One stormy night many years ago,an elderly
man and his wife entered the lobby of a small
hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the
rain, the couple approached the front desk
hoping to get some shelter for thenight.
"Could you possibly give us a room here?"
The husband asked the clerk, a friendly man
with a winning smile, looked at the couple
and explained that there were three
conventions in town."All of our rooms are
taken,"the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice
couple like you out into the rain at one
O'clock in the morning. Would you Perhaps Be
Willing To Sleep In My Room? It's not exactly a
suite, but it will be good enough to make you
folks comfortable for the Night." When the
couple declined, the young man pressed on.
So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the
next morning, the elderly man said to the
clerk," You are the Kind of manager who
should be the boss of the best hotel in the
United States. Maybe someday I'll build one
for you. The clerk looked at them and smile.
As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed
that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional
in Hospitality! Two years Passed! The clerk
had almost forgotten the incident when he
received a letter from the Old man asking him
to pay them a visit. The Old man met him in
New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth
Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a
great new building there: "That," said the
older man,"is the hotel I have just built for
you to manage."
The older man's name was William Waldorf
Astor, and the magnificent structure was the
original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The young
clerk who became its first manager was
George C. Boldt.This young clerk never forsaw
theturn of events that would lead him to
become the manager of one of the world's
most glamorous hotels."We are not to turn
our backs on those who are in need, for we
might be entertaining angels"
! Life is more accurately measured by the lives
you touch than the things you acquire. The
word,"Family" rarely ends up meaning blood-
ralated, and usually ends up becoming who
we allow them to be.
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