HotelsWaldorf AstoriaNew York, United States
The 2026 reopening gave the Waldorf Astoria New York 375 rooms where it used to have over 1,400, and the trade shows up immediately: a junior suite now runs upward of 600 square feet, with a sitting area, desk and bar that older Manhattan hotels don’t bother with. Pierre-Yves Rochon, who did the George V, restored the bronze elevator doors, the lobby mosaics and the Silver Corridor murals rather than papering over them, so the public rooms still look like 1931 while the guest rooms are unmistakably new. Staff get named constantly and specifically: a doorman walking a first-time guest’s luggage in with real warmth, a front desk agent who found room for a family’s 10th-birthday trip during the tennis tournament crush, a concierge who turned a casual question about hotel history into an hour-long private tour.
The catch is scale in the wrong places. Several guests flag the bathrooms and closets as tight even in suites, and one detailed report calls out bathroom tile that doesn’t line up at the seams, a strange miss on a renovation this expensive. There’s no pool, and no hot tub, which matters if that’s part of how you unwind on a trip, though the Guerlain spa compensates somewhat with a treatment room that actually generates snow. Park Avenue–facing rooms get traffic noise, so ask for the other side if you’re a light sleeper. One guest who has also stayed at Aman New York put it plainly: Aman’s rooms and pool win on paper, but the Waldorf’s service and food pull ahead for less money, and the public spaces here feel lived-in rather than hushed.
Book it if you want Art Deco history with modern rooms and don’t need a pool or a sprawling bathroom. Families and pet owners get real consideration here, down to chef-prepared dog amenities and connecting rooms across nearly every category. If a pool is non-negotiable, that’s a fair reason to look elsewhere; if it isn’t, this is the Midtown stay worth the splurge.
Service 18/20
Doormen, front desk and concierge get named individually for going out of their way, from birthday surprises to a comped bar tab nobody asked for.
Rooms & Design 16.5/20
Pierre-Yves Rochon’s restoration keeps the Art Deco bronze and murals intact, but rooms and bathrooms run tight even in suites.
Location 17.5/20
Park Avenue address puts guests inside Midtown’s meetings-and-landmarks radius, with traffic noise on the avenue-facing side.
Dining 17/20
Wellness 14.5/20
The Guerlain spa is the largest in the brand with a snow-making Arctic room, but there is no pool or hot tub on property.
Strong endorsement
We stayed last October and the renovation blew me away, I hadn’t realized how big the whole property actually was.
Jul 2026
The room was immaculate and the scale of the building surprised me walking around. We’re already planning to go back.
Strong endorsement
We stayed in January and the whole thing felt exquisite, from the room to everyone we dealt with.
Apr 2026
The building carries so much history and it shows in the details. Our room was lovely and every staff interaction was friendly and genuinely warm.
Lifts the score
After eight months open, I was genuinely impressed by how well everything was still holding up.
Apr 2026
I expected some wear this soon after opening in a city like New York, but I barely noticed any scuffs, stains or dents anywhere we went in the building.
Strong endorsement
A year after reopening, the vibe is classy Art Deco without feeling stuffy, which isn’t easy to pull off.
Jul 2026
I’d already sent clients here before staying myself and the feedback was consistently strong. The preserved details, carved bronze elevator doors, the mosaics, the Silver Corridor murals, make the history tangible rather than just marketed. Peacock Alley still has Cole Porter’s piano and the Queen Victoria clock, and the rooms balance contemporary art against the Art Deco bones without overdoing either. Each guest gets a dedicated concierge contact who responds fast, and the Guerlain spa here is the brand’s largest in the world, with a room that actually makes snow.
Strong endorsement
I’ve been three times since the remodel now, for drinks, lunch and finally a room, and every single visit the staff have gone out of their way.
Nov 2025
From the second I walked in, staff anticipated things before I had to ask, and every employee seemed genuinely proud to work there. I asked a concierge team member a historical question and he ended up giving me an hour-long private tour and history lesson on his own time. The hotel has been a cultural fixture in New York for close to a century, and the staff clearly take pride in keeping that history alive for guests.
Lifts the score
The renovation looks beautiful, but my junior suite bathroom and closet were surprisingly tight for the price.
sol cohen Oct 2026
My Jr suite was nicely decorated but tight on sink, bathroom and closet space. I upgraded to see a one-bedroom suite, which at 950 square feet felt properly roomy, though even there the sink area stayed cramped. The staff made up for it: Jr the doorman was bubbly and helpful, and Ruiz at the front desk looked after us well.
Strong endorsement
We came for my daughter’s 10th birthday and the whole team made her feel like a celebrity for two days.
elizabethsP2385BO Sep 2026
Every single person we encountered was exceptionally kind. They wished my daughter happy birthday repeatedly and somehow all knew her name by the second day. The room was outstanding and the whole atmosphere struck a balance between elegant and genuinely welcoming to a family with kids. I’d recommend this to anyone celebrating something special.
Strong endorsement
I took my mom for her 65th birthday and even with the hotel slammed by a tennis tournament, they still gave us the best room they could find.
Nathan Burgess Aug 2026
Joe took care of our luggage curbside with a genuinely warm welcome, and Miriam at the front desk gave us a tour and found us a great room despite the hotel being fully booked. Our housekeeper Kilsing kept the room feeling brand new no matter the hour, and we kept running into Gordon, who always pointed us the right way around the property. Dinner at Lex Yard and Yoshoku were both standouts, and we finished at the Guerlain spa feeling completely reset before flying home.
Strong endorsement
This is hands down my favorite hotel in the city, the location can’t be beaten and the lobby stops me every time.
TheDiningDiary Jul 2026
Robert, the sales manager, was one of the most professional and genuinely hospitable people I’ve dealt with at any hotel. The rooms are spotless and thoughtfully designed, down to automatic curtains that most five-star hotels still haven’t bothered installing. My one tip for future guests: ask for a room off Park Avenue if you’re a light sleeper, since traffic noise does carry into those rooms.
Strong endorsement
Everything from check-in to check-out felt thoughtful and polished without ever feeling intrusive.
Trip.com Member Trip.com May 2026
My Deluxe Room was quiet, immaculate and genuinely comfortable, with a bed I didn’t want to leave. The common areas blend old New York grandeur with modern upkeep, and the whole hotel felt meticulously maintained. Being in the middle of Midtown made getting anywhere easy, yet the hotel itself still felt like a retreat from the noise outside.
The Waldorf Astoria New York sits on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, on the site the hotel moved to in 1931 to make way for the Empire State Building. The property reopened in 2026 after an eight-year restoration led by designer Pierre-Yves Rochon, who also worked on the Four Seasons George V in Paris and the Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat. The renovation reduced the hotel from more than 1,400 rooms to 375, the majority now suites or junior suites, while preserving Art Deco details including carved bronze elevator doors, the lobby floor mosaics and the Silver Corridor murals. The hotel has hosted every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover through Barack Obama.
On property, Lex Yard serves as the signature restaurant across two levels, with a more casual raw bar and cocktail program downstairs. Yoshoku occupies the Park Avenue side of the lobby in the evening for Japanese dining and afternoon tea, with an adjoining Japanese whiskey bar. Peacock Alley, the historic lobby lounge, houses the Waldorf clock commissioned by Queen Victoria and Cole Porter’s piano. The Guerlain Spa on site is the brand’s largest location worldwide and includes an Arctic treatment room. The hotel also has a roughly 10,000-square-foot gym and a yoga studio, and welcomes pets with dedicated amenities. The Midtown location puts Grand Central, Fifth Avenue and much of the Manhattan meeting and dining circuit within walking distance.
Most guests who compare it to similarly priced Manhattan hotels come away saying the service and food outpace the room size and finishes. It’s worth it if Art Deco history and genuinely attentive staff matter more to you than a large bathroom or a pool.
No. The hotel has a roughly 10,000-square-foot gym, a yoga studio and the Guerlain Spa, but no pool or hot tub, a gap several guests note given the scale of the renovation.
Guests who’ve stayed at both generally say Aman has the larger rooms and a pool, while the Waldorf wins on service warmth, food, and price. It comes down to whether you want a lively, historic hotel or a quieter, more private one.
Entry rooms start around 575 square feet, large for New York, with junior suites around 640 square feet adding a sitting area and dressing space. Ask for a room off Park Avenue if you’re sensitive to traffic noise.
Yes. Most room categories offer connecting options, and multiple guests mention staff making a particular effort with kids, including birthday surprises and a warm welcome for pets.
Waldorf Astoria New York holds Two Michelin Keys in the Michelin Guide’s 2026 hotel selection, announced in September 2026. Two Keys is the second of the guide’s three hotel distinctions, given for what it calls an exceptional stay. The Keys come from the guide’s own anonymous inspections and are separate from the Fat Score: Fat Voyage rates it Fat Favorite, 17.5 out of 20.
Waldorf Astoria New York is rated Fat Favorite at 17.5/20 on Fat Voyage; The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel is rated Fat Favorite at 17/20. The side-by-side comparison shows where each one leads.
Directly with the hotel. The Reserve button on this page takes you there, and the reservation is made with the hotel, in your name.
Directly with the hotel is the simplest: the reservation is then the hotel’s own, so a change of dates or a request for a particular room goes straight to the people who run it.
Not something anyone can promise: it depends on what’s still unsold the day you arrive. Telling the hotel in advance that you’re celebrating something is worth doing.
Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20. New York, USA · Same city The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel Compare 
Fat Favorite, 16 out of 20. New York, USA · Same city Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown Compare 
Fat Approved, 15 out of 20. New York, USA · Same city Aman New York Compare 
Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20. Osaka, Japan · Same brand Waldorf Astoria Osaka Compare Newsletter
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