I Call The Waldorf My Home
My Waldorf story began in 2003 when I joined the team at Floralia Decorators. From the day I began my affiliation, which was for 14 years, I was determined to get to know every person who worked on site, from the doormen to the GM, learn their names and stories and treat them with equal respect and interest.
The thousands of events I designed and produced in both the storied Grand Ballroom and every remarkable suite and event space at the property included fetes for heads of state from all over the globe during UNGA to 1,500-guest gala celebrations. I was privileged to meet Presidents Bush and Obama, and experience legendary entertainers including Tony Bennett, Cher, Elton John, Jay Leno, Paul Simon, The Doobie Brothers, and many more luminaries.
I was deeply and profoundly impacted both professionally and personally by my experience at The Waldorf, and wrote and recorded a song and created a video tribute entitled “I Call The Waldorf My Home.” Lifelong business and personal relationships along with being a part of the Waldorf family changed my life in the most meaningful way. Including meeting my beautiful wife there!
I was fortunate to be invited as a guest at the last gala hosted at the hotel before it closed for restoration, and my arrival and warm emotional embrace by one of the iconic doormen was candidly captured by a local news channel film crew covering this landmark occasion. The clip aired later that evening and the following day, and I received dozens of calls from friends and colleagues who shared their own keen recollections of working at or being a guest at the property. Countless wonderful interesting memories.
I am truly looking forward to ‘going home’ when The Waldorf reopens.