Waldorf-Astoria (1893–1929)

The original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel began as a petty family feud between cousins. William Waldorf Astor decided to construct the Waldorf Hotel on the site of his own family mansion, which sat directly next to the home of his aunt, Caroline Schermerhorn Astor. The construction noise and debris became so disruptive that his aunt and her son, John Jacob Astor the fourth, were forced to move out of their home. John Jacob Astor the fourth initially considered retaliating by building a stable on the adjacent lot, but after witnessing the immense profitability of his cousin's new hotel, he changed his mind and built the Astoria Hotel instead.