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The End of an Era

New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel is set to close as it undergoes a refurbishment into luxury condominiums. Does the conversion make financial sense?

New York's iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel is set to close as it undergoes a refurbishment into luxury condominiums. In its heyday it was the best hotel in New York hosting stars such as Frank Sinatra and Cole Porter. Kim Gittleson takes a look back at the history of the hotel and asks if the conversion makes financial sense. Manuela Saragosa asks Fiona O'Donnell, director of travel and leisure research at Mintel, whether websites like Airbnb have changed the game for the traditional hotel industry. Plus Lucy Kellaway ponders the usefulness of Twitter to CEOs. (Picture: The Waldorf Astoria Hotel main entrance; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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18 minutes

Last on

Mon 22 Aug 2016 15:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 22 Aug 2016 07:32GMT
  • Mon 22 Aug 2016 15:06GMT

Podcast