Nobody Asked Me, But… No. 248: Hotel Theresa, New York, N.Y. (1913)
Hotel History: Hotel Theresa, “The Waldorf of Harlem” (300 rooms) : On September 18, 1960, four months before the United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba, Fidel Castro arrived in New York City for the 15th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He and his staff first checked into the Shelburne Hotel at Lexington Avenue and 37th Street. When the Shelburne demanded $10,000 for alleged damage that included cooking chickens in their rooms, the Castro entourage moved to the Hotel Theresa in Harlem.
By Stanley Turkel, CMHS, Hotel consultant, Stanley Turkel, MHS, ISHC