It’s the end of an era, and Gossip Girl fans {and NYC lovers}, this one’s sadly for you. Chances are the Waldorf Astoria is a place you’ve visited — or is at least put on your bucket list of places you must visit in NYC in the future, as it’s known as one of the most iconic hotels in the country. But as you may know, the Waldorf Astoria is closing in late February of 2017. The hotel was bought by a Chinese company and is closing for three years of renovations.
When it reopens, it will have a small hotel focus, but the big change will be the luxury condos that will be housed inside of the iconic hotel. The Chinese insurance company Anbang Insurance Group Co. bought the hotel for $1.95 billion {the highest price ever paid in U.S. history for a single existing hotel in America} and has agree to maintain portions of the hotel’s interior in accordance with the New York Landmarks Conservancy preservation group, per Bloomberg, but it will focus its efforts on residential rather than hospitality. Most of the hotel rooms will be converted to luxury condos.
^The iconic front of the hotel
As far as the hotel’s closing date, it will indefinitely close its doors February 28th for what appears to be at least three years. To commemorate the historical landmark, it felt only right to visit the hotel’s Guerlain Spa, located on the 19th floor of the hotel.
Inside, they offer massage, foot and hand treatments, facials, private steam rooms, and access to their fitness center. It’s unknown what is to become of the spa once the hotel closes — but it was quite a lovely afternoon of pampering. Insider tip: right now they have groupons for $99 or less for a massage or facial which are normally $250+ {a little tragic, but hey – a fun way to spend a winter afternoon/evening if you’re looking for something unique to do}.
When it comes to history, the Waldorf is known to have some of the most esteemed visitors in the world. Every US president since Herbert Hoover has visited according to Business Insider, and of course some Hollywood OGs such as Liz Taylor and Sophia Loren as well as Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra have all stayed in the residential towers at one time or another.
^A bit of history in the lobby area of the hotel.
Other fun facts you may not have known about the Waldorf:
Red velvet cake was born at the Waldorf hotel in the 1920s, as legend has it, and the famed Waldorf salad gets its namesake from the kitchen inside of the hotel {the salad is known for its mayo/yogurt + lemon juice base with sliced grapes, celery, apples, and walnuts}.
Last year the hotel celebrated its 85th anniversary, but alas — it will be closing at the end of February. It greatly saddens us to see this iconic spot go, but thankfully the exterior and some of the interior will remain in tact {so they say}. It’s safe to say you’ve been “warned” — only one month left, so make sure you make the trek to the iconic Park Avenue address before it’s too late. PS: We just checked Kayak and an overnight is right around $200 — could be a fun little NYC staycation in the month of Feb.
See More: How to Have a Hoboken Staycation
Have you been to the Waldorf Astoria? What did you think?
