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A large seating and coworking space at the Empire Club.
A large seating and coworking space at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

  • The Waldorf Astoria in New York City reopened in July after an eight-year, $2 billion restoration.
  • Residents of its new luxury condominiums gain access to exclusive amenities such as the Empire Club.
  • The business center and lounge features private offices, curated artwork, and 24-hour room service.

At the Empire Club, a luxe business center and lounge open only to Waldorf Astoria residents, the hotel's 24/7 room service means you never have to label your lunch in the office fridge.

After an eight-year, $2 billion restoration, the iconic New York landmark hotel now features 372 condominium residences in addition to its 375 hotel rooms. Buyers gain access to 50,000 square feet of amenities reserved exclusively for residents, including the Empire Club, in addition to all of the Waldorf Astoria's guest offerings. Prices range from $1.8 million for studio apartments to $18.75 million for four-bedroom units.

The Empire Club resembles a private members-only space, such as Ned's Club, furnished with curated art pieces and private offices available for reservation.

The Waldorf Astoria granted Business Insider exclusive access to the Empire Club. Take a look inside.

The Waldorf Astoria is located at 301 Park Avenue in New York City, spanning an entire city block in both length and width.
The Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
Waldorf Astoria, luxury hotel and condominium residence, building exterior detail and street scene, 301 Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City.

Plexi Images/GHI/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Waldorf Astoria opened its current 47-story location in 1931, but the hotel dates back to the Gilded Age.

To access the Empire Club, I entered through one of the doors reserved for residents of the Waldorf Astoria.
An entrance used by residents of the Waldorf Astoria New York condominiums.
An entrance used by residents of the Waldorf Astoria New York condominiums.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Residents enter and exit through separate doors from hotel guests.

The private residents' lobby featured marble columns that appeared elongated by a mirrored ceiling.
The private residents' lobby at the Waldorf Astoria.
The private lobby for residents of the Waldorf Astoria.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The decor in the lobby remained true to the hotel's Art Deco heritage with bold geometric patterns and clean lines.

I proceeded up to the 19th floor, where residents can swipe into the Empire Club with a keycard.
The door to the Empire Club.
The door to the Empire Club.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The Empire Club is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Spanning 3,100 square feet, the exclusive club provides a luxurious space for condominium owners to work, hold meetings, and lounge.
The lobby of the Empire Club.
The lobby of the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

The interiors were designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, who also designed the Waldorf Astoria Residences. Pops of color from the furniture and artwork added dimension to the Empire Club's sleek grayscale color scheme.

The art throughout was curated by Simon de Pury, who highlighted sculptures, paintings, and other works by emerging artists.
Inside the Empire Club.
Inside the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

"The Waldorf Astoria will have one of the largest private art collections for a condominium in New York City," Loretta Shanahan, the Waldorf Astoria's senior director of sales, told Business Insider.

When I visited on a December morning, sunlight streamed into the conference rooms, many of which were already in use by residents.
A conference room at the Empire Club.
A conference room at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

The Empire Club offers complimentary high-speed internet with a unique IP address, coworking spaces, and a range of boardrooms and conference rooms available for reservation.

The rooms are named after significant figures from the hotel's history.
A conference room at the Empire Club.
A smaller conference room at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

The Schultze room, for example, is named after Schultze & Weaver, the architectural firm that designed the Waldorf Astoria building in its signature Art Deco style in 1931.

Interior designer Jean-Louis Deniot furnished the walls and ceiling of the club's largest coworking space with a high-gloss black Macassar ebony.
A large seating and coworking space at the Empire Club.
A large seating and coworking space at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

"In order not to break that wall and ceiling square grid, I used LED lighting strips between each square to emphasize the geometry, giving the space an active and elevated atmosphere," Deniot said in a statement to Business Insider.

The club also has smaller rooms with private office layouts.
A meeting room at the Empire Club.
A meeting room at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

"A lot of buyers don't live in New York full-time, but they're here two, three, four days a week, and they need to take meetings," Shanahan said. "This is a perfect option."

The club includes a pantry and kitchen for catering or small dining events, though members also enjoy free room service at all hours.
The kitchen and pantry at the Empire Club.
The kitchen and pantry at the Empire Club.

Colin Miller

The Waldorf Astoria is widely recognized as the inventor of room service, introducing the offering in 1931.

To end my tour, I was led through a residents-only passageway back into the hotel's famous lobby and Peacock Alley.
Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria.
Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

I was struck by how easy it was to get from the Empire Club to the rest of the hotel, offering condominium owners the shortest possible commute.

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Take a look inside the Waldorf Astoria's private Empire Club, exclusive to resi…