When temperatures plunged during a deadly winter storm in Texas last month, Ezell Holley was one of millions to lose power.
The 91-year-old from North Dallas joined his son
and daughter-in-law at their Irving home, also powerless, and they huddled near
a fireplace for warmth.
His granddaughter Alex Holley, co-host of the morning news show Good Day Philadelphia, chronicled the ordeal on social media, sharing pictures of him bundled up inside and eating an ice cream bar in front of the fire. Then she shared an update with her more than 300,000 followers on Twitter and Instagram that she was able to find them a hotel in Texas.
As Alex detailed in posts and in a news segment, the family joked that she had found them the best hotel money could buy: a Waldorf Astoria. It was a term Ezell had used frequently to represent a high standard, though he had never stayed in one.
“Well, Grandpa, if you close your eyes really tight, maybe it’ll seem like the Waldorf,” Alex told him in a video call. “Because at least you have heat, and at this point that might feel like the Waldorf.”
The family made a sign for their hotel room door that said “Waldorf Astoria” and “Welcome.” They referred to the hotel that way — though it was a decidedly non-luxury property — until they checked out several days later.
What Ezell didn’t know was that an actual Waldorf
Astoria hotel in Italy had noticed his granddaughter’s coverage and messaged
her on Instagram with an offer. The Rome Cavalieri, a Waldorf Astoria
Hotel wrote that when travel was safe again, they wanted to invite him to stay.
“We need more of his attitude in the world to get through these tough times and would love to see him smile some more,” the message said.
In a statement, general manager Alessandro Cabella said the invitation came from the hotel’s marketing team
“When we saw Ms. Holley’s segment about her grandfather, we were taken by his humor and positive spirit during the extremely challenging times in Texas,” Cabella said. “We would be honored to welcome him back to Rome and look forward to his good cheer lighting up our hotel.”
“I never dreamed that I might spend a night in a place like that,” Ezell said. When he was a soldier in the Army stationed in Germany in 1957, he had visited Rome and threw some coins in the Trevi Fountain. As legend goes, throwing a coin in the fountain means you’ll get to come back.
“I was wondering if I’d ever return,” he said.
The luxury hotel brand, part of Hilton’s portfolio, offered Ezell another three nights at any other Waldorf property around the world and will pay for the round-trip flight to Rome for him and a guest.
“I’d like to go as soon as possible, probably as soon as the pandemic is over,” Ezell said in an interview. “I would like it to be the first thing on my agenda. Remember I’m 91 years old”
In the meantime, the hotel sent a package with a bathrobe, slippers and a luggage tag. His granddaughter posted a video showing him eating grapes, drinking from a wine glass and practicing Italian phrases — with varying degrees of success.
She added a winking emoji and wrote: “Good thing we have plenty of time to work on his Italian …”
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Article from The Washington Post (edited)
