I just spent a night at the 375-key Waldorf Astoria New York, which reopened in mid-2025, after a transformative eight-year renovation. I’ve been intrigued by this hotel, given what an icon it is, and also how much it changed since pre-renovation (when it had 1,400+ rooms).
I booked my stay with a Hilton Honors free night award (the rate would’ve otherwise been around $1,000 or 150,000 Hilton Honors points), as a Hilton Honors Diamond member.
While I’ll have a full review soon, in this post I’d like to share some initial impressions. Long story short, the property exceeded my expectations. This is a gorgeously restored, grand hotel, with such a great sense of place. It has spacious rooms, friendly service, and a massive gym. That being said, I found the food & beverage outlets to be extortionately priced, without actually delivering that great of an experience.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on One Mile at a Time.


