Originally founded in 1907 as a chain of luxury hotels by Julius and William Manger, the company shifted to extensive development of large strategically located motor inns and motels in the 1960s.
[1] The pair then entered the construction business, building homes in Galveston, Texas and New York City.
They eventually moved on to commercial projects, including the Builders' Exchange Building in Manhattan.
[6] In 1915 the pair took over the lease on the Hotel Netherland from the widow of its long time proprietor, H. P. Whitaker.
At the time of the purchase, the Netherlands' residents included Alfred Holland Smith, James J. Coogan, and Edward W.
[6] In 1917, William and Julius Manger purchased the Endicott Hotel, which they had previously been leasing, for $1 million.
[11] One week later the Mangers purchased the Hotel Woodstock from T. Coleman du Pont and Lucius M.
[14] They soon changed the name to the Times Square Hotel and began providing accommodations to both men and women.
[15][16] On October 22, 1924, it was announced that the Manger brothers had purchased a block on Seventh Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets from Realty Associates and Bing & Bing for approximately $5.5 million after plans for a sports arena on that site fell through.
[18] The total development cost of the Hotel Manger including the purchase of the 50-51 and 7th avenue block was close to $12,000,000.
[19] This arrangement ended the following year when Astor bought out their lease as part of the hotel's sale to the Durham Realty Company.
[25][26] The top floors offered views of the Charles River, Bunker Hill Monument, and Boston Harbor.
[30] When Julius Manger died in 1937 he was the largest independent hotel owner and operator in the United States as cited in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography.
The following year, Metropolitan Life sold the Hotel Rowe in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Manger.
[34] In 1955, Manger introduced a family plan that allowed for children under 14 to stay for free in 9 of the chain's 11 hotels (The New York City Hotel Association outlawed family plans, so it was not available at the Windsor or Vanderbilt).
Manger also provided babysitting, special menus, and gifts for children in order to entice more families to their hotels.
At the time of the sale, Julius Manger Jr. announced that the company was shifting its focus from luxury hotels to motels.
Manger would start by selling its own brand of coffee, returning the family to a business it had left more than 50 years prior.
Later that year, the Vanderbilt was sold for $3.625 million to an investment group that sought to convert the building into apartments.