Latest News!
- A-Rod: Madonna and I Are 'Friends – That's It'
- Jennifer Hudson Calls Grammy Noms 'Truly a Blessing'
- Boy George Found Guilty of False Imprisonment
- Police Seek Two People in Shooting of Mark Ruffalo's Brother
- Katie Holmes: I'm No Wallflower
- Beyoncé on Keeping Her Relationship with Jay-Z Strong
- Twilight Star Robert Pattinson Kisses & Tells
People Top 5
LAST UPDATE: Friday December 05, 2008 07:10AM EST
PEOPLE Top 5 are the most-viewed stories on the site over the past three days, updated every 60 minutes
Giuliani Lauds Hotel's Room Service
The former New York City mayor and his successor, Mike Bloomberg, help launch the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel only four blocks from Ground Zero.
Originally posted Wednesday January 30, 2002 01:20 PM EST
Lower Manhattan got a much-needed economic and morale boost Tuesday afternoon when the Ritz-Carlton Hotel chain opened its latest luxury inn only four blocks from the World Trade Center site. So significant was the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was originally planned for last October until final construction was delayed by the tragic events of Sept. 11, that it took two New York mayors, a current and a former one, to officially launch the hotel, reports PEOPLE.com. "I won't stay here," quipped the current mayor, the billionaire Michael Bloomberg, before the champagne was poured at the ceremony. "I have two houses in the city," he explained, referring to his own townhouse and to Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence. His predecessor, Rudolph Giuliani, looking relaxed since he's left office, noted that 70 percent of the new hotel's rooms face the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island -- and have telescopes in them. He questioned in what direction they were pointing. "Not into the other rooms," Marriott CEO J.W. "Bill" Marriott (whose company runs Ritz-Carlton) assured him. "I'm not so sure," said the politico. Marriott also kidded Giuliani for not advising people to stay in a hotel when he spoke in September about how Americans could help New York. Giuliani had just said at the time that people should come to the city, eat in its restaurants and see a Broadway show. "Well," replied Giuliani, "I certainly wasn't encouraging them to be homeless."
Latest video
Star Talk
Michael Phelps: From Speedo to Tuxedo!
SI's Sportsman of the Year talks about his latest honor – and being named one of PEOPLE's Sexiest Men Alive (with photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier)
Advertisement
Today's Photos
What's Hot on People.com
Promotion
Treat Yourself! 4 Preview Issues















