Cover -- Table of Content -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Research Object and Status of Research -- Methodological Considerations -- Hotel History -- 1. Hotel Waldorf-Astoria - American Grand Hotel Par Excellence -- 1.2. The Hotel as The Palace of the People -- 1.3. The Hotel as a City within a City -- 2. Hotel Algonquin - Birthplace and Home of New York Sophistication -- 2.1. The Hotel as the Hotelman's Tool -- 2.2. The Hotel as Childhood Home -- 2.3. The Hotel as Home and Salon of the Artist -- 2.4. The Hotel and its Literary Circle -- 3. Hotel Chelsea - New York's Bohemian Mecca -- 3.1. The Hotel as the Artist's Refuge -- 3.2. The Hotel as the Artist's Place of Initiation -- 3.3. The Hotel as Source of Inspiration -- 4. Hotel Theresa - Harlem's Center of African-American Self-Manifestation -- 4.1. The Hotel as Center of the African-American Community -- 4.2. The Hotel as Stage for Black Pride and as Symbol of Black Achievement -- 4.3. The Hotel as Platform for Politics and as Victim of Desegregation -- 4.3. The Hotel as Training Ground for an African-American Leader -- 5. Grossinger's Hotel and Country Club - Acculturation in Style -- 5.1. The Hotel as Point of Entry to American Culture -- 5.2. The Hotel as Place of Female Empowerment -- 5.3. The Hotel as Site of Identity Struggle -- Conclusion -- Works Cited and Illustrations.