Waldorf Astoria

Waldorf Astoria traces its origins to 1893, when William Waldorf Astor opened the Waldorf Hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Four years later, his cousin John Jacob Astor IV built an even grander hotel next door, the Astoria. What began as a family rivalry between the two Astors ended in an unlikely truce: the hotels were connected by a 300 foot marble corridor known as Peacock Alley, and in 1897 the Waldorf and the Astoria merged into a single address.

A pioneer of modern hospitality

Under its founding manager George Boldt, the Waldorf Astoria introduced innovations that would come to define the American hotel experience, including room service and en suite bathrooms, at a time when neither was standard practice. Its long serving maître d, Oscar Tschirky, became a legend in his own right, welcoming generations of guests as host to the world for close to fifty years.

An address for the world's most notable guests

Rebuilt on Park Avenue in 1931 after its original site made way for the Empire State Building, the Art Deco Waldorf Astoria New York became, at the time, the tallest hotel in the world. Over the decades it has welcomed a continuous stream of presidents, royalty and cultural icons, from Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to Prince Rainier III of Monaco, whose engagement to Grace Kelly was celebrated in its ballrooms. Guests and moments associated with the hotel include:

• Every sitting United States president since Herbert Hoover
• Cole Porter, who composed songs on the piano in his Waldorf Towers suite
• Andy Warhol, Tina Turner and Mick Jagger among its many cultural residents
• The Democratic National Convention of 1924, hosted within its walls

Part of Hilton's luxury portfolio

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is now the pinnacle of Hilton's luxury portfolio, alongside sister brands Conrad and LXR. Each Waldorf Astoria property, from New York to Amsterdam and Dubai, carries forward the same commitment to true luxury and personalised service that has defined the name since 1893, following the Park Avenue flagship's extensive restoration and reopening in 2025.

Culture

• Timeless service: a legacy of anticipating guest needs before they are voiced, dating back to Oscar Tschirky
• True luxury: personal, refined hospitality rather than ostentation
• Legacy and innovation together: honouring more than a century of history while continually reinventing the guest experience
• Part of something larger: united with Hilton's global family of brands and its culture of care for team members

Human Resources

Working at Waldorf Astoria means joining one of hospitality's most storied names, within the wider Hilton family recognised as the World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune. Team members are given genuine opportunities to grow their careers across Hilton's global portfolio of brands.

• Training grounded in the art of true, personalised luxury service
• Access to Hilton's global learning and career development programmes
• A culture that has welcomed and developed hospitality talent for more than 130 years