Since 1924, the Roosevelt Hotel has been a witness to history.
The New York City landmark was the election headquarters for Governor Thomas Dewey when he incorrectly announced he defeated Harry Truman 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.
“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 owner said in a statement to CNN Travel. “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.”
Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Hotel first opened in 1924 and has since been a recognizable icon in New York’s pop culture pantheon. The hotel has appeared in many classic motion pictures including The Irishman, Maid in Manhattan, Malcolm X and Wall Street.
The Roosevelt is not alone. Other New York City hotels to recently announce their closures include the Times Square Hilton, the Courtyard by Marriott in Herald Square, the Omni Berkshire Place in Midtown, and the W Hotel.