(CNN) — Since 1924, the Roosevelt Hotel has been a witness to history.
The New York City landmark was the election headquarters for Gov. Thomas Dewey when he incorrectly announced he defeated Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election. It has served as the backdrop for movies such as "The Irishman" and it helped start a New Year's Eve tradition.
A fixture of the Manhattan skyline, the hotel boasts elegant architecture and is minutes away from Times Square and Grand Central Terminal.
But now, The Roosevelt Hotel will no longer bear witness to motion pictures or moments in history.
The hotel will permanently close its doors this year, a spokesperson told CNN in a statement.
The Roosevelt Hotel, owned by Pakistan International Airlines, cited the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing drop in business as the principal reasons it will cease operations.
"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 statement read. "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 coronavirus has devastated the hospitality industry, forcing many hotels around the country to take drastic steps to survive. Occupancy rates have reached new lows and many employees in the industry have been furloughed or laid off.
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In addition, a survey by the American Hotel Lodging Association found that 74% of US hotels say more layoffs are coming if the industry doesn't get additional federal assistance
Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the hotel has also been seen in films including "Maid in Manhattan," "Malcolm X" and "Wall Street."
badguitarguy2 on October 12nd, 2020 at 15:35 UTC »
Hi! So I was working there till the pandemic happened. It makes sense that they were closing because they owed so much money to outside vendors and they were not selling well in the past 2 years. My office there had water leaking above my head so I’m okay not working there anymore.
IvoShandor on October 12nd, 2020 at 15:26 UTC »
For those not from New York City or not that entirely familiar with it, the hotel is known as the low-cost provider in the neighborhood. It’s where you can go for a cheap family stay or more commonly used for afternoon “affairs”. Somewhere that tourists who don’t know any better stay. It was kind of rundown, and due to its size and location, the entire midtown Manhattan block land is worth much much more than the hotel as it stands now as it is a very valuable development site. People have been trying to buy it for decades.
johntentaquake on October 12nd, 2020 at 14:31 UTC »
Sad news. It was prominently featured in so many films, they have a page on the hotel website about all the times it's been used as a location.
https://www.theroosevelthotel.com/we-are-in-the-movies/