Legendary hotel reopens after $3 billion renovation
The legendary Waldorf Astoria New York hotel has reopened after eight years and a US$2 billion ($3.07 billion) renovation. And it’s better than ever. The hotel, which has occupied an entire block in midtown Manhattan between Park and Lexington avenues since 1931 (an earlier version stood where the Empire State Building now stands) is a Big Apple icon that has shaped modern travel and lodging.
The Waldorf was not only the first hotel in the world to offer room service, in-room telephones, and electricity on every floor, it was also the first to allow unaccompanied female guests to check in. The pinnacle of luxury was once a private bathroom in every guest room; A comfort pioneered by Waldorf Astoria.
And if you’ve enjoyed the tang of a Waldorf salad, sipped a Rob Roy or Waldorf cocktail, and ordered eggs Benedict for breakfast, you can thank the hotel chefs and bartenders who invented or popularized those recipes.
A major redesign reduced the number of hotel rooms from 1,400 to 375, while significantly expanding its dimensions in a luxurious, residential style by French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon.
The hotel, which American hotel magnate Conrad Hilton once called “the best of them all”, has been restored to its art deco splendor under the direction of architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), while also benefiting from an extensive modernization of the infrastructure.
While most of us would never pay the steep room rates starting at US$1,500 ($2,300) per night, anyone can stop by Peacock Alley, the newly expanded lounge and bar area that’s been called New York’s living room. A place to see and be seen for decades, it is a godsend for people-watchers today.
New Yorkers, hotel guests, and visitors stepping into the grand lobby and other public spaces will find heritage features, from the gilded bronze Waldorf Clock, a gift from Queen Victoria, to Cole Porter’s Steinway grand piano, on which the composer wrote some of his greatest hits. I Hid You Under My Skin.
French artist Louis Rigal’s marble floor mosaic, consisting of 148,000 stone pieces, reminds us that the clock is ticking with its depiction of life stages from birth to the final act.
Today, the hotel’s culinary nostalgia is adorned with trendy flourishes: an updated Waldorf salad at Lex Yard, the hotel’s all-day American brasserie by chef Michael Anthony (also executive chef of New York’s Gramercy Tavern), and a creation by Jeff Bell, the mixologist behind East Village speakeasy Please Don’t Tell Cocktails at Peacock Alley Bar. Yoshoku, the upscale Japanese kaiseki restaurant from chef Ry Nitzkowski, showcases the hotel’s fine dining offering with an international emphasis.
If you find the immersive Waldorf world too beautiful to leave, there are ways to stay longer. For those who want a permanent Park Avenue address, hundreds of new private residences on upper floors (studio prices start at $1.875 million) are offered for sale.
Residents will follow in the footsteps of everyone who called the hotel home, from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Monroe, Cole Porter and various U.S. presidents.
There are currently more than 30 Waldorf Astoria hotels across the road, with one coming to Sydney in 2027.
To see waldorfastorianewyork.com
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20 years ago, Kristie Kellahan traded her life as an attorney for the freedom and adventure of travel writing and never looked back. Born in Sydney, the commute home is a little longer now that she lives in New York City.Connect with: excitement.
