During a press roundtable with Hilton President and CEO Chris Nassetta, TPG had the opportunity to ask a burning question: Which new hotel opening in 2026 are you most excited about?
“Oh my gosh,” Nassetta quipped, “we’re going to open over a thousand hotels this year. But I’d choose the Waldorf Astoria in London.”
Related: The 25 Best Hotels in London
Great answer. The Waldorf Astoria London Admiralty Gate Hotel has been on our hotel reporter’s must-see list since the project was first announced in 2017. The project stalled for a while, but picked up again in 2022 after British real estate company Reuben Brothers, owners of hotels including The Surrey in New York and W South Beach in Miami, announced it was acquiring the space.
But this hotel’s hallowed halls are more legendary than most in London – in fact, according to Hilton, Admiralty Arch happens to be one of the Great Smoak’s most famous landmarks. Originally commissioned by King Edward VII as a tribute to Queen Victoria, this iconic building was built between 1910 and 1912 between The Mall (the ceremonial road leading to Buckingham Palace, which you’ve no doubt seen on TV) and Trafalgar Square.
“This is actually a building where almost every one of you [who have] Been to London [has] “Because it has two huge arches and the road runs underneath it,” Nassetta explains. She adds that Winston Churchill even called the building home on occasion (during both world wars, in fact). James Bond author Ian Fleming also lived in the area.
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Once it opens later this year, the hotel will have 100 rooms and 14 residences and offer a “boutique luxury” atmosphere, Nassetta said. Star accommodations at the new Waldorf Astoria will be two-bedroom suites on the fourth-floor bridge with unparalleled views of Buckingham Palace.
Late last year, Hilton announced that two famous chefs were also involved in the project: Chef Clare Smyth will open an avant-garde seafood restaurant called Coreus, while all-day French restaurant Cafe Boulud will mark the return of renowned chef Daniel Boulud to London.
A rooftop bar and restaurant with views of Buckingham Palace will also be a highlight of the hotel, Nassetta said, noting that it can be enclosed because “the weather in London isn’t always perfect.”
In addition to London, the Hilton leader added that the Waldorf Astoria brand will also open in Tokyo, “hopefully before the end of the year”, as well as in Sydney’s picturesque harbour.
Related: The 17 Best Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts in the World
Exact opening dates for all three hotels have not yet been announced.
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