Algonquin Hotel Restricts Lobby Cat

Sad news for cat-lovers in New York City: The New York Post and several other news sources are reporting that Matilda, the Algonquin Hotel's popular mascot, has been banned from the property's lobby lounge. 

Matilda III, the latest in a long line of free-roaming Algonquin felines (the first wandered in from a storm during the Depression and was promptly adopted) has been confined to a small couch behind the reception desk following concerns over the safety of keeping an animal around a food-service establishment. Algonquin General Manager Gary Budge told the Post, “The lobby is an area where we serve food and beverage. We always want to be respectful of the Department of Health.”