dining room. Stairs led from the dining room to the mezzanine, the hair-dressing parlor, and ladies' public rooms. The hotel's kitchen was on the same level as the men's restaurant and the main dining room; there were also stairs leading down to the street-level grill room. The kitchen was capable of serving 10,000 meals per day, including 4,000 meals for employees. The kitchen was divided into several departments. These included a main kitchen, measuring wide; a separate kitchen for banquets, measuring wide; and a "preparatory kitchen" above the main kitchen, which was used for food preparation. Paper slips with guests' orders were delivered to the kitchen via a series of pneumatic tubes, and dumbwaiters connected the kitchen with each guestroom floor. Ballrooms and other spaces When the hotel was built, the New-York Tribune called the main ballroom "the largest private ballroom of any hotel in the world". The space was described as being in the French Empire style. It covered and was originally decorated in white, purple, and gold, with green accents. The main ballroom could accommodate up to 3,000 guests for entertainments such as plays, and it could seat 2,000 guests during banquets. There were 56 boxes in the room, connected by a promenade and split across two tiers. This arrangement, inspired by the layout of seats in a Mexican bullring, was intended to maximize the number of boxes for sale during charity events, as well as provide sufficient space for a dance floor below. There was a roof garden above the ballroom for tea and luncheons. The ballroom was redecorated in coral and black during a 1937 renovation, with a yellow, blue, and tan carpet. Two smaller ballrooms opened off the main ballroom and could be used separately or in tandem. These ballrooms contained silk and satin tapestries in the Louis XV style, as well as black-and-green satin chairs. To the north of the main ballroom was a vestibule that spanned the entire width of the room. The vestibule's high ceiling had three chandeliers and was painted blue and white, and the marble floors were covered by a carpet. The western end of the vestibule contained a direct entrance from the Park Avenue Viaduct. The hotel also contained a vehicular elevator from 42nd Street, which ascended to the viaduct level and could carry up to . Another popular spot was the Century Room, which had its own orchestra.