New York City’s iconic Roosevelt Hotel is the latest casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic, now being forced to close for good. The hotel first opened its doors in 1924 and has since been a Manhattan landmark hosting presidential election events, New Year’s Eve parties, and film productions. The devastating financial effects of the pandemic, however, proved too much for this stately property, and it’s now slated to close permanently before the end of 2020.
Photo: The Roosevelt Hotel/Facebook
NYC’s Historic Roosevelt Hotel Is Closing Permanently Due to COVID-19
In March, around 500 hotel employees were furloughed due to the pandemic’s impact on travel. The decline in bookings over the past several months, and subsequent financial consequences, has been too much for the hotel to handle.
In a statement to CNN, the hotel said, “Due to the current, unprecedented environment and the continued uncertain impact from COVID-19, the owners of The Roosevelt Hotel have made the difficult decision to close the hotel and the associates were notified this week. The iconic hotel, along with most of New York City, has experienced very low demand, and as a result, the hotel will cease operations before the end of the year. There are currently no plans for the building beyond the scheduled closing.”
The Roosevelt served as the election headquarters for Governor Thomas Dewey’s 1948 presidential election campaign and has starred in movies like “Wall Street,” “Maid in Manhattan,” “Men in Black 3,” and “The Irishman.” 