as private porches and sunroofs. The 15th-floor setback also contained open-air terraces for tenants. The top story, was devoted to a gymnasium and three squash courts; there was also a gallery for exhibition matches. By the 2000s, the squash courts had been replaced by the hotel's fitness center. The roof contained a penthouse for tanks, elevator machinery, and other equipment. Guestrooms The hotel originally had either 1,100 or 1,200 bedrooms, approximately two-thirds of which had their own bathrooms. The third to 14th floors largely consisted of single rooms, but the corners of these stories had two-bedroom suites. Above the 15th floor, the Shelton had ten floors of bedrooms. A New York Times article from 1928 cited the hotel as having 1,169 guestrooms and 600 bathrooms. By 1954, three of the hotel's stories (comprising a total of 180 rooms) were used as offices. By the 2000s, the hotel included 646 rooms, which were composed of 629 standard rooms and 17 suites. After the 2007 renovation, Oyster.com wrote that the average room was , enough to accommodate a king size bed, chair, desk, and side table. In addition, the guestrooms were decorated in a yellow, mustard, or scarlet palette, similar to other Marriott hotels, while the bathrooms had granite alcoves for toiletries. By 2016, the hotel had 655 guestrooms. History The construction of Grand Central Terminal began in 1903 on the site of Grand Central Depot, following a fatal crash in the Park Avenue Tunnel, the only approach to the depot, the preceding year. Grand Central Terminal opened on February 2, 1913. Passenger traffic on the commuter lines into Grand Central more than doubled in the years following the terminal's completion. The terminal spurred development in the surrounding area, particularly in Terminal City, a commercial and office district created above where the tracks were covered. Terminal City soon became Manhattan's most desirable commercial and office district. A 1920 New York Times article said, "With its hotels, office buildings, apartments and underground Streets it not only is a wonderful railroad terminal, but also a great civic centre." The Shelton was one of several hotels developed in Terminal City, along with other hostelries such as the Barclay, Commodore, Roosevelt, and Biltmore. Meanwhile, during the early 19th century, apartment developments in the city were generally associated with the working class. By the late 19th century, apartments were also becoming desirable among the middle and upper