Mad Men Tour of Midtown Manhattan

5. The Roosevelt Hotel

New York, NY

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During the first season of "Mad Men," Don Draper led the model life of a mid-century, Manhattan advertising executive: a job on Madison Avenue and a suburban house with a wife and children not too far from the city. However, "Mad Men" fans will recall that during the second season, the fa�§ade of Don's life begins to fall apart for the first time, and for a lengthy stretch Don is no longer welcome in his family's Ossining house. Not being the first Madison Avenue executive to got through this type of discord, Don follows the routine of taking up temporary residence in a nearby hotel, in this case the Roosevelt on East 45th Street. Fans might recall that in second season episode "Six Month Leave" Roger notices some of the tell-tale signs that Don is living away from home, and guesses that Don might be staying at the no longer existent Biltmore, on 43rd and Madison, or the no longer existent Stanhope Hotel in the Upper East Side. Don finally confesses that is staying at the Roosevelt. Just a few blocks from the Sterling Cooper offices, the Roosevelt Hotel is both convenient and luxurious enough to suit the lifestyle that Don had adopted for himself. This hotel first opened in 1924, and it was named after the only US president born in New York City: Theodore Roosevelt. The Roosevelt catered to an upmarket clientele from the very beginning, with an underground passage that led directly to and from Grand Central Terminal. This innovative property was also the first hotel to offer both child and pet care for guests on-site, and was also the first hotel to offer televisions in each guestroom, starting in the 1940s. In 1943, the Roosevelt was purchased by Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton. Despite the fact that Hilton was the owner of a number of the most luxurious hotels in the city, Hilton favored the Presidential Suite here as his place to stay in New York. However, in the fictional world of "Mad Men," Hilton was staying at the nearby Waldorf-Astoria in third season episode "Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency" when he met with Don Draper to discuss advertising for his massive Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue. "Mad Men" is far from the only piece of entertainment to utilize this grand, old hotel and its place in New York mythology. The Roosevelt has appeared in period pieces such as "Quiz Show," as well as gritty, 1970s Manhattan films like "The French Connection" and "The Taking of Pelham 123." The hotel has also served as a location in a diverse set of 21st century movies from "The Dictator" to "Broken City" to "Maid in Manhattan." The Roosevelt Hotel is currently owned by the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation. [Photo credit: Noah Axelrod]