Waldorf Astoria Hotel

1 reader found this review helpful

We booked a 4 night stay at the Waldorf Astoria. We arrived at the tunnel under the hotel. We were presented with a ticket for our luggage and this was taken directly to our rooms.
The reception & entrance to the hotel was absolutely amazing and very grand just as we expected. Our room was very pleasant, clean, but fairly basic for what we had expected from this hotel.
The room actually required a little updating but given the time spent in the room it did suffice for our stay.
The staff were pleasant. The breakfast in the Bull & Bear restaurant was a little pricey (circa £45.00 GBP per day) which did surprise us as we had expected eating out in New York to be relatively cheap.
Evening meals here were also very expensive so the best advice in the evenings is to eat elsewhere. No complaints at all at the quality of the food and convenience as during our stay we experienced the heaviest snow falls on record for years and extreme temperatures even for that time of year. Taxis stopped running, etc. so we didn’t have much choice.
The location of the hotel was very good and located close to Grand Central though a map is a must.
The hotel information desk was very helpful. They arranged a helicopter flight for us and we did get first class service when we arrived for our flight. Highly recommend this and was money well spent. Breathtaking views over the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building.
Overall we got a good deal and felt it was worth it to say we had stayed at The Waldorf Astoria in New York. Would love to return one day.

We went to the Waldorf Astoria with high hopes, but we left disappointed. Being a Hilton HHonors Gold VIP member I am usually used to having my room upgraded but in this case I was actually downgraded from a king to a queen room. I know it does not really matter but I would like to have been in the room that I booked and paid for, I was told that the hotel was full and this was the best they could do.
The rooms itself was very small but clean with a partial view of the Chrysler Building. The water pressure in the shower was terrible and took a long time to wash the shampoo out of your hair. There was also no power sockets in the bedroom as all the ones taken by the TV and lamps were behind cupboards so to use the hairdryer or any other electrical equipment it needed to be plugged into the socket by the sink in the bathroom (not very safe).
The lobby area was quite impressive but to be honest I have stayed in much nicer hotels (the Peninsula in Hong Kong for example). We did eat a snack in one of the many cafes and to be fair it tasted really nice (although very pricey). To be honest I think that this place survives on its name and history and not the quality of accommodation.

Just back from 4 days at this lovely hotel. The staff are excellent and very helpful. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left the staff couldn't do enough for you.
We arrived under the hotel tunnel where drop offs seem to go smoothly and we didn't need to touch our luggage until we got to our room. The rooms were perfectly adequate but nothing to shout about, they were roomy and spotless but we weren't in New York to stay in our rooms!
We ate in the bull and bear restaurant and found this to be very pricey, although the steaks were excellent the service let the restaurant down. My Tia Maria and coke was $14 which seemed to be average for spirits in the hotel as we had cocktails in Sir Harry’s bar in the lobby and these started at $14.
But, I’d rather have a cocktail if I’m paying $14 and they packed a mighty punch plus they were served with nibbles! The starbucks in the foyer proved to be handy as I much prefer their cafe lattes to the room self service option.
The rooms were cleaned everyday and the maid came to turn down the beds each night.
The whole hotel oozes style and special attention is paid to every minor detail, the floral arrangements are unbelievable and there is a main one in the lobby that takes your breath away.
The location is good as you are not far from grand central station. I would definitely stay in this hotel again.

My husband booked 5 days 2 New York staying in the Waldorf as a surprise for my 40th birthday.... NY itself was a fantastic experience. All the usual sights were worth seeing especially the site of 9/11 which is a must see if you go.
As for the Waldorf I wouldn’t recommend it. The building itself is as spectacular as you would imagine but for the money it would have been better staying in a b & b somewhere.
The rooms were nothing special, the prices in the hotel restaurants were ridiculous & I felt it wasn’t a place you could relax in... To be able to say we stayed in the Waldorf Astoria is good but in reality given the chance we would have stayed elsewhere.

Very poor quality hotel. The room was terrible, dirty small cold, the radiator was broken and it took 2 days to be fixed.
It was my birthday and the concierge was not helpful at all of any ideas for my birthday treat, the hotel didn’t even acknowledge that it was my birthday. We chose this hotel as the history and its world famous name! How wrong we were.
I’ve been back to New York since and stayed in some really good hotels.
Would never recommend this hotel very poor standards and service.