Move over, Carrie Bradshaw! The Waldorf Astoria Reemerges as THE New York It Girl

Anyone who’s anyone has been a New York It Girl: Bianca Jagger, Grace Jones, Chloë Sevigny and — of course — Miss Carrie Bradshaw herself.

But the latest New York It Girl has been the queen of Park Avenue for 94 years … and never looked better.

The Waldorf Astoria New York reemerged on the city’s scene last fall and enters 2026 with many a watchful eye: Can this doyenne of the Big Apple (if we count her original location at what is now the site of the Empire State Building, the Waldorf has been ruling the Manhattan luxury scene for more than 130 years) once again be the luxury hotel symbol for both New York and America?

Let’s just say it was a long and windy road from closing for renovation and reemerging in its finest, as though it was ready to make a strut through its own Peacock Alley — a moniker for the lounge network across all Waldorf Astoria hotels as a nod to the original hotel’s see-and-be-seen main corridor. Timelines became suggestions and rumored budgets are …not exactly cheap or public.

Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta would only divulge it was “a lot of money” that resulted in an “unbelievable representation” for the storied property and the brand itself.

“I mean, you can look around, it’s a very large number,” Nassetta told me. “Getting New York back is a huge accomplishment. It is sort of the hotel that started it all. No matter what people think, it has a huge impact on the overall view of the brand.”

After checking out the Waldorf Astoria New York myself, I must agree. 

There’s clearly a buzz about town for the revived hotel — perhaps most evident by how many other ultra-luxury properties in New York City raced to debut new suite products or amenities ahead of the Waldorf’s return. But there’s a spirit to the place that can’t be replicated or snatched away by newer brands or palaces in the sky with nightly rates that make a mortgage payment in comparison look like the cost of a dinner at Chili’s.

By the time one gets past the Park Avenue entrance, up the glamorous staircase and over to the check-in desks, it’s next to impossible that you won’t have crossed paths with at least a few Waldorf staffers who have returned “home” after a few years away. That stood with me as much as the expert craftsmanship evident throughout the property, from the restored moldings to the Art Deco hardware and even the historic frescoes.

David Freeland, historian and author of American Hotel: The Waldorf-Astoria and The Making of a Century, captures this sentiment perfectly. He recalled the hotel’s closing night in 2017, watching a staff member filming the lobby on his iPhone, fighting back tears.

“He was commenting to himself how every day working there for 30 years was like a big party,” Freeland said. “There was that deep current of emotion.”

As much as we travel snobs have been tapping our watches waiting for the Waldorf’s much-anticipated return, there’s clearly been a significant number of loyal team members spending time away awaiting their return to their desired place of work. That says as much about the hotel as the decadent Junior Suite I enjoyed for my Big Apple getaway.

New York City gets a lot of critique for being the birthplace of “how much can we get away with” in terms of deploying high rates for smaller spaces. I won’t sugar coat it: A night at the Waldorf is expensive, but you’re also getting a lot more space than other players in the city’s luxe hotel orbit.

The spacious suite featured a separate seating area, palatial spa-quality bathroom with separate soaking tub and rainfall shower, and the walk-in closet (that wasn’t much smaller than some hotel rooms in town) was just enough room for yours truly to stow away the steamer trunk-level of clothing one naturally brings for just two nights in New York City. The quiet of the suite along with the tasteful furnishings — plush upholstered seating and built-in bookcases stocked to just the right degree — was a standout, but so was the service for a city hotel: Room service arrived in less than a half-hour, and my go-to coffee order was memorized by multiple staffers after just one order.

If you can tear yourself away from the residential comfort of the rooms, the wellness and culinary offerings make a compelling case for staying on-property.

The sprawling Guerlain Spa is a destination unto itself. While my visit was limited to the massive fitness facility, the spa’s significant footprint in Midtown is a major selling point for clients decompressing after Fifth Avenue shopping.

But after wellness, indulge. At Lex Yard, the energy is palpable. I enjoyed a delicious pre-theater burger (plus a Waldorf Salad, duh) with a friend that hit the perfect note of casual indulgence. Peacock Alley remains the beating heart of the hotel — ideal for martinis or breakfast. The hotel also introduced Yoshoku, a kaiseki-inspired dining concept to add to the culinary legacy.

And that legacy is heavy. From the namesake salad to red velvet cake, this address has always been a culinary incubator. But can a single hotel still hold the cultural center of gravity in 2026 the way it did in 1931?

“The life of the Waldorf Astoria is parallel to that of New York,” Freeland told me. “You can really draw a line between the history of New York’s rise and the rise of the Waldorf. Whatever New York has needed, the Waldorf has always been there.”

So, has the “It Girl” reclaimed her crown? 

Nassetta is banking on it, viewing the property as the “halo” that validates the entire Hilton Honors ecosystem.

“If they can’t look up and see that product, it makes your entire network less powerful,” Nassetta said. “We need it … it’s the halo effect.”

The Waldorf Astoria New York has managed a rare feat: It has modernized its infrastructure — gutting guest rooms to the steel beams and returning with a tastefully indulgent finish — while polishing its soul. It is a place where history isn’t just a plaque on the wall; it’s in the architecture, the menu and, most importantly, the people who work there.

When I started blabbing to my friends about my stay, a dear friend and former editor corrected my Carrie Bradshaw comparison, suggesting the hotel is actually Mr. Big: mysteriously vanishing for years only to return as the most handsome guy on the block.

But this is New York, where the It Girl reigns supreme.

As for the Waldorf’s New York It Girl story?

She’s back, she’s beautiful, and she’s absolutely ready for her close-up.

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