Notice the comment about the air conditioned lobby. That was a big deal back then. Until maybe the 1960's or 70's, hotel rooms were for sleeping and changing. Every guest was expected to socialize in the common areas of the hotels. Much like being on a cruise today. That's why many historic hotels suffer from small rooms. Some hotels had to combine rooms to make one large enough for today's customers. Now most people just walk through the lobby with little thought of stopping.