Inside the Waldorf Astoria New York Grand Opening Celebration

From an exclusive reception inside the 25th floor Winter Garden and Starlight Pool Deck, on any other night solely reserved for homeowners of the new Waldorf Astoria Residences and not accessible to hotel guests, to the famed Grand Ballroom, Silver Corridor, and Peacock Alley, the Waldorf Astoria New York welcomed celebrities, cultural elite, and hospitality leaders to its highly anticipated reopening. Following an eight-year, two-billion-dollar renovation, the Art Deco landmark now spotlights impeccable restoration alongside new public space and guest suite interiors by Pierre-Yves Rochon (while Jean-Louis Deniot designed the residences). With a sense of ever-flowing grandeur, the lavish night even welcomed performances by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Champagne Dream. Guests lingered beside Peacock Alley’s iconography—including the Waldorf Astoria clock and Cole Porter’s “High Society” Steinway piano—sipping Ruinart until late in the night.