Waldorf Astoria New York
A landmark luxury hotel and residential condominium tower in Midtown Manhattan, and the historic flagship of the Waldorf Astoria name.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Waldorf Astoria New York is a landmark luxury hotel and residential condominium building at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Midtown Manhattan. The present structure opened in 1931 after the original Waldorf and Astoria hotels on Fifth Avenue were demolished to make way for the Empire State Building. Designed by Schultze and Weaver, the 47-story Art Deco building rises approximately 625 feet and occupies an entire city block. Its exterior and interior are designated New York City landmarks. The name originated with two hotels built by members of the Astor family. William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel in 1893 on the site of his former mansion at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. His cousin John Jacob Astor IV opened the adjacent Astoria Hotel in 1897. The properties were connected by a corridor popularly known as Peacock Alley and became the Waldorf-Astoria, one of the largest and most prominent hotels in the world. By the 1920s, however, the original property had become dated and the center of Manhattan's fashionable hotel district had shifted north. The Astor family sold the site, and the original buildings were closed and demolished in 1929. The new Park Avenue hotel was conceived as a grand international hotel capable of accommodating distinguished visitors, major banquets, political meetings, entertainment and long-term residents. When it opened in October 1931, it was the tallest and largest hotel in the world. It incorporated extensive communications and guest-service technology for its era, including large-scale telephone, radio and telegraph systems. The property eventually became known for its public rooms, banquet operations, restaurants, private apartments and Waldorf Towers suites. Its social calendar included charity dinners, diplomatic gatherings, cultural events and broadcasts by entertainers and orchestras. The hotel became especially significant in postwar American public life. It hosted international diplomatic meetings, including the 1946 Big Four Conference, and was associated with the 1949 Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace, a controversial event held amid growing Cold War tensions. It also hosted major entertainment, media and charitable occasions, including the introduction of the long-playing record in 1948, broadcasts by Guy Lombardo and his orchestra, and visits by presidents, royalty, religious leaders, musicians and film personalities. Famous long-term or repeat occupants and guests included Herbert Hoover, Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill, Douglas MacArthur, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and Cole Porter. Conrad Hilton obtained management rights in 1949, and Hilton Hotels Corporation purchased the property outright in 1972. A major renovation led by architect Lee Jablin took place during the 1980s and early 1990s. Hilton later incorporated the Waldorf Astoria name into its international luxury hotel portfolio, and the property's traditional double-hyphen styling was discontinued in 2009. Anbang Insurance Group purchased the hotel in 2014 for $1.95 billion, then reported as the highest price ever paid for a hotel. In 2017, Anbang closed the entire building for a major redevelopment. The plan converted the upper floors into 375 residential condominiums while retaining 375 hotel rooms on the lower 18 floors. After Anbang entered bankruptcy, Dajia Insurance Group assumed control in 2020. Following construction and reopening delays, the hotel resumed operations in July 2025. Its post-renovation public offering includes hotel accommodation, restaurants, event and banquet facilities, and luxury hospitality services, with restaurants including Peacock Alley, Lex Yard and Yoshoku.
History
The Waldorf Astoria New York traces its identity to two adjacent Fifth Avenue hotels created by rival branches of the Astor family. William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel in 1893 on the former site of his mansion. In 1897, John Jacob Astor IV opened the Astoria Hotel next door. The two buildings were physically linked by a corridor that became known as Peacock Alley, and the combined property adopted the Waldorf-Astoria name. It quickly became a symbol of New York luxury and one of the world's largest hotels. Competition from newer properties, together with the northward movement of Manhattan's fashionable social life, made the original hotel increasingly obsolete by the 1920s. The Astor family sold the property to developers associated with the Empire State Building, and the original buildings closed in 1929. A replacement hotel was planned for Park Avenue on land formerly used by a New York Central Railroad power plant. Despite the onset of the Great Depression, investors proceeded with the project. Construction began in 1930, and the new building opened on October 1, 1931. The Park Avenue building was an engineering and hospitality landmark. Its Art Deco design by Schultze and Weaver included a 47-story tower, extensive public rooms and thousands of guest and residential spaces. The hotel was equipped with sophisticated telephone, radio and communications systems and initially contained approximately 2,200 rooms. It was the tallest hotel in the world until 1957. Although the Depression limited initial occupancy and profitability, the hotel became profitable by 1939 and developed a reputation for exceptional banquets, entertainment and service. During the 1930s and 1940s, the hotel hosted literary dinners, charity galas, orchestral performances and nightclub entertainment. Its Grand Ballroom and other public rooms became important venues for New York's cultural, commercial and political elite. After the Second World War, the property gained additional international importance. Winston Churchill addressed a welcome dinner there in 1946, and the Big Four Conference met in the Waldorf Towers later that year. In 1949, the hotel hosted the Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace, an event associated with Communist organizers and opposed by anti-Stalinist groups. The gathering became one of the property's most controversial historical episodes. Conrad Hilton acquired management rights in 1949, and Hilton Hotels Corporation bought the hotel in 1972. The property continued to host presidents, diplomats, artists, musicians, media events and charitable organizations. It was associated with the annual New Year's Eve broadcasts of Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians, and it hosted notable visits including Pope Paul VI's 1965 meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson. A substantial renovation directed by Lee Jablin was carried out in the 1980s and early 1990s. The hotel remained a major New York institution while also operating long-term residences and prestigious suites. The hotel's ownership changed again in 2014, when Anbang Insurance Group bought it for $1.95 billion. In March 2017, Anbang closed the building for an extensive redevelopment that divided the property into a hotel occupying the lower 18 floors and 375 upper-floor condominiums. Anbang's bankruptcy led Dajia Insurance Group to take control in 2020. After a prolonged renovation period and several delays, the hotel reopened in July 2025. The current property combines luxury hotel operations, restaurants, events and residential condominiums while continuing to trade on the historic Waldorf Astoria reputation.
- 2025
Hotel reopens
[1]The hotel resumed operations in July after redevelopment delays.
- 2020
Dajia assumes control
[1]Dajia Insurance Group took over the property after Anbang's bankruptcy.
- 2017
Full-building closure and conversion plan
[1]The property closed for redevelopment involving a hotel-condominium conversion.
- 2014
Anbang acquisition
[1]Anbang Insurance Group acquired the hotel for $1.95 billion.
- 1972
Hilton buys the hotel
[1]Hilton Hotels Corporation purchased the property outright from the successor to New York Central.
- 1949
Hilton obtains management rights
[1]Conrad Hilton obtained management rights to the hotel, beginning Hilton's long association with the property.
- 1931
Present building opens
[1]The Art Deco Waldorf Astoria opened on Park Avenue as the world's tallest and largest hotel.
- 1930
Construction begins on Park Avenue hotel
[1]The first steel column for the replacement hotel was installed in March 1930.
- 1929
Original hotel closes and is demolished
[1]The original Fifth Avenue buildings were removed to enable construction of the Empire State Building.
- 1897
Astoria Hotel opens
[1]John Jacob Astor IV opened the adjoining Astoria Hotel, creating the two-part predecessor of the modern property.
Products and positioning
Ultra-luxury landmark hospitality with historic prestige, Art Deco architecture, destination dining, grand events and high-end residential living.
Luxury accommodation · 1931
Hotel rooms and suites
The hotel provides high-end rooms and suites in the landmark Park Avenue tower. Historically, its inventory included signature suites and long-term accommodations associated with prominent political, cultural and entertainment figures. The renovated hotel retained 375 rooms on the lower 18 floors.
Suites and residences · 1931
Waldorf Towers
The Waldorf Towers is the tower section historically associated with private entrances, luxury suites and residential-style accommodation. Its rooms and suites have been linked with long-term occupants and distinguished visitors, including Herbert Hoover and Winston Churchill.
Dining · 1931
Restaurants
The reopened property includes Peacock Alley, Lex Yard and Yoshoku. Dining is a central part of the Waldorf Astoria tradition, which historically included grand banquet service, formal restaurants, nightclub entertainment and high-profile social events.
Hospitality services · 1931
Events and banquets
The hotel's ballroom and event spaces support weddings, galas, conferences, diplomatic functions, charity dinners and private celebrations. Historically, the banquet department was one of the property's defining commercial and cultural operations.
Residential real estate · 2017
Residential condominiums
The redevelopment converted the upper floors into 375 luxury condominium residences, creating a mixed hotel and residential property rather than a hotel-only operation.
Controversies
1949
Waldorf World Peace Conference controversy
The Cultural and Scientific Conference for World Peace drew criticism because it was organized by the American Communist Party during rising Cold War tensions. Anti-Stalinist groups picketed the event, making it a lasting controversy in the hotel's political history.
Marketing campaigns
- 1952April in Paris Ball
United States · France
A recurring Waldorf Astoria gala established to improve Franco-American relations, exchange culture and support charitable causes in the United States and France.
Outcome. The event continued annually through 1959.
Brand decisions
2025
Post-renovation reopeningProduct launchBackground
After construction delays and the ownership transition to Dajia Insurance Group, the property returned to hotel operations.
Action taken
The hotel reopened with a 375-room hotel component, restaurants and event facilities alongside the condominium residences.
Aftermath
The reopening restored the Waldorf Astoria name to active operation at its historic New York flagship.
2017
Hotel and condominium conversionStrategyBackground
The owner pursued a large redevelopment intended to reposition the aging landmark and unlock value from its upper floors.
Action taken
Anbang closed the entire building and planned to retain 375 hotel rooms while converting the upper stories into 375 condominiums.
Aftermath
The closure lasted several years, ownership changed after Anbang's bankruptcy, and the hotel eventually reopened in 2025.
2014
Sale to Anbang Insurance GroupM&ABackground
The historic hotel was sold during a period of international investment in prominent New York properties.
Action taken
Anbang Insurance Group purchased Waldorf Astoria New York for $1.95 billion.
Aftermath
The transaction transferred ownership away from Hilton while Hilton retained the brand-management relationship; the property later underwent a major redevelopment.
Acquisition price. $1.95 billion (2014)
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/waldorf-astoria-new-york · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled