Travel Reference
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maid service. But some people, those who had money, availed themselves of
these added services.
JULIE EAKIN
Theresa was a wonderful maid. She had been there fora long time, and she'd tell
you about Janis Joplin and all these people she'd befriended.
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JOHN ZINSSER
The maid staff wore peppermint green maids' uniforms. Their job was to take
care of the hotel function of the building, which was maybe forty percent of
the building. But they also had a laundry room down in the basement that
was primarily for washing sheets and towels. This room was run by a woman
named Doris, who was a formidable character, an imposing African-American
womanwhowasprobablysixtyyearsold.Shehadbeenthereforever—shewasa
Chelsea fixture. You could have your laundry done by her. Otherwise, there was
noplaceinthebuildingtodoyourlaundry—yourroomdidn'thaveawasherand
dryer. But you had to sneak your laundry to her because Stanley didn't want her
doing this. It was on the sly.
Youwouldputyourlaundryintheserviceelevator,ateenytinybackelevator,
that had its own elevator shaft. You could send your laundry in this little elevator
downtothebasementwhereDoriswouldwashanddryit,andyouwouldpayher
for it. But she was very, very particular about when she would take your clothes
and what condition you delivered your laundry in. She was very imperious about
these things. You had to work out your plan with one of the maids who came by
your room and would say, “Okay, you can send your laundry down now.”
So with your house phone, you could call Doris about your laundry. “Doris,
can you do laundry for us?”
She'dbeverygruff.“Okay,twentyminutes,”she'dsay,asifyouweresetting
up a surreptitious deal.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
At the front desk, there was a desk clerk who once checked in Ginger Baker,
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the drummer from Eric Clapton's old band Cream. He checked in one night and
the desk clerk kept giving him shit.
“What kind of name is Ginger for a man?”
Ginger Baker freaked out. He was furious!
PAUL VOLMER
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