Landmark New York Waldorf Astoria to ditch 1,000 rooms
New York’s landmark hotel the Waldorf Astoria is to undergo a three-year project that will see its hotel inventory slashed by 1,000 rooms in favour of residential condominiums.
Hotel owner Anbang said once the renovation is completed, the Waldorf will have just 350 hotel rooms compared to the current 1,413 prior to closing in preparation for the refurbishment, which starts next month.
According to the New York Post, this doesn’t sit well with former owner Hilton, which has a 100-year agreement to manage the hotel.
Hilton had expected the hotel to be downsized but not to this degree, according to unnamed sources.
The property is the Waldorf’s flagship hotel and by reducing room count so drastically will weaken the brand, it reports.
It is a steep drop from a previous proposal to keep 800 guestrooms which was mooted recently.
The renovation project will be headed by Aecom Tishman and includes the creation of 350 residential condos.
"We look forward to working closely with Aecom Tishman to carry out one of the most extensive restoration and renovation projects in New York City," said Brandon Dong, managing director of the project.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent