Waldorf Astoria New York {US-NY}

Old Feb 12, 2004, 1:50 pm
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Arrow Waldorf Astoria New York {US-NY}

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Old Jan 1, 2016, 9:52 am
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Angry Where Nobody knows your name

I had used all my 80.000 Hilton Hhonors points for 1 night at this Waldorf. As Hilton Diamond Member I thought I gave myself a five star deluxe experience at this Iconic hotel. It was a big disappointment, no personal service at check-in, just the regular question like ID and credit-card. No bottle of water, No Diamond Service as Hilton Member and the feeling that your are just a number and not a guest.
This Waldorf has no message for Hilton Diamond members. Don't expect to get extra attention. For the rest: If you have serious money this hotel will get you anything like a $125 breakfast/lunch, a SPA with high prices and a bar where 2 cocktails will cost more than a day work for a regular employee in NYC
This hotel gave me a bad feeling after a day, walk outside and you see poverty in the streets in New York. I will skip the unrealistic world with these high prices in the future.
No Waldorf for me anymore. There are better Hilton Hotels in NYC with Diamond Service and realistic prizes.



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Old Jan 1, 2016, 10:12 am
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Originally Posted by ITravelElite
This hotel gave me a bad feeling after a day, walk outside and you see poverty in the streets in New York
How is this relevant to JUST the Waldorf? Can't you walk outside of any hotel, in almost any major city... and see poverty?
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 11:34 am
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Maybe it's time to write my review from one night weekend stay in November 2015. For reference, I'm Gold in HH.

I booked cheapest room for 80K points, cash price at the time was $469 per night. A bit closer to my visit I was able to change cheapest room to second from bottom for the same points amount. I also opted for nor1 upgrades.

I arrived at the hotel around 22.00. I already had room chosen online, corner on 23rd floor. However I was told this room is unavailable because guest chose to extend his stay and they have room for me on 8th floor. I said it's not good enough and asked for a better room. Receptionist was looking for something but said there's not a lot of rooms left. I heard other receptionist proposing room upgrade to Japanese couple so asked my receptionist what about the room that was offered to the other people. They didn't take it and he said he can get me this one. Then he found a few more rooms and even called Towers to confirm which one will be the best. Maybe he realised, I won't go away until I get something decent :-)

In the end I got twin room in Towers, on 39th floor. Bedroom was facing one side and bathroom was on a corner of the building. It took half an hour for the whole process but I wanted to get the best possible room since I don't know if I will stay in Waldorf NYC again. I also got 2 vouchers for drinks. I wasn't sure if the upgrade was paid or complimentary but I learned later it was free, when I got my bill in the email around 1.00am.

The room:


Wardrobe and corridor leading to bathroom:


Bathroom with shower and bath tub. Shower is on the left, not visible on a picture. There's also big window behind me.


View from bathroom.


All pictures from hotel are in my web album - https://goo.gl/photos/RA3EyDfF6mZ1uVqd6

I used drink voucher in Peacock Alley Bar but was kind of kicked out before I had a chance to order second one, as they were closing around 1.00am. I ordered drink for $24 using $20 voucher and was expecting to pay extra and tip but when I enquired about my bill, I was told everything is already settled and no need to pay for anything. Didn't have a chance to use second voucher, didn't fancy staying in Sir Harry's Bar so late. It was still crowded and noisy.

I had breakfast in the lounge on 27th floor. Nothing fancy and worth mentioning. Breakfast in lounge in London Bridge Hilton is better.



I asked for late checkout and was granted one extra hour until 13.00. I popped into the lounge for tea before leaving and had some light lunch in the form of sandwiches.

Considering complimentary upgrade, good room and not paying for anything extra, it was well spent 80K HH points. However I don't think I would want to stay in cheapest room and pay a fortune for it. I hope they will refurbish it in future and then I can give it another go, if I can still "afford" it :-)

Building is lovely but lobby is always crowded. Bars are full and a lot of people linger by the entrance. Staff were very courteous, helpful and in general 5*.

Last edited by Richmond_Surrey; Oct 12, 2016 at 2:13 am
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 12:57 pm
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Thanks for this great review, it pays to ask for a better room. I did not do that because I was hoping that this is an automatic process when you are Diamond Elite. The drinks were $24 ex tip? Absurd.
Next time I will spend my 80000 points for a better Hilton Hotel in Europe or Asia with a nice executive lounge.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 1:12 pm
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The lounge looks nice as well as your bathroom, but to me the room looks quite ordinary, I've seen pictures of the dreary regular rooms but I would have expected better from the Towers.

What is along that long hallway? From the bedroom picture it looks like a door to the bathroom by the window/bed?
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 1:24 pm
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Are we supposed to be surprised here? It's pretty much common knowledge that the WA NY is a dump and doesn't do anything for Diamonds. Furthermore, there are no true high-end hhonors properties in NYC. IMO the nicest hhonors properties in the City are some of the new HGIs.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 1:35 pm
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The door on the right, at the end of the room leads to the corridor on next picture, where's the wardrobe, chest of drawers and door to bathroom. Bathroom was L-shaped, toilet hidden on the left, shower hidden on the right, in the hole in the wall by the bath tub. Toiletries were Salvatore Ferragamo and in good sized packaging. It always annoys me that they become smaller and smaller in Hiltons and just not enough for one person, not to mention two. The room had some old times charm, was quiet, spacious and there was nothing wrong with it but I definitely wouldn't want to pay $500-700 for that.

Drinks were starting from $13 but I didn't fancy any of them and went for most expensive one, cocktail with champagne. You also get free plate of snack with your drink (nuts and something else).

I didn't spend any cash in the hotel except for tip for luggage storage people. Storage space is huge. I was invited inside, because they couldn't find my backpack and asked me to look myself if I can spot it. Then some other guy checked ticket number and brought it from another room.

I think it's worth staying there once for experience (if you're points/cash rich) and look for more modern and luxurious rooms somewhere else.

Last edited by Richmond_Surrey; Oct 12, 2016 at 2:17 am
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 1:46 pm
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Originally Posted by arlflyer
Are we supposed to be surprised here? It's pretty much common knowledge that the WA NY is a dump and doesn't do anything for Diamonds. Furthermore, there are no true high-end hhonors properties in NYC. IMO the nicest hhonors properties in the City are some of the new HGIs.
+1. Absolutely correct, though I've also had good experiences at DT TS.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 3:33 pm
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I see the WA NY has not improved recently. 2/10 stay I had a year ago.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 8:22 pm
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Based on my one experience here a few years ago, one night points and one night paid, you were lucky getting an upgrade to the Towers, much nicer than the Superior King I had. I have not been back since I stumbled onto the Conrad right after that stay, which is now my goto and if I have to stay midtown I much prefer the Hilton Times Square to the experience I had at the Waldorf.
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Old Jan 1, 2016, 8:30 pm
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Originally Posted by ITravelElite
This hotel gave me a bad feeling after a day, walk outside and you see poverty in the streets in New York. I will skip the unrealistic world with these high prices in the future.
I am certainly no fan of the New York Waldorf Astoria by any means, but I don't get your comment, New York has always been a characterized by the dichotomy of vast discrepancies in wealth and the Waldorf has an expensive address (even if it woefully fails to live up to it). The fact there is more noticeable poverty (which I assume you mean the increased presence of homeless people in Manhattan) is irrelevant to a hotel that is supposed to be catering to the upper end. And just to clarify, I often do room service and when I was at the Waldorf I cracked open the room service menu and commented, "Guess I am not doing room service today" However this is supposed to be top level New York (it fails abysmally), which is if you have to ask, you can't afford it - LOL
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Old Jan 2, 2016, 4:38 am
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Originally Posted by Miesque
Based on my one experience here a few years ago, one night points and one night paid, you were lucky getting an upgrade to the Towers, much nicer than the Superior King I had. I have not been back since I stumbled onto the Conrad right after that stay, which is now my goto and if I have to stay midtown I much prefer the Hilton Times Square to the experience I had at the Waldorf.
I know I was lucky, but also persistent ;-) I would go for Conrad but it was in wrong location for this stay. I stayed in Hilton TS before and it was ok. Had room on top floor, nice view and good breakfast.
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Old Jan 3, 2016, 1:41 pm
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Year in and year out I read more and more unfavorable reports on stays at W=A NYC and the hotel itself, service, rooms, lounge, whatever else.

It may be that there are better and newer Hilton alternatives in NYC such as Time Square or Conrad and our friends from US do see the matter with less emotions.

But for one like me from old world who has learned that the W=A was personally aquired by Conrad Hilton as a flagship property with all the glamorous stories around that icon (including the fact that Paris has grown up there and all US presidents have been staying there) it has become really confusing how this all can be?

How can this property still be the flagship, or is it the flagship no longer? If there is no change ahead it is IMHO better to declare Chicago, Shanghai, Rome or Trianon Palace Versailles as the new stars of the collection and let the Chinese owners convert the W=A into luxury appartements and keep the icon in good memory for all of us and the rest of the world before it even starts to have negative influence on the brand promise of the WA collection itself.

After all those reviews here I have decided long time ago I should not book a reward stay at the W=A, but a paid stay. A higher category with lounge access (I booked a room some years ago but had to postpone my stay) I would also exclude meanwhile, so I hope a paid Towers stay would be acceptable for a one week (first) holiday stay. Better I go soon. The longer I follow the thread here the more I read the FT New York Luxury Hotels forum with names such as MO, Langham, Plaza, which makes me sad (thinking about alternatives), as The Waldorf=Astoria always was kind of a legend for me and many of my friends here in Germany.

Last edited by submonte; Jan 3, 2016 at 1:53 pm Reason: expression
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Old Feb 3, 2016, 1:08 pm
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I stayed here about 10 times over last 7 years. I enjoyed numerous upgrades, including a couple of times to the the Towers, and a couple to suites as well. I redeemed points for others and they were upgraded due to my Diamond status. I think all together there were 15-20 total nights over 10 stays, and I'd say every single one was upgraded.

I still enjoy this property a lot, I am going to be staying there next weekend and provide an update. I agree, 80,000 pts is a bit too much to pay for it (it used to be only 40,000 before devaluations!), but some pay rates around $200 are not too bad of a value. Our upcoming stay is $160/night for Superior Room, so I'll provide some feedback about what (if anything) changed.

P.S. If you ask politely you may get additional drink vouchers, especially if you talk to the Diamond Reception desk.


Cheers,

PedroNY

Last edited by PedroNY; Feb 3, 2016 at 1:24 pm
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