Want to take advantage of Hilton for Luxury benefits at no extra cost (when paying for your stay with cash), including a room upgrade, free breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He doesn’t charge booking fees, and may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.
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 has dragged on way longer than planned, due to a variety of factors, including corruption, the pandemic, and more.
Fortunately significant progress has been made in the past couple of years, and there’s now a major update, as the hotel is once again accepting reservations, and is now even accepting points bookings (thanks to @Drofcredit for flagging that).
In this post:
Waldorf Astoria New York to open after renovation
The Waldorf Astoria New York is now accepting reservations for stays as of September 1, 2025, though Hilton continues to claim the hotel will open before that, in the spring of 2025 (I wouldn’t count on it).
When the Waldorf Astoria New York reopens, it’ll be completely different than before. While the hotel initially had more than 1,400 rooms, the reimagined property will have 375 hotel rooms and 375 residences. Not only will the hotel be way smaller than before, but the size of the rooms is also increasing drastically, with rooms now starting at 475 square feet, though most accommodations being significantly larger than that.
With the redesign, the goal is 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 will be called Lex Yard, named after the hotel’s Lexington Avenue location, and the historic train depot, Track 61. The two-story restaurant will be led by Chef Michael Anthony, and will be an “American Brasserie-style restaurant” serving “seasonal contemporary American cuisine.”
Waldorf Astoria New York rates & points requirements
Now that the Waldorf Astoria New York is bookable, what are rates like? For those looking to pay cash, I currently see rates starting at around $1,700 per night pre-tax. That same rate applies for just about the entire booking window that’s currently open.
That pricing seems like it’s on the high side, if you ask me, so I wonder if the rates drop a bit over time. I would expect rates more in the range of $1,200-1,500 per night. I suppose the property is probably taking advantage of the interest surrounding the reopening.
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. Ford and his team are happy to help with that, and can be reached at [email protected].
Fortunately this hotel is a phenomenal option if you want to redeem Hilton Honors points, as it costs 150,000 Hilton Honors points per night. 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 per night.
That’s an excellent 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. I’d recommend locking in redemptions ASAP, as I’m sure availability will get booked up pretty quickly.
My take on the “new” Waldorf Astoria New York
I’m looking forward to seeing what the Waldorf Astoria New York looks like after its renovation (in person), given how long it has been. 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 around 600 square feet, so now that the hotel is bookable, it’s interesting to learn that rooms will 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 2025
Bottom line
The Waldorf Astoria New York is now accepting reservations for stays as of September 1, 2025, though Hilton continues to claim the property will open in the spring of 2025. The hotel will be 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.
What are you expecting from the renovated Waldorf Astoria New York?
Looks like they've turned the old Waldorf into a tarted-up, gauche spectacle. Hard pass.
Rendering, of course, is a process that converts waste animal tissue into stable, usable materials. Rendering can refer to any processing of animal products into more useful materials,
Fantastic for all the Diamond for Life members via the (net) free CC. Just redeem your points (no need to pay cash, that’s for suckers) and voila, get treated like the top tier Diamond you are.
(Just don’t ask for late checkout, no benefit for you!)
Service at NYC hotels is hard to predict, thanks to the hotel workers’ union. Just like in other big American cities, or on United and American Airlines.
Under those circumstances, forget a $1,700 rate.
Hundo. With few exceptions, American hotels no longer know how to deliver a true luxury experience. Ben is correct - spend your luxury dollars in Asia or Europe.
Hard pass. The WA brand is meh. While I have enjoyed the Cabo property numerous times, you have places like WA Orlando that are a far cry from luxury. I also took a peak at the new Osaka WA today and it looks meh as well. I'd much rather enjoy a Park Hyatt over a WA any day.
So, you could stay there for a week or pay rent for a year in the real America?
Many years ago, my high school prom took place at this hotel. The kids at that event were more impressive than these renderings.
I disagree with you about the rates. I think the rates are relatively reasonable or not surprising for New York. At other luxury brands that are the luxury end of the big chain brands hotel rooms go for $1200-$1400 and they apprently offer a much larger room.
Years ago I stayed there on the government rate. The 2025 per diem is $342.
Wasn’t this posted a couple of weeks ago? What has changed since then?
"Now bookable...."
You can’t be any geek off the street. Will any visiting teams playing at MSG get a discounted group rate ?
I think most of them stay at the Equinox Hotel over in Hudson Yards. Midtown East a bit far from the Garden
That’s near NBA HQ. Makes sense.
Is just me or anyone else thinks that these prices are absolutely insane... 1.700+ tax, resort fee, tips, service charge etc, we are talking about 2k+ easy per night. Are there really so many people willing to pay that amount??
Tell me you haven’t priced NYC hotels recently without saying you haven’t priced NYC hotels recently.
Yes Rodrigo, There are many people who will pay. When you consider some 3* hotels can run you $400- almost $700 room only at certain times of the year, many will stay at those rates even if it is just for the snob appeal.