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Back in the day, the Waldorf Astoria New York was one of the most well-known hotels in New York, and for that matter, in the United States. However, a lot has changed in the past decade.
In 2015, the hotel was purchased by a Chinese firm for $1.95 billion. The hotel was a bit past its prime at this point (it initially opened all the way back in 1931), so it closed in 2017, with plans for a $1 billion makeover. This makeover dragged on way longer than planned, due to a variety of factors, including corruption, the pandemic, and more.
After years of drama, there’s a very exciting update — the Waldorf Astoria New York has reopened as of today, ushering in a new era for the landmark property.
In this post:
Waldorf Astoria New York opens after renovation
The Waldorf Astoria New York has reopened as of July 15, 2025. Credit to the hotel — until recently, the hotel was supposed to reopen on September 1, but we’ve seen that timeline moved up several weeks (after years of delays, admittedly).
With the Waldorf Astoria New York having reopened, it’s completely different than before. While the hotel initially had more than 1,400 rooms, the reimagined property has 375 hotel rooms and 372 residences. Not only is the hotel portion of the property way smaller than before, but the size of the rooms has also increased, with rooms now starting at 475 square feet, though most accommodations are significantly larger than that.
With the redesign, the goal was to maintain the initial charm of the property, while also making it feel fresh, and greatly improving technology. Below are some renderings of the property.
The Waldorf Astoria New York’s signature restaurant is called Lex Yard, named after the hotel’s Lexington Avenue location, and the historic train depot, Track 61. The two-story restaurant is led by Chef Michael Anthony, and is an “American Brasserie-style restaurant” serving “seasonal contemporary American cuisine.”
The hotel is also expected to have a Guerlain Wellness Spa, but that won’t open until late 2025.
Waldorf Astoria New York rates & points requirements
Now that the Waldorf Astoria New York has reopened, what are rates like? For those looking to pay cash, I currently see rates starting at around $1,100-1,800 per night pre-tax. There’s quite a bit of variability depending on the day of the week, time of year, etc.
The pricing is roughly in line with what I would’ve expected. If you’re booking a cash rate here, I’d recommend doing so through the Hilton for Luxury program, which offers extra perks when booking through select travel advisors, including breakfast, a hotel credit, an upgrade subject to availability, and more. Ford and his team are happy to help with these requests, and can be reached at [email protected].
Fortunately this hotel is a good option if you want to redeem Hilton Honors points, as it costs 150,000 Hilton Honors points per night, assuming there’s standard room availability. Hilton Honors elite members can stretch their points and get a fifth night free, which would bring down the average nightly cost to 120,000 points.
That’s a good use of points — I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, so that’s the equivalent of paying $600-750 per night after tax.
My take on the “new” Waldorf Astoria New York
I’m going to try to give the Waldorf Astoria New York a try the next time I’m in New York, as I’m curious how the property is. A few thoughts come to mind:
- I have a hard time getting too excited about any hotel in New York, given that service and the overall guest experience in the United States just isn’t comparable to what you’ll find in many parts of the world
- While the hotel will have way fewer rooms than in the past, the property will still have 375 keys, so it’ll hardly be boutique, and I imagine service will reflect that
- We were initially told that rooms at the hotel would start at around 600 square feet, though as the opening date approached, we learned that rooms would actually start at 475 square feet; that’s still a good size, but 125 square feet makes quite a difference
- Based on the renderings, am I the only one not blown away by the design? The hotel has some cool “bones,” but I can’t say that the rooms, reception, etc., have much of a “wow” factor
- The Waldorf Astoria brand really is developing nicely with some iconic properties, and I’m perhaps even more excited about the Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Arch, opening in 2026
Bottom line
The Waldorf Astoria New York has reopened as of July 15, 2025. The hotel is totally different than it was pre-2017, and while I prefer a property with fewer rooms, this should still be a great addition to the New York hotel scene. I look forward to checking this out!
What do you make of the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria New York?
Not impressed. Feels like a luxury Hilton and it always did. There are many nicer or better places to stay in NYC. Furthermore their pricing isn't outrageous. That's the price of luxury hotels there, but there is a difference between this and real luxury.
I am wondering when Intercontinental Frankfurt will ever reopen. It is a major part of the city’s skyline, but it remains closed today with no clear signs of reopening.
Reminds me of the opening scene in Crazy Rich Asians.
My first three visits to NYC were spent at the Waldorf. It was something of a shame not to be able to for my fourth. Yes, the rooms don't look particularly exciting but I'll take "neutral" over the previous "increasingly tatty" theme! The public spaces were always great but the rooms were desperately in need of renovation even at the time of my first visit in 2005 - it took 20 years for that to happen...
Waldorf salad!!!! YUCK!!!!!
Did the new owners bug the hotel and internet?
Or is that just a Mossad Epstein thing.
Open question is - how many listening devices will you find in your room?
I appreciate understated elegance, but, that rendering of the bed and its immediate surrounds is plain boring AF. The sitting area rendering is a bit better. But overall, the decorators could have amped up the style factor, and still achieved understated elegance. They didn't. This is too bland and generic to live up to its grand name. Looking forward to your review, Ben.
"Renderings". Please review when you actually stay there.
Yawn, another overpriced underwhelming NYC hotel yearning for the glory days of past when all the socialites were seen there. I could give two sh*ts about the piano in ballroom and vast corridor. Hard pass.
Yep, fly to NYC in F and stay there a week or take the same amount of money, fly J to France, and spend a month at a charming hotel in Provence
Almost wish for a DCS return to talk about what truly is the pinnacle of the NYC hotel scene.
Ok maybe not…
My late husband was a SVP with Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts and part of his job was staying frequently at all of the properties and I was asked to join him, all expenses paid or course and suite upgrades, of course. Bob passed away in 2018. I see that I must travel up to New York and have a smart cocktail in Peacock Alley and toast his love for this hotel.
Looks like a high end nursing home
Room decor available on the Target website.
Seems like the standard room awards are blocked for the first couple of months. Also not able to see standard king size room available for cash rate as well, are they still renovating those rooms?
Presumably the design brief for the rooms was ‘make sure you pick all the things an 80+ year old couple would choose at home’…
Hey at least it not mid-century modern.
There actually are some phenomenal hotels in NYC from a service perspective. They just aren't points properties... Fouquet's, 5th Ave, Fasano, Whitby, The Greenwich, The Surrey, and even most of the classics (usually) like the Mark, Carlyle FS, etc.
Who is the current owner?
When the Chinese bought it, the US government pulled out. The US ambassador to the United Nations had their official, government-paid residence at the hotel. Also, the hotel was the hotel for all senior US government officials visiting NYC. The ownership change prompted its closure for renovations from what I understand.
I wonder if the old underground railroad track is still there. Back in the day, FDR when he was...
Who is the current owner?
When the Chinese bought it, the US government pulled out. The US ambassador to the United Nations had their official, government-paid residence at the hotel. Also, the hotel was the hotel for all senior US government officials visiting NYC. The ownership change prompted its closure for renovations from what I understand.
I wonder if the old underground railroad track is still there. Back in the day, FDR when he was president had his train arrive under the hotel.
The public areas in the New York property are magnificent, but the rooms are bland, beige, and boring. I hope this isn't what's in store for Park Hyatt Tokyo...
How is it a good option at 150,000 points per night for what would be room only?
Welcome to New York, where the only thing higher than the buildings is the hotel room rates.
A lot of the public areas (except the restaurant) really give off that 1920s vintage feel, which I appreciate a lot considering the building's history. The ballroom especially looks gorgeous. The rooms and restaurant much less so, there's little color with all the white and beige that it feels more sterile and modern-style minimalist.
Those Admiralty Arch pics are a bit unrealistic as its before construction started. Rooms are mainly in two modern wings being bolted on either side, with a good chance of having to walk across the bridge every time you go from one side to the other.
I thought those room pictures were pre-renovation... wow they're dated and boring.
The big question is whether the culture of service it has maintained for decades can be restored. There's no "memory" of service to be passed from that prior generation.
NY Times covered the hotel's history & renovation:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/07/14/travel/waldorf-astoria-hotel-new-york-reopening.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Wk8.pASD.DxG7eY00pRYc&smid=url-share