.

We did everything and went everywhere at the hotel: ate at Bull & Bear (where the wine list had charmingly dwindled to ‘what remains!’), peaked into conference rooms (where maybe we played a few notes on a piano?), perused artwork and artifacts, luxuriated in plush robes, and, of course, collected a few souvenirs like our room key and notepad — sealing them for safekeeping once we returned home.

We’ll never forget this magical moment in our marriage thanks to Waldorf Astoria.