A first look inside the Waldorf Astoria’s historic conversion

We now have a sneak peek inside the historic condo conversion currently underway at the Waldorf Astoria, now called The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria. Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group Co. has released an updated teaser website and new renderings of the project, which will bring 375 private residences and 350 renovated hotel rooms to the storied building. Condo sales were initially expected to launch this fall, but are now slated to hit the market in early 2020 with the project wrapping up by 2021.

The residential interiors and amenities will be designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, while Pierre-Yves Rochon took helm over the hotel public spaces. Art collector and auctioneer Simon de Pury will curate the art collection featured throughout the Towers. Amenities will include a private porte-cochere and an 82-foot lap pool.

Though condo sales in Manhattan have stalled of late, the owners are banking on the Waldorf’s history as the “residence of choice among world leaders, celebrities, and the global elite” to attract buyers. “In times of uncertainty, people gravitate toward something that feels certain and constant,” Susan de França, the president and CEO of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, told the Wall Street Journal.

Anbang acquired the Waldorf Astoria in 2014 for nearly $2 billion and the building closed in 2017 ahead of the massive renovation project. As 6sqft previously reported, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the hotel’s first three floors as an interior landmark. Some of those iconic Art Deco interiors—including the West Lounge, Grand Ballroom, and the Park Avenue lobby—are currently being restored by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill.

Before closing, the 47-story building held a 1,232-room hotel with a separate wing of 181 high-end hotel rooms and short-term rentals in the adjacent Waldorf Towers.

RELATED:

• Waldorf Astoria condos will launch sales in the fall
• Photos capture the historic glamour of the Waldorf Astoria before its renovation
• A new deal and more construction at Waldorf Astoria, though opening date is delayed
• All Waldorf Astoria coverage

Renderings by Noë & Associates/The Boundary