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.
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.
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?
