The Marriott World Trade Center Hotel was a 24 story steel framed building with 825 rooms. It was built in 1981 as the Vista Hotel and was located at 3 World Trade Center in New York City. Originally owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey it was sold in 1995 to a private concern after Governor George Pataki of New York and then-Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey pressured Port Authority officials to sell its less profitable assets.

On February 26, 1993 the hotel was seriously damaged as a result of the World Trade Center bombing. Terrorists took a Ryder truck loaded with explosives and parked it in the One World Trade Center parking garage. At 12:18pm (Eastern Time) an explosion destroyed or seriously damaged the lower and sub levels of the World Trade Center complex. After extensive repairs the hotel reopened in November 1994.

On September 11, 2001 at 10:28am (Eastern Time) the Marriott World Trade Center collapsed and was completely destroyed as a result of a coordinated terrorist attack when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. As a result, both towers collapsed, which destroyed surrounding buildings including 3 World Trade Center.

External link

• Marriott World Trade Center Survivors (http://www.sept11marriottsurvivors.org/)