The storied Mayflower Hotel celebrated its 85th anniversary party last night, and staffers dished on some of their A-list clients -- including the first family.
General manager Satinder Palta said the first family stayed in the hotel -- the site of every presidential inaugural ball since Coolidge -- and the digs were kid-approved by Sasha and Malia.
“When the first lady with her mother and the two daughters were in the city to look at the schools for the kids, they stayed in the hotel,” Palta said Thursday night.
“And, our director of services, Ralph Catania, got two robes and slippers with their names embroidered on them and put them in the suite. When they were leaving, the first lady came to me and said, 'If your mattresses are broken it is your fault.' You should have seen these girls jumping on the bed in excitement with the robes on top of their clothes.”
The historic hotel has seen both splendor and scandal: it was dubbed the "second best address" by Truman, a favorite lunch spot of Hoover's and the site of ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's alleged sordid sex romps. But Thursday's event centered on showcasing items collected from the hotel's past.
A silver champagne ice bucket was one such item. The bucket, along with wedding photos, belonged to Jay and Virginia McGee, son and daughter of Capt. James Carre McGee and Virginia Walton.
“They were getting ready to go on their honeymoon after their Mayflower wedding when Jim received orders to go on a secret mission to China,” said Jay. “The presidential marching orders arrived via a message sent to the hotel by The Surgeon General, a relative.”
