Waldorf Astoria New York Managing Director Luigi Romaniello recognizes that he holds a piece of New York hospitality history in his hands.
The Waldorf Astoria New York opened in 1931, bearing the name of another historic hotel that opened in 1893 but was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building. The hotel has been closed for major renovations since 2017, when it was bought by a Chinese investment group then known as Anbang Insurance.
As a guest on the latest episode of the Hotel News Now podcast, Romaniello walked through the various improvements planned for guests when the Waldorf Astoria New York reopens in spring 2025.
"The whole thing about it is it's not really a renovation. It's a complete restoration-slash-transformation, if you will, because it returns all the scale and the beauty of the original architecture," he said.
The restoration work at the Waldorf, which began after the $1.95 billion sale in 2017, focuses largely on restoring the property's architecture and look to its earlier history. The renovation will also cut the hotel's room count from 1,400 to 375 to make way for luxury condos on the property. The project is headed up by architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with interior design work by Pierre-Yves Rochon.
Lobby areas and ballroom space have been reworked, along with larger guest rooms, a 30,000-square-foot spa and a new two-story restaurant operated by Chef Michael Anthony called Lex Yard.
"It truly is remarkable to be in a position that I get to lead this reopening that absolutely everybody is anticipating," he said.
In all, the Waldorf has 43,000 square feet of event space, reworked to "reclaim its position as a pillar of New York City society," according to Hilton, which continues to operate the hotel. The hotel is now officially owned by Dajia Insurance Group subsidiary Strategic Hotels & Resorts.
The property has been operated by Hilton since 1949, was bought outright by that company in 1972, and the name was spun off into the company's flagship luxury brand in 2006.
For all of HNN's discussion with Waldorf Astoria's Romaniello, listen to the podcast above.