Many years ago, on stormy night an elderly man and his wife entered in a small hotel in Philadelphia, USA.
Trying to get out of rain, couple approached front desk hoping to get a room. Husband said, “Could you possibly give us a room here?”
Clerk, a friendly man, looked at the couple and said, “All our rooms are taken.”
Listening to this couple got disappointed. Clerk said, “I can’t send a nice couple like you out into rain at one o’clock in morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room?
It is not exactly a suite but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night.”
Couple declined the offer. He explained them about other conventions in town and how all of them were full at that time.
Young man said, “Don’t worry about me. I will make out just fine.” and insisted old couple to stay for night.
So, couple agreed.
Next morning, as elderly man paid the bill, he said to clerk, “You are kind of manager who should be boss of best hotel. May be someday i will build one for you.”
Clerk looked at them and smiled. Three of them had good laugh.
As couple drove away, the agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn’t easy.
Two years passed, clerk who had almost forgotten about the incident, received a letter from old man. In letter old man recalled about stormy night and enclosed with it was a round trip ticket to New York asking young man to pay them 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, a pale reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky.
Pointing toward hotel old man said, “That, that is the hotel i have just built for you to manage.”
“You must be joking.”, young man said.
Old man replied, “I can assure you, i am not.”
Young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world’s most glamorous hotels.
The old man’s name was William Waldorf-Aster and that magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
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