An Icon Reborn: The Renovated Waldorf Astoria New York is Back and Better Than Ever

The hotel’s original address sat at Fifth Avenue and 33^rd Street but was reinvented at its Park Avenue address in 1931 to clear room for another New York landmark, the Empire State Building. 

When it reopened on Park Avenue, it set the record at the time as the tallest, most expansive hotel in the world – the first of many firsts for the legendary property. Waldorf Astoria New York quickly became known as the place to be in Manhattan, hosting milestone events such as wartime diplomatic conferences, the first Tony Awards, some of the earliest Met Galas, various Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and an iconic address by the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

From musicians to Hollywood stars – and, today, Platinum Card® Members – the hotel has long been a Manhattan destination for those seeking culture and glamour. Today, after a careful restoration, Peacock Alley is once again ready to welcome guests.

Guest suites have been reimagined to balance privacy and guest experience, with separate space for living, dining, working, and sleeping. The layout channels bags directly into spacious walk-in wardrobes or separate storage areas, ensuring guest luggage avoids bedroom areas.

Bathrooms now feature double basin vanities, separate walk-in showers and toilets, and dedicated dressing spaces. A bespoke and immersive bar area in each suite allows guests to enjoy a quiet nightcap or entertain guests. 

The largest new suite, the four-bedroom Waldorf Astoria Suite overlooking Park Avenue, spans more than 5,000 square feet. An ideal suite for families or groups, it boasts a full contemporary kitchen, a dining room, media and entertainment room, walk-in closets, a shining marble corridor, and more.

As guests move through the hotel, they’ll experience more spacious corridors, designed to be experiences within themselves, featuring different patterns and colors to create a sense of rhythm and invite sensory engagement. It’s all a testament to the scrupulous, uncompromising work that went into the eight-year restoration, a labor of love that is evident in every detail. 

Waldorf Astoria New York’s dedication to artistic detail is evident across the property, starting with the iconic lobby. An Art Deco masterpiece, the lobby featured stately white columns, gilded accents, and striking artwork – the most famous of which might be French artist Louis Rigal’s staggering mosaic piece "The Wheel of Life." Comprising of 148,000 hand-cut marble tiles, the floor mosaic depicts the many stages of the human life cycle. 

The renovation has not only preserved this important work but restored it to its original 1930s splendor. SOM’s architects meticulously pored over the hotel’s archives, cross-referencing old photographs and plans to recreate original specifications that they discovered to have been lost throughout the hotel’s first renovations. One, a striking backlit marble panel in the center of the lobby, has been recreated and now welcomes guests anew. 

Another crown jewel, the Waldorf Astoria Clock, has also been given new life through the renovation. Created for the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition (aka the Chicago World's Fair), the ornate clock welcomed guests – and marked the passing of decades of opulence – in the hotel’s lobby for over 80 years. During the renovation it was carefully disassembled and restored, enjoying a temporary home at the New York Historical Society before returning to the property. 

Cole Porter’s grand piano, too, maintains its famed spot in the cocktail lounge Peacock Alley. Porter, an acclaimed composer who called Waldorf Astoria New York home for three decades until his death in 1964, was gifted the Steinway from the hotel and is an enduring tribute to the property’s history. The tradition of Cole Porter and his music continues to this day with live music in Peacock Alley from Cole & Friends.

Waldorf Astoria New York’s history of firsts extends to its dining legacy. Of course, there’s its namesake salad of fruit and nuts that was invented at the hotel at the turn of the century and remains a fixture on menus across the world to this day. Other now-classic dishes, too, have been popularized by Waldorf Astoria New York’s kitchen, from Eggs Benedict to Red Velvet Cake. 

The opening turned a new page in the hotel’s rich culinary history. Lex Yard, the hotel’s signature restaurant, is an American brasserie helmed by Chef Michael Anthony, whose resume includes almost two decades as Executive Chef and Chef-Partner at Gramercy Tavern. Anthony’s menu features both à la carte dishes and a seasonal prix-fixe market menu. The restaurant’s downstairs bar offers a full raw bar and more casual, shareable plates. 

Peacock Alley, the cocktail lounge named for the grand promenade that once connected the original Waldorf and Astoria hotels, long earned its reputation as a place to see and be seen. In its heyday, New York’s elite would stroll the marble corridor to socialize and display the latest fashions, giving rise to its evocative name. It retains that legacy today, with architects reimagining the bar for a new era while preserving its original grandeur. Award-winning mixology expert Jeff Bell was tapped to run the new cocktail program at the bar, along with Lex Yard, developing an exciting new menu honoring the legacy of classic New York cocktail culture while redefining the hotel bar experience.

Just steps from Park Avenue is Yoshoku, which takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese haute cuisine style of kaiseki, reimagined through a New York lens. Yoshoku offers a six-course tasting menu as well as a la carte options.

While the property has been modernized and optimized from top to bottom, the heart of what has long made Waldorf Astoria New York one of the most revered hotels in New York (and indeed, the world) remains – a commitment to uncompromising top-tier service and quiet elegance.