“Will it reopen or not?” Hotel cynics have been wondering about the Waldorf Astoria New York for years. (No meof course. I am an eternal optimist who always thought I would return. Cough.) But now, the Waldorf Astoria New York finally has a clear path to its reopening day.
The historic ultra-luxury hotel is now accepting reservations for December 10, 2025, after being closed for a multi-year renovation that cost more than $1 billion. The reopening includes 375 renovated guest rooms and suites, an exclusive restaurant overseen by chef Michael Anthony and the return of the hotel’s famous Peacock Alley cocktail lounge.
But it’s also a big plus for Hilton and its expansion at the luxury end of the hotel food chain.
“It’s been a labor of love,” Dino Michael, senior vice president and global head of luxury brands at Hilton, said of the Waldorf’s renovation in an interview with TPG this month at the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes, France. “I think when people go, they’ll realize why it took so long. They’ll see the details, the silver leaf, the gold leaf, the renovated mosaics, the marble, the paintings, and they’ll say, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ we understand now.'”
But it’s more than just the Waldorf Astoria in New York City that’s keeping Hilton busy on the luxury front. Hilton plans to open additional Waldorf Astoria properties in Costa Rica; Osaka, Japan; and Shanghai next year. Waldorf Astoria could have up to 50 hotels worldwide in the next two to three years, Candice D’Cruz, Hilton’s vice president of luxury brands for the Asia-Pacific region, told TPG at ILTM.
Conrad is scheduled to add hotels in Athens and Hamburg, Germany, next year, while LXR Hotels & Resorts will expand to Casablanca, Morocco, in 2025. The expansion comes amid a flurry of acquisitions and partnership deals for Hilton , including a new partnership with Small luxury hotels in the world and an agreement to expand the Nomadic brand in Hilton’s leading luxury lifestyle offering.
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“It’s been a long time coming,” Feisal Jaffer, global head of LXR Hotels & Resorts, said of Hilton’s broader luxury play. “I mean, we’ve been on kind of a journey to really change the perception of luxury.”
But growth is not easy. Hilton’s leadership needs to steer hotel owners away from what competition from Marriott, Hilton and IHG is offering on the branding front.
“They present it with all the enthusiasm in the world and it’s a beauty pageant,” Michael said. “You’re pitching against other brands.”
It looks like the tone is working. Elsewhere at ILTM, Small Luxury Hotels of the World leaders noted that more than 80% of their properties are now participating in the new Hilton partnership; They see value in gaining more exposure and attracting a new type of customer from the Hilton Honors orbit.
Hilton’s luxury takeoff appears to be on track to reach the stratosphere in the new year.
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