On Tuesday, around a thousand union hotel workers protested
the imminent closing of the famed Plaza Hotel. Thankfully they
weren't around last Friday, when I was scheduled to meet the vice
president of the United States, Dick Cheney, in a private press
conference with The New York Sun.
Although I am a native Manhattanite, I can count on one hand the
number of my previous visits to the Plaza - and all of those were
either to Trader Vic's or to the ladies room. This time I was
actually going to ascend to the upper floors and judge for myself
whether this structure was worth the melodrama of its proposed
renovation and conversion to condominium apartments.
Meeting the vice president entailed security measures that
somewhat overshadowed my planned appraisal. We were scanned
electronically, and my purse was thoroughly hand-searched. Our
photographer had to assure the security team that his camera was
indeed a camera. Then we stood aside while a very aggressive
bomb-sniffing dog inspected our bags. I warned his handler that
the sneakers in my tote bag might make him keel over. He didn't
smile. Indeed, none of the agents relaxed until we had all passed
the intense scrutiny and were allowed to proceed through the
thick black curtains that cordoned off the corridor to the suite.
I took the opportunity to visit the rest of the suite to check
out its decor. Everything was exquisite, and unlike any hotel
I've ever stayed in. This finely appointed suite appeared to be
furnished with genuine antiques, and the white robes hanging
behind the bathroom door were plush and tempting. Marble, marble
everywhere, carved moldings, and decorated ceilings all over the
place, Very, very nice.
Ten minutes later, another escort group came in, followed by a
smiling Mr. Cheney, who shook each of our hands and sat down
across from all of us, his hands clasped on the table. We had
decided to divide our questions into foreign and domestic issues,
and since mine involved school vouchers, I waited until that area
was explored.
Mr. Cheney has a very attractive halfsmile, which he puts on when
he's going to sidestep a touchy subject. "Nice try,"
he'll say in place of a direct answer.
As the moment to ask my question approached, I couldn't help but
marvel at the notion that a woman who grew up at Spanish Harlem
in a vermin-infested tenement would soon be asking the second
most powerful man in the world a policy question. That wonderment
soon turned to panic: I nearly forgot what I was going to say.
"Hail Mary, ..." I began, and managed to get my
question and comment out without stammering.
I reminded the vice president that Hispanics are not a monolithic
society. We come from many different countries. Puerto Ricans are
citizens, not immigrants, and many of us were born here.
Politicians may believe that our greatest concern is immigration,
but the truth is that, like all Americans, we are concerned with
education, and a great many of us favor school vouchers or tax
credits.
The vice president said he and Mrs. Cheney were very involved in
a foundation that provided scholarships to needy students, and he
said he supports school vouchers but there's a lot of opposition
to them.
An aide to Mr. Cheney then alerted us that our time was nearly
up, and after sharing a few more pleasantries the vice president
left the room. I looked down at my notepad, and all I had written
during the 45-minute session were these few phrases: "exudes
power," "very much an authority figure," "he
is just so coooool!"
Now that my business was done, I went back to the lobby. The Palm
Court was packed, the beautiful Oak Room was doing a brisk
business, and the front desk was busy checking in guests.
The new owners of the Plaza plan to convert this absolutely
beautiful hotel into condominium apartments and a 150-room hotel.
The Hotel, Motel and Club Employees Union charges that the jobs
of all the city's hotel workers are in jeopardy.
A bill has been introduced at the City Council to stop these
conversions, though it will probably never pass muster because
the last time I checked this is America, where owners are still
allowed to do what they want to their own property.
Besides, new hotels are springing up all over town. Commercial
buildings are being converted into hotels. Precious buildings
like the Plaza are old, and the cost of repairing them is
prohibitive.
Moreover, even after the conversion, it will still be a hotel,
and those feeling nostalgia for Kay Thompson's 6-yearold who
roamed the halls of the Plaza need a wake-up call.
Eloise is now in her 50s and probably living in Paris.