Set to reopen after a seven-year restoration, the Waldorf Astoria New York is poised to redefine ultra-luxury hospitality. In this episode, Managing Director Luigi Romaniello takes us through the journey of bringing the Waldorf Astoria back to life, from restoring storied frescoes and architectural details to creating highly personalized experiences for today’s sophisticated travelers. He shares his philosophy on ultra-luxury, emphasizing service precision, meaningful guest connections, and the challenge of meeting modern expectations while preserving the hotel’s legendary charm.
For anyone fascinated by hospitality, architecture or New York’s history, this conversation unveils the layers of passion and detail behind the Waldorf’s remarkable revival.
The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.
Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate Relations
Research and Content Creation: Lan Lu
Marketing: Anne Dawson
Editing: Isabella Laikin and James Leon
Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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SPEAKER_01 (00:02):
Welcome to Distinguished Podcast, brought
to you by the School ofHospitality Administration at
Boston University, where wedelve into the art of luxury,
the power of innovation, and theleaders shaping the future of
hospitality.
I'm your host, Arunupneja, Deanof the School, and today we have
a truly special episode linedup.
(00:24):
One that will intrigue anyonecurious about the future of
luxury hotels.
We are honored to be joined byLuigi Rominiello, managing
director of the legendaryWaldorf Historia, New York.
After seven years of painstakingrestoration, one of the world's
most iconic hotels is on thebrink of a grand reopening,
(00:46):
setting new benchmarks forelegance and guest experience.
In this episode, we'll immerseourselves in the world of luxury
about the iconic WaldorfAstoria.
We'll explore its ambitious newdirection and discuss what it
really means to redefine luxuryin the modern world.
(01:06):
So whether you are a seasonedhospitality expert, a real
estate aficionado, or simplycaptivated by the blend of
history and cutting-edgeinnovation, this conversation
promises to be a fascinatingjourney.
So let's get started.
Luigi, welcome to theDistinguished Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Thank you, everyone, and thank you very much for the
opportunity to have me in thisconversation.
And to be here at BostonUniversity is such a treat, so
I'm very honored to be here.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (01:36):
Welcome.
And you know, I um vividlyremember the day it was
announced in 2017 that theWaldorf is closing for many
years.
And I immediately looked up inmy database and I found that I
had eight of my alumni workingin the Waldorf at that point.
So of course I immediatelycalled them up and I said, okay,
what help do you need?
(01:56):
They said, Hilton has been verykind and generous and very open.
So it was great.
They all got good positions.
But now that the opening is insight, um, and we are thrilled
to reignite this relationshipbetween our school and the
Waldorf, which we have builtover the many years.
(02:16):
Many of our students have foundopportunities and they've built
the foundations of their careersat your iconic institution.
So I'm thrilled to continue thatlegacy with you, Luigi.
SPEAKER_00 (02:27):
Thank you so much, Sharoon.
I appreciate that.
And I do, I mean, I do see thatas a because we're ushering a
new era for the Waldover Storyin New York, right?
And uh and it goes really wellwith the new spirit of the, you
know, of uh the graduates, theseniors, that they're gonna that
they're full of ambition andthey wanna join an incredible
opportunity.
And I think uh I'm also here toalso see if some of them uh are
(02:49):
willing to come to us, you know.
So the there is also a littlebit of an agenda on my part, you
know, to try to get some of yourstudents to to come over and be
at the Waldorf.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
I'm not I'm sure that I'm sure there's gonna be
no such issue.
Um okay, so let's dive right in.
I know that the Waldorf hasundergone a$1 billion uh
multi-year renovation since itsclosure in 2017.
And I know that a part of thehistoric guest rooms were
converted into luxurycondominiums.
So can you walk us through thevision behind this
(03:19):
transformation and some of thestandout features that blend the
hotel's iconic history withmodern design?
SPEAKER_00 (03:26):
No, it has been an incredible journey and an
incredible commitment, ofcourse.
You know, and uh yes, it hasbeen seven years in the making,
but I would have to tell you wewent from uh 1,400 room, imagine
a 1400-room hotel to basically375 rooms and 375 residences.
So basically half of theinventory, meaning that, you
(03:48):
know, uh attention about, youknow, uh the detail, the size of
the rooms as they're much biggerright now.
And uh so all of that are gonnamake it for a real, real
special, special reopening.
One thing that people don'trealize though is that it's not
just a reopening as if uh like anormal renovation.
This is a complete restorationproject.
I mean, it is uh and coming fromthe old world, you know, coming
(04:11):
from Rome myself, I have acertain appreciation to see, you
know, uh w when you have allthese uh people coming through
in the the artists that do thetrade very well, you know,
whether they are uh working withplaster or metal and looking at
all the detail of reliving allthe frescoes that we had.
And we have fresco from the1894, when the original world of
(04:32):
Astoria used to be, you know,where the Empire State Building
is now, you know, at theIntoridor Street and uh Fifth
Avenue.
Well those frescoes were movedinto the world of today and now
they've been completelyrenovated.
So it's just an it's been justan incredible, meticulous
attention to a restorationproject.
So very, very exciting.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
I guess the detail is part of the luxury experience
that you have, all of thesehistoric frescoes that now you
have, you know, you'redisplaying them in the hotel.
So how do the architectural andthe design teams navigate this
old blend of old and and thenew?
SPEAKER_00 (05:08):
You know, the how how do you kind of cater to the
tastes of today's travelerswhile continuing to preserve at
least some aspects of the No,actually uh that's a very good
question because uh you don'tjust restore the Wallover
storage just, you know,casually, you know, you have to
really keep the integrity of uhyou know of the past.
And uh and actually we are verymuch uh landmark protected.
(05:29):
You know, there is a landmarkcommission in New York City that
guide us into really followingall the details of the original
Waldorf, which uh which was in1931, you know, in the
particular location.
Uh and with that, you know,there are there has been an
incredible commitment from ourtwo designers, been uh uh
Jean-Louis de Denois that did uhthe residences, and of course,
(05:49):
you know, Pierre Yves Rochonthat did all our hotel in the
public areas.
Uh two of them are uh uh youknow they're epic uh designers,
and uh and the way they uh theynarrated and the way their
vision was, you know, it was torespect the of course, you know,
the glory of the past and thegrandeur and the opulence of the
past.
So you're gonna walk in, you'regonna see all of these details
(06:09):
coming back to life, but veryoriginal the way it was to be in
1931, and yet infuse and blendin a lot of these sophisticated
modern torches, contemporarytorches, you know, that they are
done through the furnishing, youknow, accessories and things
like that.
But at the end, everything hasbeen uh, even the wood and all
of that, has been used, uh theyuse a lot of reclaimed uh uh uh
(06:31):
materials uh because theypurposely didn't reuse new man
uh new material, so that whenyou walk in the world, you
almost don't know w what's new,what's old.
It kind of blends so welltogether that you feel like
you're uh you're getting backall of that experience, but in a
much more you know fresh and uhuh you know contemporary way.
(06:52):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
That that's amazing.
So um that is one so this on oneside is this construction, the
renovation, which you are nowusing all the old, some of the
old materials, but new lookingold materials.
Absolutely.
So now let's pivot to theservice.
Um so luxury hospitality meansdifferent things to different
people in different regions, uhdifferent age groups across
(07:15):
generations and cultures.
Um and all the hotels, they kindof look at what their customer
base is and they operationalizeit differently.
So tell us what does luxury meanto Wald of Astoria?
SPEAKER_00 (07:27):
You know, you're right, Arun.
I mean, it's like a luxury, uhas you know, there are so many
levels of luxury these days,right?
And uh but uh I like to believethat luxury uh at our level, you
know, uh with Waldof Astoriacoming back.
Um we are certainly on theultra-luxury space, I would say,
meaning that you know, we are nolonger focused on the obvious,
(07:47):
on the things that you are umexpecting from a luxury
experience, you know, the cominginto the hotel, you have
wonderful uh high pressure,great air conditioning,
wonderful service, food isincredible.
Yes, I get all of that.
But at the end, you know, thetoday's consumer really, uh,
especially, you know, the thereal affluent travelers, you
know, they're looking for a lotof the personalization into the
(08:10):
experience.
Uh and this is what Wild ofAstoria New York will provide.
I mean, we are very focused onuh on customizing uh the
experience for every guest.
So that whether you don't feellike one of many, do you feel
very, very individual?
We really get you, we understandwhat you like.
Uh, you know, of course, withoutstalking, we understand a little
bit about you, and uh and we'repushing the right buttons so
(08:32):
that uh the there is a sense oflike, you know, oh, you paid
attention to me and uh you knowme, and uh and it feels really
good that you paid attention,you took the time to do that.
So we really insist on thatbecause I think there is
tomorrow's uh ultralux.
Um, really uh the future ofultralux is gonna be all in
personalization andcustomization and making really
(08:53):
the guests feel individual.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
So um so in in a way, when you went from 1,400
rooms to 375, you must be happybecause it's so difficult to
provide that kind ofcustomization and
personalization for 1400 guestrooms.
I mean, where is the ultraluxury in that many rooms?
SPEAKER_00 (09:12):
1400 rooms, you know, and back in the days they
used to have these opulentpalaces, you know, and it was a
different level of luxury.
I mean, of course, grandeur andall of that, centered around the
big ballroom, you know, and uhand and yes, you know, and uh in
the opulence itself, you know,made it for that.
But you know, but the the hotelindustry evolved in time, and
now we are getting more and moreinto the attention to detail
(09:33):
more than ever.
And you arrive with 375 rooms,we're gonna be able to certainly
provide, you know, the you know,the high sense of touch, you
know, even the touch points whentoo surprising to delight our
guests when they come in, and uhthe operators that really pay
attention to the guests and makethem feel special, are the ones
that they're really gonna riseto the top.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
So, to provide that kind of service, you really need
to have the right kind of staff,and then you need to give them
the right kind of training.
So, what is your thinking behindhow do you train that staff?
How do you recruit them and andyou know, so that they can
deliver the kind of service thatyou are envisioning?
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
You know, um critical, absolutely critical
that we have uh our teammembers, the way we interview
right now, and by the way, weneed to interview, we are right
now having to hire up to 600 uhteam members, if you can
imagine.
Right now we already hired atthe security committee level,
some department heads, salesteam.
But as we get closer to theopening, we're gonna have uh
some uh some uh some greathiring.
(10:32):
And uh, you know, with thatwe're looking for the natural
ability, the natural talent.
Um for us it's like really theability to um to really
conversate, to engage.
When I when I interview someone,I like to see the level of
engagement, that you finish yoursentences, the uh when you talk,
you know, you're having uh youtell me a little bit of a story.
(10:53):
Uh sometimes I don't even asktechnical questions, I just want
to get to know you, you know, aninterview.
And we'll let the person thatreally knows that has this
affinity of uh of connecting,you know, and uh uh get a smile
on their face, you know, alsowith the body language, you
know, the way they presentthemselves, the way they talk.
Those are very, very importantqualities that we're looking
(11:13):
for, especially the land stafflevel, you know, because they
have the direct contact with theguest.
So I get a lot into this intothis engagement.
And then of course, you know,when it comes down to the exego
de management, you know, we liketo see a minimum of experience,
you know, in ultra-luxuryenvironment because uh you have
to understand, you know, uh whenyou set the tone to be the
leader in ultraluxury, uh youhave to also be very innovative
(11:38):
and very creative.
And uh you cannot be a copycatand copy whatever other brands
are doing.
So we like to really lead theway into creating new
experiential, you know, uhexperiences that the guests you
know really like.
And so for that, you know, uhsome of the interview will
include like uh, you know, whatare you passionate about?
Tell me, even individually, areyou a good consumer?
(12:00):
I mean, you know, if it's foodand beverage, I like to ask, you
know, what is your favoriterestaurant you like to go to?
And uh uh tell me aboutsomething about uh your favorite
drink or your, you know, becauseto me, what makes a grid
hotelier is uh is really a greatconsumer to start with.
You have to be really passionateabout what you like.
And uh because we have to teacha forward, right?
We have to uh make other theguests feel like, oh my gosh,
(12:22):
this is the expert.
I'm walking into a place wherethe food and beverage director
is an expert, and it'ssurprising me everywhere, you
know, with the mixology, youknow, with the with the
breakfast, with this, you know,because it's special, something
different.
So so you know, uh talent to usis super important, natural
talent and also some technicaland also experienced luxury
talent.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
So I'm I'm assuming you're being very, very so, like
you said, you're being verycareful and very selective in
terms of your hiring.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
Yes, we are interviewed like just for one
position.
Sometimes we find ourselvesinterviewing like 20, 30
different candidates.
No, also because uh, you know,they they they coined us as the
greatest of them all, right?
And this was Conrad Hilton andall of that.
Uh and we have uh you knowcertainly this ambition, you
know, to uh to really uh resetyou know the you know also the
(13:11):
tone for New York City.
And uh a lot of people arewaiting for this, so we cannot
just open it casually, as youcan imagine.
We have to have all the talentthat really um inspires and
presents something a little bitdifferent.
Uh like for example in Romani,we cannot just do in Rom Dani.
World of Astoria uh in Rom Daniwas invented in the world of
Astoria, you know, because wewere the first hotel that we had
(13:33):
uh ensuite bathrooms and uhtelephones, full electricity.
Believe it or not, back in thedays those were uh were not
given.
And uh and the combination ofall of that, you know, made it
for the GM back in the days.
By the way, it's my muse.
His name is Oskar Cheski.
And this gentleman did so muchfor the world of DNA, I have to
(13:53):
say.
And uh and he said, why don't wedeliver food into the room?
You know, uh and back then hedelivered with a tray.
And uh and that's how in-roomdining and uh room service was
born.
And now we're reopening thehotel.
They say, Do I want to do justsome normal in-room dining?
I don't know.
You know, it requires a lot ofthoughts, you know.
And uh so we are again tosurprise and delight and bring
(14:14):
back something different when wereopen.
SPEAKER_01 (14:16):
You know, so um at the when I used to work at the
Taj in Mumbai, I there was atime when I worked in the room
service.
So I'm sad to see the roomservice in most hotels has
disappeared.
People just, you know, sendstuff up in you know disposable
containers and it's just sad tosee.
So I'm so happy that you'regonna be so focused on in-room
(14:37):
dining as well.
SPEAKER_00 (14:38):
Absolutely.
You know, think about it.
I mean, you know, um why do weneed to restrict, you know, our
our our guests who are in therein the room?
You know, sometimes you go intothis uh uh into some of the
hotels and you have uh, youknow, after 11 p.m.
it becomes a smaller menu, andusually you have uh kind of
unhealthy things, burger,klepson, you know, whatever that
might be.
Uh is that really what you wantto eat at 11 o'clock at night or
(15:00):
12 o'clock in the morning?
Uh sometimes you can, but youalso have to be intuitive enough
to know that clientele is alsochanging, we are becoming
healthier, you know, andespecially especially business
travelers, they come in, they'realways on the move.
So they they would appreciatemore if you give a more of a
sense of uh give me a restaurantexperience within the room.
And that's and that's what wetry to achieve at the world of.
SPEAKER_01 (15:21):
So just a few minutes ago, you mentioned that
you want to be the leader inultra-luxury segment.
Now that's a tall statement.
New York is full of absolutelyfantastic hotels that all want
to be the leaders in ultra.
So, what do you think is gonnaset you apart in terms of taking
leadership role in that in thatspace?
SPEAKER_00 (15:42):
Uh you know, I 100% respect uh the brands that we
have in New York City.
I mean, we have some wonderfulhotels, uh, and that's what
makes you know the city sodynamic, and uh uh and
everybody's got a real uh thedifferent flavor and style and
all of that.
Waldorf is a the reason why uh II feel that Waldorf sits in a in
a place on its own is because uhit really grew up in New York
(16:05):
City, right?
And it's one of those hotelsthat uh is very uncomparable in
many ways.
And uh um it just uh the justwalking in and just looking at
the at the legacy and all ofthat.
It is a real New York.
People sometimes say we wannabuild a hotel and the San Hotel
is very sense of place, right?
Well, we are immediately a senseof place in New York.
It's like a really New Yorkhotel, you know.
(16:27):
Uh and with that, we went theway we are gonna deliver the
service is to pay a homage tothe New York, you know, vibe and
really get a sense uh of thelocal vendors of uh everything
that we can do that is verywithin, you know, a certain
provenance uh that is nearby,that really really is our
strategy so we can stay reallytruly authentic.
(16:48):
For example, our team uh thepeople, the team members in New
York are super friendly andthey're super you know and
they're super welcoming.
We're gonna take advantage ofthat, you know, really get the
those qualities out during theengagement process.
So you're gonna you're gonna seethat our engagement is gonna be
at a different level, perhapsthan other, than other hotels.
We're gonna insist about how toproperly deliver the
(17:11):
communication and then alsooffer something above and
beyond, you know, because uhlike I said, you know, people
expect more than just receivinga service, they expect you to be
intuitive enough to give you thenext thing that you're not even
thinking about, right?
So you're gonna see that a lot,you know, the way we deliver
that level of service like that.
Keep it fresh, keep it moving,keep it uh keep her active.
(17:32):
And hotels that do that verywell are the hotels that they're
gonna really make a presence inthe city.
That's when the community comesin into your hotel and starts
saying, you know what, if you'regonna be in New York City, you
need to go to Wild of Asuna inNew York City because there's
always something going, youknow, the delivery of the
service is impeccable.
So that's kind of my vision, isto if I have to say, if I have a
(17:53):
a court of public or luxurypublic opinions, there is one, I
think, in the world, or thetravelers, they travel, they are
very nomadic and they go to thebeautiful hotels, the best
hotels in best brands, uh Wallof Asoria will sit probably at
the very, very top just becauseof this uh uh element of
surprise that we're gonna giveand this very curated
engagement, all of that you knowis something that are really,
(18:16):
really passionate about.
SPEAKER_01 (18:18):
I am so excited about hearing, and I know that
there are other tricks up yoursleeve that you're not
disclosing here.
So people will just have to waituntil you open to actually
experience the new Waldorf.
Okay.
So I want to um and to follow upon my previous question about
New York being the home to someof the most um uh a lot of the
(18:39):
luxury brands, ultra-luxybrands.
But Waldorf, like you said,holds a special place.
It has held some of the mosticonic social events in in the
history of New York.
It has hosted world leaders andcelebrities and influencers, and
in if that that was such athing, and royalty as well.
Now you've been out of the gamef since 2017.
(19:03):
So what kind of high-profileexperiences will you host?
And also do you think Waldorfcan reclaim his status as the
center of social attraction inthe city of New York?
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Oh, you know, that the I you know, everyone is
waiting for this hotel toreopen.
I have to say, we like to saythey all eyes are on us.
I mean, uh it seems to andespecially the fact that it's
taking a little bit longer, youknow, the seven years, you know.
Uh and by the way, i everythingthat we have done has been very
meticulous.
You know, it's not a delay forany negative reason.
(19:38):
It was really always with asense of like, we're gonna open
when we're gonna open, but we'regonna open very well.
You know, and uh and so whatsometimes you hear, you know,
why you're not open yet, but inreality, lots of attention to
detail.
And we are insisting that, andeven now that we're gonna open
with uh an incredible amount oftraining and incredible uh
amount of role-playing andmaking sure all the details are
(19:58):
delivered.
So after waiting, you know, thistime, if the guests will come in
and will have a completeappreciation for what we have
done.
No, but with that, you know,yes, there is uh all of this uh
expectation that comes from thepast, of course.
How do you bring it into thepresent, you know?
And um uh and I must say that uhthere is uh we are good we are
(20:19):
also gonna speak to a differentaudience as well.
As you know, the world haschanged, we have new
generational uh and especiallypeople are getting younger and
more successful.
And uh so I can see alsoGeneration Z, you know, and uh
millennials coming into thehotel and joining the hotel.
So we're also gonna talk to themas well.
So a lot of the programming,you'll be surprised.
We're gonna you're gonna see anew uh a new sharp and fresh
(20:40):
feel about Waldorf as well.
So it's not just about peoplethat loved Marlene Moreau and
back in the past.
Yes, we respect all of that.
But when you come in, you alsosee a lot of uh, you know,
whether it's the mixology, theversos that we use, the story
that we tell through the drinks,the way we present the drinks,
you know, the which the bar is abig component for us, right?
Sound, uh fragrance, you know,the look, uh all of that you're
(21:04):
gonna feel like you're a you aretransported into the into this
environment that there is athese people really paid
attention to all the details,you know.
And uh New York, the trick forus and the and really the the
aspiration is that we want NewYork to fall back in love with
us, you know, because we feelthat uh the auto really belongs
to New York City, really does.
(21:25):
I mean uh I the owners have beenthere, you know, through the
history and uh they can borrowit for a little while, but at
the end, really truly uh itreally belongs to New York.
I cannot I cannot begin to tellyou many times uh, you know, I I
meet people and they know that Ithat I defendora I'm the
managing director, they say, OhLuigi, I know my my you know my
parents, you know, got engagedover there, or uh or someone at
(21:47):
a Bam Mitzvah over there, or youknow, there is always a story uh
with the New Yorkers and Waldo.
There's a love affair for that.
To the point that it that it bealmost becomes like a
gravitational pull.
You know, when people come toNew York City.
There is a gravitational pulltoward Park Avenue and the world
of Astoria because they are sothey want to be there just to be
(22:09):
seen and see people, first ofall.
So you get kind of that level oflike, let me go to some place
really special and see who'sgonna be in the lobby.
And uh so we get a lot of thatas well.
And then once they get there, wehave an incredible food and
beverage that we are planning.
Uh I know there was a pressrelease that was done on this,
so I can tell you about thisone.
I can tell you about.
But yes, but we have a wonderfulrestaurant that is that's been
(22:33):
created by Michael Anthony, ChefMichael Anthony from Gramercy
Tavern.
And he's also so he's gonna beour chef partner, so he's gonna
retain his responsibility atGramercy Tavern, but also have a
partnership with us and do allthe culinary programming for us,
and uh and he's gonna deliver,you know, uh wonderful dinner,
mixology, incredible, uh, and ofcourse uh uh a great lunch and
(22:56):
also breakfast.
So we're gonna imagine a verybeautiful breakfast also from
Michael Anton, you know.
And I'll and uh the reason why Ilove, love, love that is because
uh he's a very New Yorkhomegrown uh chef, you know,
that loves New York, knows thecommunity, knows all the local
vendors, and he and he has hehas this uh great uh feel for
(23:16):
ingredients, you know, and uhand he insists to he designs the
menu around the ingredientsreally other than do it the
other way around.
And uh and I really love thatpassion and it really fits in
because uh it's it's an AmericanNew York you know uh and it just
matches with what we are doing.
We're a very timeless, you know,American New York hotel, you
know.
So it's gonna go really, reallywell.
(23:37):
So I have a feeling that thecommunity is gonna come in and
they're gonna look around andthey're gonna taste, they're
gonna drink, they're gonna getthe engagement, they're gonna
all fall in love with the withWaldorf again.
SPEAKER_01 (23:47):
I absolutely love that.
You want New York City to fallin love with Waldorf again.
That's fantastic.
Yes.
But you have many celebritieswho crave exposure, who crave
attention, and they want theworld's eyes on them.
Yet there are many others whoare very reticent about
exposure.
They would just want to quietlystay in the sideline.
(24:08):
So how do you balance these twoconflicting desires of your
guests?
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
You have a lot of great questions to that.
That's a good one, too.
No, I and I'm actually tunedinto that because, you know, as
you know, New York is alsothere's a lot of attention to
hotels like ours, you know,these palace hotels, and they do
bring a lot of people from uh,you know, from the community to
come in.
And some of them just want tocome in and take a picture and
uh, you know, and it becomeskind of like, you know, uh like
(24:33):
that.
But but in reality, you know, weneed to uh uh strike the right
balance of making everybody feelwelcome.
Uh uh to me uh as an operatorit's very important for me that
the community feels verycomfortable with us.
They don't feel like you come inand all of a sudden you feel
like you're a burden to thehotel.
At the same time, we do want toalso protect, you know, the
experience for our hotel guests,stay over there and they
(24:55):
committed to us stay.
And especially, like you say,you know, the the more
distinguished, you know, theywere perhaps more public
figures, you know, they don'twant to have the table on the
corner, right?
And and they don't want tonecessarily see another people
going by them, you know.
So we will be very thoughtful inuh in uh in the way we
communicate with our with ouroutside guests.
And of course, you know, we'realways welcome to to enjoy our
(25:17):
facilities and all of that.
And and if and if at the timethey don't have time or where
else to enjoy it, uh, you know,we we will give them a little
small little tour or a smalllittle diversion and say, oh,
like take a picture of theflower flowers over here, go do
this, you know, and we'll givethem a little sense of uh world
of Astoria without without goingall the way inside, you know,
(25:37):
the the facilities and all ofthat.
Because uh we do need to createthe right balance between uh
between the guests that camehere to enjoy it and and the
people from the outside, ofcourse.
And they're rightfully want tocome see the hotel.
I mean, uh we love them, right?
Because next day they can comeback and be a patron to us, you
know.
So so it's all about thebalance, but it's the engagement
again.
You know, I believe in reallymaking feel people feel special,
(25:59):
whether you're there or notthere, just be respectful and be
you know friendly and becordial.
SPEAKER_01 (26:05):
Okay, so I want to move to uh this new element of
the Waldorf, which is the uhWaldorf Historia residences.
Uh in the old days before therenovation, there used to be
apartments in the towers.
And I've stayed in some of themgorgeous places and pretty large
for a hotel room.
So I'm sure you had somelong-term guests there as well.
(26:25):
But how do you um so there arepermanent residents and they
have their lifestyle and you'realso catering with amenities to
the hotel guests?
So how do you balance these twocompeting demands?
And are you gonna have someexclusive amenities for the
guests versus the residents,some exclusive for the
(26:47):
residents?
So how do you kind of balancethese two different groups of
customers that you have?
SPEAKER_00 (26:52):
No, no, that's so important because uh and
actually I really love the waythis was developed, you know,
World of a Source, New York, uh,in a way that uh um our
ownership and brand really camein together and they wanted to
make sure that we didn't haveany really a feel of separation
between residents and hotels.
Because uh, you know,oftentimes, you know, uh you buy
(27:14):
into a residence, but you reallybecause it's branded different,
because uh it's kind ofsometimes kept us uh separate
from the hotel.
So whenever a resident owner,you feel almost like you know
you gotta tiptoe throughout thehotel, or you know, or you don't
have the relationship, right?
Uh with us, uh uh we wanted tomake sure that everything is
branded World of Astoria NewYork, and everything is managed
by Waldo Astoria New York, youknow, and from Hilton, from us.
(27:37):
Uh so with that, it will give methe direct access to the to the
residents.
So everything that we aredesigning, everything that we
are creating, we're alwaysincluding the residents uh uh in
it, the programming.
For example, you know, doormen,concierge, you know, all of the
positions that we do, those areall our employees, all our team
members, they're all gonna beuniformed the same way we are,
with the same beautifulwardrobe, with great engagement.
(27:59):
And also the residents willbenefit as well from the hotel
amenities, but also from theirown amenities.
I mean, we have two stories ofamenities, just two entire
floors, two f two floors.
Uh and they're uh full of theseuh delightful kind of areas,
including a private swimmingpool, fitness center, bar, even
(28:20):
billiard room, you know, massagerooms.
So you have all this activationthat we can create for the for
our residences.
So what I love to do uh when aresidence comes in and moves in,
I like to introduce him to myIsegory Chef, to my head
concierge, to my director offoreign beverage, you know,
myself, you know, we go out andmeet them, we have a little
lunch together.
So he will have access, thisperson, he or she will have
(28:43):
access to the core team that wecan provide the experiences to
them.
Because I really want to feellike part of the hotel, you
know, and uh I'm gonna benurturing their relationships
very, very much.
So not only you're binding to aninvestment when you when you
stay at the Wildorf, but you'realso binding an incredible
lifestyle.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (29:02):
So I want to just uh last question before then I have
some other fun questions.
But um for uh the WaldorfAstoria has been part of the
Hilton family for a long time.
So, what kind of uh benefits doyou derive from being part of
the Hilton family?
And what does Hilton get fromthe World of Astoria?
SPEAKER_00 (29:23):
Well, I'll tell you, uh it is a very exciting time
for Hilton, very excitingbecause uh World of Astoria,
without the greatest of them allfor the last seven years, has
also been growing as a brand.
Right.
So so we have had someincredible destination
throughout the world.
I mean, uh I was just in theMiddle East and I visited four
World of Astoria within uh Doha,uh spectacular probably, Kuwait,
(29:46):
incredible.
I mean, uh Dubai, uh DIFC andthe Palm, you know, so four
probably within, you know, anhour flight from each other or
an hour drive from each other.
Uh and it's just incredible, youknow, the how the brand is
really, really taking off as anultra-luxury, you know,
proposition, you know.
And now with the World ofAstoria coming back on board in
New York, uh, Hilton sees thisuh almost as a a a new era not
(30:10):
only for uh for New York City,but also for the brand of World
of Astoria.
And uh so there is thisultra-luxury component that we
uh that we're going after andnow and we have a lot of
interest in new developers andall of that.
Uh and this is gonna be abusiness card for us, you know,
uh the location of New York.
And uh as you know, everybody'sgonna stop by over there and see
it and take note of how howdetailed-oriented we are.
(30:32):
And uh so the future of uh ofHilton in the old in the
ultra-luxury space is here andis coming and it's starting
right when we open the hotel.
You know, uh it's gonna be a newnew era uh for Hilton.
And uh and Hilton provides a lotof support, I must say, the uh
incredibly the infrastructure ofHilton in all the senses, with
(30:54):
his food and beverage to Selsand Marketing.
We have a really greatbandwidth, you know, and I'm
having a really uh wonderfulrelationship with all my
corporate people and they allwant to come in and help because
uh it's such an incredible uhundertake, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (31:08):
Amazing.
Okay, so now we wrap up andlet's shift gears a little bit
and have a little bit of a fun.
SPEAKER_00 (31:14):
Yes, let's do it.
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Uh we've talked about luxury and leadership, now
we get to know you a little bit.
So you've had an extraordinarycareer working with some of the
most luxurious hotels in theworld, and now you are at the
helm of the world of Astoria.
You're surrounded by finedining.
And like you said, you'reputting so much um uh emphasis
(31:36):
on create, really creatingworld-class cuisine.
Um but when you're off duty,what is your comfort food?
SPEAKER_00 (31:43):
Uh you know, it's funny because I I don't
necessarily seek after uh whatused to be called fine dining,
you know, the odd elevateddining.
I mean I appreciate when a newrestaurant comes in, I'm one of
the first ones to go, but justbecause I like I want to keep an
eye on the culture and uh uhwhat is the design and all of
that.
So I do I do that.
But I really truly I feelcomfortable in real uh rustic,
(32:05):
uh very food-orientedestablishments, you know.
They perhaps focus more on food.
Uh, even though thepresentation, yes, it's good.
It is good, but it's it's true,it's honest.
But the ingredients arefantastic, you know.
Sometimes uh uh you buy so muchinto a decor and all of that,
but you know, but the food needsto come through.
I'm more of a I'm focused on thefood and the service as well.
(32:29):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:30):
I'm gonna push you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:31):
Give me the name of a dish.
Oh my god, oh my god.
You can't escape by all ofthese.
Give me the name.
You know, I better not be.
New York is so competitive.
Okay, I'll tell you, theGramercy Taver.
It is one of my favorite.
You know, I'm not just sayingthat because uh because Michael
Anthony is working with us, butI respect the his vision.
And when you especially on thebar area, you walk in there on
(32:52):
the bar, again, it's very laidback, you don't feel like it's
pretentious.
But when a cuisine comes to you,oh my gosh, you know, it's like
the best seafood, the best meat,the beast uh the cheeses.
He knows exactly whereeverything comes from, you know.
And to me, that that is why Iwould pay top dollar for if for
somebody that took the time todo the research and then offer
(33:12):
it to you.
I did all the work, I did allthe resources, I did it, and I'm
gonna give you the best of myknowledge and I'll put it on the
plate for you, and that's foryou.
To me, that's uh rather thanjust do another recipe and put
it together in a fancyrestaurant, you know.
I also I have to be honest withyou.
I also respect, you know, DanielBalud is a wonderful culinarian
in the city.
I have a great relationship withhim.
(33:33):
I did a restaurant, you know,when I was at Roswood Bahama, I
can say that great culinarianand he is always ahead of
himself.
I really, really enjoy workingwith him as well.
There's a lot of culinarians,you know, out there that really
I respect.
Uh but Michael is gonna be my myguy.
That is fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (33:52):
Now, people listening are gonna be very
curious if I'm gonna push youany further, and I am.
Um, let's just say that this isa Sunday and you're not going to
work and you're home and you'rehungry, you need to cook one
dish.
What will that be?
SPEAKER_00 (34:10):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_01 (34:11):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (34:13):
Okay.
Well, no, I like I like this.
You know, I look, you know, uhif you during lunchtime, uh
probably make me a nice plate ofpasta because uh it's the
Italian.
Yeah.
I'm always looking for thatanswer.
The pasta is the one, you know,uh uh it is one of those things
that they are the it's alwaysgonna stay with me.
But that should be lunchtime.
I don't know if I'm gonna do itat dinner time.
Okay.
But you know, uh I just signedup for uh well, just stand up.
(34:36):
I've been training for the NewYork Marathon.
Oh wow.
So so I'm gonna actually berunning the marathon on November
3rd, you know, for uh for CDHarvest, which is a great you
know uh you know fundraiser.
And um uh and with that, youknow, I started in a little bit
more pasta, so I have a littlebit more reason to pasta.
So so yes, I'm an aspirin ofpasta.
(34:57):
Night time probably I would doI'll keep it a little bit
healthy.
I would do a little fish or a gror gr grill chicken and things
like that.
Yes.
Excellent.
SPEAKER_01 (35:06):
Okay.
So if you could um escape for aleisure trip right now, where
would you go for a bit ofrelaxation?
Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_00 (35:12):
I say remote and adventurous.
I I have this vision of uh youknow literally what I what I've
been craving is to do an actionadventure trip whereby you you
do something that that kind ofpushes yourself.
Like for example, go to theKilimanjaro and climate, you
know, and then after that uh youcheck in into a five-star hotel.
(35:33):
Okay.
And you after you are tired,your muscles are sore, and you
and you're like that.
Then you have all the five-staruh beautiful space.
And you just crazy, enjoy, anduh and it becomes even three
times better, right?
So you you have a sense ofaccomplishment and that sense of
uh uh relaxation because to behonest, there's so much I can
relax uh because I'm alwaysactive and all of that.
(35:55):
Even uh after two, three days,I'm like, okay, I need to I need
to explore, I need to discover,I need to I need to feel alive,
and uh uh and I enjoy remote uhremote destination more than uh
the predictable destination, Iwould say.
SPEAKER_01 (36:08):
Luisi, it has been a pleasure having you on the show,
on the podcast.
Thank you for giving us aglimpse into your world and
sharing exciting insights aboutthe Waldorf.
Um I'm sure our listeners can'twait to see the new era of the
Waldorf.
I know I can't wait to seeeither.
Um so we look forward to thegrand reopening and all the best
(36:30):
for your marathon, for yourKalimanjaro climb, as well as
the grand reopening in the U.S.
SPEAKER_00 (36:36):
uh, so sweet.
Thank you very much.
And by the way, when I say NewYork friendly, I'm also Boston
friendly, okay?
It's not too far away.
Okay, so please come on down.
Uh uh and thank you for the nicewelcome.
And uh I would love to show youin due time uh the splendor of
uh, let's call it the newWaldorf or the reimagined
Waldorf.
Uh it's an it's uh an evolution,I would say, but uh it will be
(36:59):
the greatest of them all.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (37:02):
We look forward to it.
Okay.
Thank you.
And thank you everyone forjoining us today.
Special thanks to the team whoproduces this podcast, Bara
Littman, Andy Halleck, and theentire team at Boston University
School of HospitalityAdministration.
To keep up with distinguishedpodcasts, be sure to subscribe
wherever you listen to yourfavorite podcast.
(37:23):
You can also learn more aboutour undergraduate and graduate
programs at Boston UniversitySchool of Hospitality
Administration by visitingbu.edu slash hospitality.
Welcome to Distinguished Podcast, brought
to you by the School ofHospitality Administration at
Boston University, where wedelve into the art of luxury,
the power of innovation, and theleaders shaping the future of
hospitality.
I'm your host, Arunupneja, Deanof the School, and today we have
a truly special episode linedup.
(00:24):
One that will intrigue anyonecurious about the future of
luxury hotels.
We are honored to be joined byLuigi Rominiello, managing
director of the legendaryWaldorf Historia, New York.
After seven years of painstakingrestoration, one of the world's
most iconic hotels is on thebrink of a grand reopening,
(00:46):
setting new benchmarks forelegance and guest experience.
In this episode, we'll immerseourselves in the world of luxury
about the iconic WaldorfAstoria.
We'll explore its ambitious newdirection and discuss what it
really means to redefine luxuryin the modern world.
(01:06):
So whether you are a seasonedhospitality expert, a real
estate aficionado, or simplycaptivated by the blend of
history and cutting-edgeinnovation, this conversation
promises to be a fascinatingjourney.
So let's get started.
Luigi, welcome to theDistinguished Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Thank you, everyone, and thank you very much for the
opportunity to have me in thisconversation.
And to be here at BostonUniversity is such a treat, so
I'm very honored to be here.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (01:36):
Welcome.
And you know, I um vividlyremember the day it was
announced in 2017 that theWaldorf is closing for many
years.
And I immediately looked up inmy database and I found that I
had eight of my alumni workingin the Waldorf at that point.
So of course I immediatelycalled them up and I said, okay,
what help do you need?
(01:56):
They said, Hilton has been verykind and generous and very open.
So it was great.
They all got good positions.
But now that the opening is insight, um, and we are thrilled
to reignite this relationshipbetween our school and the
Waldorf, which we have builtover the many years.
(02:16):
Many of our students have foundopportunities and they've built
the foundations of their careersat your iconic institution.
So I'm thrilled to continue thatlegacy with you, Luigi.
SPEAKER_00 (02:27):
Thank you so much, Sharoon.
I appreciate that.
And I do, I mean, I do see thatas a because we're ushering a
new era for the Waldover Storyin New York, right?
And uh and it goes really wellwith the new spirit of the, you
know, of uh the graduates, theseniors, that they're gonna that
they're full of ambition andthey wanna join an incredible
opportunity.
And I think uh I'm also here toalso see if some of them uh are
(02:49):
willing to come to us, you know.
So the there is also a littlebit of an agenda on my part, you
know, to try to get some of yourstudents to to come over and be
at the Waldorf.
SPEAKER_01 (02:57):
I'm not I'm sure that I'm sure there's gonna be
no such issue.
Um okay, so let's dive right in.
I know that the Waldorf hasundergone a$1 billion uh
multi-year renovation since itsclosure in 2017.
And I know that a part of thehistoric guest rooms were
converted into luxurycondominiums.
So can you walk us through thevision behind this
(03:19):
transformation and some of thestandout features that blend the
hotel's iconic history withmodern design?
SPEAKER_00 (03:26):
No, it has been an incredible journey and an
incredible commitment, ofcourse.
You know, and uh yes, it hasbeen seven years in the making,
but I would have to tell you wewent from uh 1,400 room, imagine
a 1400-room hotel to basically375 rooms and 375 residences.
So basically half of theinventory, meaning that, you
(03:48):
know, uh attention about, youknow, uh the detail, the size of
the rooms as they're much biggerright now.
And uh so all of that are gonnamake it for a real, real
special, special reopening.
One thing that people don'trealize though is that it's not
just a reopening as if uh like anormal renovation.
This is a complete restorationproject.
I mean, it is uh and coming fromthe old world, you know, coming
(04:11):
from Rome myself, I have acertain appreciation to see, you
know, uh w when you have allthese uh people coming through
in the the artists that do thetrade very well, you know,
whether they are uh working withplaster or metal and looking at
all the detail of reliving allthe frescoes that we had.
And we have fresco from the1894, when the original world of
(04:32):
Astoria used to be, you know,where the Empire State Building
is now, you know, at theIntoridor Street and uh Fifth
Avenue.
Well those frescoes were movedinto the world of today and now
they've been completelyrenovated.
So it's just an it's been justan incredible, meticulous
attention to a restorationproject.
So very, very exciting.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
I guess the detail is part of the luxury experience
that you have, all of thesehistoric frescoes that now you
have, you know, you'redisplaying them in the hotel.
So how do the architectural andthe design teams navigate this
old blend of old and and thenew?
SPEAKER_00 (05:08):
You know, the how how do you kind of cater to the
tastes of today's travelerswhile continuing to preserve at
least some aspects of the No,actually uh that's a very good
question because uh you don'tjust restore the Wallover
storage just, you know,casually, you know, you have to
really keep the integrity of uhyou know of the past.
And uh and actually we are verymuch uh landmark protected.
(05:29):
You know, there is a landmarkcommission in New York City that
guide us into really followingall the details of the original
Waldorf, which uh which was in1931, you know, in the
particular location.
Uh and with that, you know,there are there has been an
incredible commitment from ourtwo designers, been uh uh
Jean-Louis de Denois that did uhthe residences, and of course,
(05:49):
you know, Pierre Yves Rochonthat did all our hotel in the
public areas.
Uh two of them are uh uh youknow they're epic uh designers,
and uh and the way they uh theynarrated and the way their
vision was, you know, it was torespect the of course, you know,
the glory of the past and thegrandeur and the opulence of the
past.
So you're gonna walk in, you'regonna see all of these details
(06:09):
coming back to life, but veryoriginal the way it was to be in
1931, and yet infuse and blendin a lot of these sophisticated
modern torches, contemporarytorches, you know, that they are
done through the furnishing, youknow, accessories and things
like that.
But at the end, everything hasbeen uh, even the wood and all
of that, has been used, uh theyuse a lot of reclaimed uh uh uh
(06:31):
materials uh because theypurposely didn't reuse new man
uh new material, so that whenyou walk in the world, you
almost don't know w what's new,what's old.
It kind of blends so welltogether that you feel like
you're uh you're getting backall of that experience, but in a
much more you know fresh and uhuh you know contemporary way.
(06:52):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
That that's amazing.
So um that is one so this on oneside is this construction, the
renovation, which you are nowusing all the old, some of the
old materials, but new lookingold materials.
Absolutely.
So now let's pivot to theservice.
Um so luxury hospitality meansdifferent things to different
people in different regions, uhdifferent age groups across
(07:15):
generations and cultures.
Um and all the hotels, they kindof look at what their customer
base is and they operationalizeit differently.
So tell us what does luxury meanto Wald of Astoria?
SPEAKER_00 (07:27):
You know, you're right, Arun.
I mean, it's like a luxury, uhas you know, there are so many
levels of luxury these days,right?
And uh but uh I like to believethat luxury uh at our level, you
know, uh with Waldof Astoriacoming back.
Um we are certainly on theultra-luxury space, I would say,
meaning that you know, we are nolonger focused on the obvious,
(07:47):
on the things that you are umexpecting from a luxury
experience, you know, the cominginto the hotel, you have
wonderful uh high pressure,great air conditioning,
wonderful service, food isincredible.
Yes, I get all of that.
But at the end, you know, thetoday's consumer really, uh,
especially, you know, the thereal affluent travelers, you
know, they're looking for a lotof the personalization into the
(08:10):
experience.
Uh and this is what Wild ofAstoria New York will provide.
I mean, we are very focused onuh on customizing uh the
experience for every guest.
So that whether you don't feellike one of many, do you feel
very, very individual?
We really get you, we understandwhat you like.
Uh, you know, of course, withoutstalking, we understand a little
bit about you, and uh and we'repushing the right buttons so
(08:32):
that uh the there is a sense oflike, you know, oh, you paid
attention to me and uh you knowme, and uh and it feels really
good that you paid attention,you took the time to do that.
So we really insist on thatbecause I think there is
tomorrow's uh ultralux.
Um, really uh the future ofultralux is gonna be all in
personalization andcustomization and making really
(08:53):
the guests feel individual.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
So um so in in a way, when you went from 1,400
rooms to 375, you must be happybecause it's so difficult to
provide that kind ofcustomization and
personalization for 1400 guestrooms.
I mean, where is the ultraluxury in that many rooms?
SPEAKER_00 (09:12):
1400 rooms, you know, and back in the days they
used to have these opulentpalaces, you know, and it was a
different level of luxury.
I mean, of course, grandeur andall of that, centered around the
big ballroom, you know, and uhand and yes, you know, and uh in
the opulence itself, you know,made it for that.
But you know, but the the hotelindustry evolved in time, and
now we are getting more and moreinto the attention to detail
(09:33):
more than ever.
And you arrive with 375 rooms,we're gonna be able to certainly
provide, you know, the you know,the high sense of touch, you
know, even the touch points whentoo surprising to delight our
guests when they come in, and uhthe operators that really pay
attention to the guests and makethem feel special, are the ones
that they're really gonna riseto the top.
SPEAKER_01 (09:52):
So, to provide that kind of service, you really need
to have the right kind of staff,and then you need to give them
the right kind of training.
So, what is your thinking behindhow do you train that staff?
How do you recruit them and andyou know, so that they can
deliver the kind of service thatyou are envisioning?
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
You know, um critical, absolutely critical
that we have uh our teammembers, the way we interview
right now, and by the way, weneed to interview, we are right
now having to hire up to 600 uhteam members, if you can
imagine.
Right now we already hired atthe security committee level,
some department heads, salesteam.
But as we get closer to theopening, we're gonna have uh
some uh some uh some greathiring.
(10:32):
And uh, you know, with thatwe're looking for the natural
ability, the natural talent.
Um for us it's like really theability to um to really
conversate, to engage.
When I when I interview someone,I like to see the level of
engagement, that you finish yoursentences, the uh when you talk,
you know, you're having uh youtell me a little bit of a story.
(10:53):
Uh sometimes I don't even asktechnical questions, I just want
to get to know you, you know, aninterview.
And we'll let the person thatreally knows that has this
affinity of uh of connecting,you know, and uh uh get a smile
on their face, you know, alsowith the body language, you
know, the way they presentthemselves, the way they talk.
Those are very, very importantqualities that we're looking
(11:13):
for, especially the land stafflevel, you know, because they
have the direct contact with theguest.
So I get a lot into this intothis engagement.
And then of course, you know,when it comes down to the exego
de management, you know, we liketo see a minimum of experience,
you know, in ultra-luxuryenvironment because uh you have
to understand, you know, uh whenyou set the tone to be the
leader in ultraluxury, uh youhave to also be very innovative
(11:38):
and very creative.
And uh you cannot be a copycatand copy whatever other brands
are doing.
So we like to really lead theway into creating new
experiential, you know, uhexperiences that the guests you
know really like.
And so for that, you know, uhsome of the interview will
include like uh, you know, whatare you passionate about?
Tell me, even individually, areyou a good consumer?
(12:00):
I mean, you know, if it's foodand beverage, I like to ask, you
know, what is your favoriterestaurant you like to go to?
And uh uh tell me aboutsomething about uh your favorite
drink or your, you know, becauseto me, what makes a grid
hotelier is uh is really a greatconsumer to start with.
You have to be really passionateabout what you like.
And uh because we have to teacha forward, right?
We have to uh make other theguests feel like, oh my gosh,
(12:22):
this is the expert.
I'm walking into a place wherethe food and beverage director
is an expert, and it'ssurprising me everywhere, you
know, with the mixology, youknow, with the with the
breakfast, with this, you know,because it's special, something
different.
So so you know, uh talent to usis super important, natural
talent and also some technicaland also experienced luxury
talent.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
So I'm I'm assuming you're being very, very so, like
you said, you're being verycareful and very selective in
terms of your hiring.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
Yes, we are interviewed like just for one
position.
Sometimes we find ourselvesinterviewing like 20, 30
different candidates.
No, also because uh, you know,they they they coined us as the
greatest of them all, right?
And this was Conrad Hilton andall of that.
Uh and we have uh you knowcertainly this ambition, you
know, to uh to really uh resetyou know the you know also the
(13:11):
tone for New York City.
And uh a lot of people arewaiting for this, so we cannot
just open it casually, as youcan imagine.
We have to have all the talentthat really um inspires and
presents something a little bitdifferent.
Uh like for example in Romani,we cannot just do in Rom Dani.
World of Astoria uh in Rom Daniwas invented in the world of
Astoria, you know, because wewere the first hotel that we had
(13:33):
uh ensuite bathrooms and uhtelephones, full electricity.
Believe it or not, back in thedays those were uh were not
given.
And uh and the combination ofall of that, you know, made it
for the GM back in the days.
By the way, it's my muse.
His name is Oskar Cheski.
And this gentleman did so muchfor the world of DNA, I have to
(13:53):
say.
And uh and he said, why don't wedeliver food into the room?
You know, uh and back then hedelivered with a tray.
And uh and that's how in-roomdining and uh room service was
born.
And now we're reopening thehotel.
They say, Do I want to do justsome normal in-room dining?
I don't know.
You know, it requires a lot ofthoughts, you know.
And uh so we are again tosurprise and delight and bring
(14:14):
back something different when wereopen.
SPEAKER_01 (14:16):
You know, so um at the when I used to work at the
Taj in Mumbai, I there was atime when I worked in the room
service.
So I'm sad to see the roomservice in most hotels has
disappeared.
People just, you know, sendstuff up in you know disposable
containers and it's just sad tosee.
So I'm so happy that you'regonna be so focused on in-room
(14:37):
dining as well.
SPEAKER_00 (14:38):
Absolutely.
You know, think about it.
I mean, you know, um why do weneed to restrict, you know, our
our our guests who are in therein the room?
You know, sometimes you go intothis uh uh into some of the
hotels and you have uh, youknow, after 11 p.m.
it becomes a smaller menu, andusually you have uh kind of
unhealthy things, burger,klepson, you know, whatever that
might be.
Uh is that really what you wantto eat at 11 o'clock at night or
(15:00):
12 o'clock in the morning?
Uh sometimes you can, but youalso have to be intuitive enough
to know that clientele is alsochanging, we are becoming
healthier, you know, andespecially especially business
travelers, they come in, they'realways on the move.
So they they would appreciatemore if you give a more of a
sense of uh give me a restaurantexperience within the room.
And that's and that's what wetry to achieve at the world of.
SPEAKER_01 (15:21):
So just a few minutes ago, you mentioned that
you want to be the leader inultra-luxury segment.
Now that's a tall statement.
New York is full of absolutelyfantastic hotels that all want
to be the leaders in ultra.
So, what do you think is gonnaset you apart in terms of taking
leadership role in that in thatspace?
SPEAKER_00 (15:42):
Uh you know, I 100% respect uh the brands that we
have in New York City.
I mean, we have some wonderfulhotels, uh, and that's what
makes you know the city sodynamic, and uh uh and
everybody's got a real uh thedifferent flavor and style and
all of that.
Waldorf is a the reason why uh II feel that Waldorf sits in a in
a place on its own is because uhit really grew up in New York
(16:05):
City, right?
And it's one of those hotelsthat uh is very uncomparable in
many ways.
And uh um it just uh the justwalking in and just looking at
the at the legacy and all ofthat.
It is a real New York.
People sometimes say we wannabuild a hotel and the San Hotel
is very sense of place, right?
Well, we are immediately a senseof place in New York.
It's like a really New Yorkhotel, you know.
(16:27):
Uh and with that, we went theway we are gonna deliver the
service is to pay a homage tothe New York, you know, vibe and
really get a sense uh of thelocal vendors of uh everything
that we can do that is verywithin, you know, a certain
provenance uh that is nearby,that really really is our
strategy so we can stay reallytruly authentic.
(16:48):
For example, our team uh thepeople, the team members in New
York are super friendly andthey're super you know and
they're super welcoming.
We're gonna take advantage ofthat, you know, really get the
those qualities out during theengagement process.
So you're gonna you're gonna seethat our engagement is gonna be
at a different level, perhapsthan other, than other hotels.
We're gonna insist about how toproperly deliver the
(17:11):
communication and then alsooffer something above and
beyond, you know, because uhlike I said, you know, people
expect more than just receivinga service, they expect you to be
intuitive enough to give you thenext thing that you're not even
thinking about, right?
So you're gonna see that a lot,you know, the way we deliver
that level of service like that.
Keep it fresh, keep it moving,keep it uh keep her active.
(17:32):
And hotels that do that verywell are the hotels that they're
gonna really make a presence inthe city.
That's when the community comesin into your hotel and starts
saying, you know what, if you'regonna be in New York City, you
need to go to Wild of Asuna inNew York City because there's
always something going, youknow, the delivery of the
service is impeccable.
So that's kind of my vision, isto if I have to say, if I have a
(17:53):
a court of public or luxurypublic opinions, there is one, I
think, in the world, or thetravelers, they travel, they are
very nomadic and they go to thebeautiful hotels, the best
hotels in best brands, uh Wallof Asoria will sit probably at
the very, very top just becauseof this uh uh element of
surprise that we're gonna giveand this very curated
engagement, all of that you knowis something that are really,
(18:16):
really passionate about.
SPEAKER_01 (18:18):
I am so excited about hearing, and I know that
there are other tricks up yoursleeve that you're not
disclosing here.
So people will just have to waituntil you open to actually
experience the new Waldorf.
Okay.
So I want to um and to follow upon my previous question about
New York being the home to someof the most um uh a lot of the
(18:39):
luxury brands, ultra-luxybrands.
But Waldorf, like you said,holds a special place.
It has held some of the mosticonic social events in in the
history of New York.
It has hosted world leaders andcelebrities and influencers, and
in if that that was such athing, and royalty as well.
Now you've been out of the gamef since 2017.
(19:03):
So what kind of high-profileexperiences will you host?
And also do you think Waldorfcan reclaim his status as the
center of social attraction inthe city of New York?
SPEAKER_00 (19:17):
Oh, you know, that the I you know, everyone is
waiting for this hotel toreopen.
I have to say, we like to saythey all eyes are on us.
I mean, uh it seems to andespecially the fact that it's
taking a little bit longer, youknow, the seven years, you know.
Uh and by the way, i everythingthat we have done has been very
meticulous.
You know, it's not a delay forany negative reason.
(19:38):
It was really always with asense of like, we're gonna open
when we're gonna open, but we'regonna open very well.
You know, and uh and so whatsometimes you hear, you know,
why you're not open yet, but inreality, lots of attention to
detail.
And we are insisting that, andeven now that we're gonna open
with uh an incredible amount oftraining and incredible uh
amount of role-playing andmaking sure all the details are
(19:58):
delivered.
So after waiting, you know, thistime, if the guests will come in
and will have a completeappreciation for what we have
done.
No, but with that, you know,yes, there is uh all of this uh
expectation that comes from thepast, of course.
How do you bring it into thepresent, you know?
And um uh and I must say that uhthere is uh we are good we are
(20:19):
also gonna speak to a differentaudience as well.
As you know, the world haschanged, we have new
generational uh and especiallypeople are getting younger and
more successful.
And uh so I can see alsoGeneration Z, you know, and uh
millennials coming into thehotel and joining the hotel.
So we're also gonna talk to themas well.
So a lot of the programming,you'll be surprised.
We're gonna you're gonna see anew uh a new sharp and fresh
(20:40):
feel about Waldorf as well.
So it's not just about peoplethat loved Marlene Moreau and
back in the past.
Yes, we respect all of that.
But when you come in, you alsosee a lot of uh, you know,
whether it's the mixology, theversos that we use, the story
that we tell through the drinks,the way we present the drinks,
you know, the which the bar is abig component for us, right?
Sound, uh fragrance, you know,the look, uh all of that you're
(21:04):
gonna feel like you're a you aretransported into the into this
environment that there is athese people really paid
attention to all the details,you know.
And uh New York, the trick forus and the and really the the
aspiration is that we want NewYork to fall back in love with
us, you know, because we feelthat uh the auto really belongs
to New York City, really does.
(21:25):
I mean uh I the owners have beenthere, you know, through the
history and uh they can borrowit for a little while, but at
the end, really truly uh itreally belongs to New York.
I cannot I cannot begin to tellyou many times uh, you know, I I
meet people and they know that Ithat I defendora I'm the
managing director, they say, OhLuigi, I know my my you know my
parents, you know, got engagedover there, or uh or someone at
(21:47):
a Bam Mitzvah over there, or youknow, there is always a story uh
with the New Yorkers and Waldo.
There's a love affair for that.
To the point that it that it bealmost becomes like a
gravitational pull.
You know, when people come toNew York City.
There is a gravitational pulltoward Park Avenue and the world
of Astoria because they are sothey want to be there just to be
(22:09):
seen and see people, first ofall.
So you get kind of that level oflike, let me go to some place
really special and see who'sgonna be in the lobby.
And uh so we get a lot of thatas well.
And then once they get there, wehave an incredible food and
beverage that we are planning.
Uh I know there was a pressrelease that was done on this,
so I can tell you about thisone.
I can tell you about.
But yes, but we have a wonderfulrestaurant that is that's been
(22:33):
created by Michael Anthony, ChefMichael Anthony from Gramercy
Tavern.
And he's also so he's gonna beour chef partner, so he's gonna
retain his responsibility atGramercy Tavern, but also have a
partnership with us and do allthe culinary programming for us,
and uh and he's gonna deliver,you know, uh wonderful dinner,
mixology, incredible, uh, and ofcourse uh uh a great lunch and
(22:56):
also breakfast.
So we're gonna imagine a verybeautiful breakfast also from
Michael Anton, you know.
And I'll and uh the reason why Ilove, love, love that is because
uh he's a very New Yorkhomegrown uh chef, you know,
that loves New York, knows thecommunity, knows all the local
vendors, and he and he has hehas this uh great uh feel for
(23:16):
ingredients, you know, and uhand he insists to he designs the
menu around the ingredientsreally other than do it the
other way around.
And uh and I really love thatpassion and it really fits in
because uh it's it's an AmericanNew York you know uh and it just
matches with what we are doing.
We're a very timeless, you know,American New York hotel, you
know.
So it's gonna go really, reallywell.
(23:37):
So I have a feeling that thecommunity is gonna come in and
they're gonna look around andthey're gonna taste, they're
gonna drink, they're gonna getthe engagement, they're gonna
all fall in love with the withWaldorf again.
SPEAKER_01 (23:47):
I absolutely love that.
You want New York City to fallin love with Waldorf again.
That's fantastic.
Yes.
But you have many celebritieswho crave exposure, who crave
attention, and they want theworld's eyes on them.
Yet there are many others whoare very reticent about
exposure.
They would just want to quietlystay in the sideline.
(24:08):
So how do you balance these twoconflicting desires of your
guests?
SPEAKER_00 (24:12):
You have a lot of great questions to that.
That's a good one, too.
No, I and I'm actually tunedinto that because, you know, as
you know, New York is alsothere's a lot of attention to
hotels like ours, you know,these palace hotels, and they do
bring a lot of people from uh,you know, from the community to
come in.
And some of them just want tocome in and take a picture and
uh, you know, and it becomeskind of like, you know, uh like
(24:33):
that.
But but in reality, you know, weneed to uh uh strike the right
balance of making everybody feelwelcome.
Uh uh to me uh as an operatorit's very important for me that
the community feels verycomfortable with us.
They don't feel like you come inand all of a sudden you feel
like you're a burden to thehotel.
At the same time, we do want toalso protect, you know, the
experience for our hotel guests,stay over there and they
(24:55):
committed to us stay.
And especially, like you say,you know, the the more
distinguished, you know, theywere perhaps more public
figures, you know, they don'twant to have the table on the
corner, right?
And and they don't want tonecessarily see another people
going by them, you know.
So we will be very thoughtful inuh in uh in the way we
communicate with our with ouroutside guests.
And of course, you know, we'realways welcome to to enjoy our
(25:17):
facilities and all of that.
And and if and if at the timethey don't have time or where
else to enjoy it, uh, you know,we we will give them a little
small little tour or a smalllittle diversion and say, oh,
like take a picture of theflower flowers over here, go do
this, you know, and we'll givethem a little sense of uh world
of Astoria without without goingall the way inside, you know,
(25:37):
the the facilities and all ofthat.
Because uh we do need to createthe right balance between uh
between the guests that camehere to enjoy it and and the
people from the outside, ofcourse.
And they're rightfully want tocome see the hotel.
I mean, uh we love them, right?
Because next day they can comeback and be a patron to us, you
know.
So so it's all about thebalance, but it's the engagement
again.
You know, I believe in reallymaking feel people feel special,
(25:59):
whether you're there or notthere, just be respectful and be
you know friendly and becordial.
SPEAKER_01 (26:05):
Okay, so I want to move to uh this new element of
the Waldorf, which is the uhWaldorf Historia residences.
Uh in the old days before therenovation, there used to be
apartments in the towers.
And I've stayed in some of themgorgeous places and pretty large
for a hotel room.
So I'm sure you had somelong-term guests there as well.
(26:25):
But how do you um so there arepermanent residents and they
have their lifestyle and you'realso catering with amenities to
the hotel guests?
So how do you balance these twocompeting demands?
And are you gonna have someexclusive amenities for the
guests versus the residents,some exclusive for the
(26:47):
residents?
So how do you kind of balancethese two different groups of
customers that you have?
SPEAKER_00 (26:52):
No, no, that's so important because uh and
actually I really love the waythis was developed, you know,
World of a Source, New York, uh,in a way that uh um our
ownership and brand really camein together and they wanted to
make sure that we didn't haveany really a feel of separation
between residents and hotels.
Because uh, you know,oftentimes, you know, uh you buy
(27:14):
into a residence, but you reallybecause it's branded different,
because uh it's kind ofsometimes kept us uh separate
from the hotel.
So whenever a resident owner,you feel almost like you know
you gotta tiptoe throughout thehotel, or you know, or you don't
have the relationship, right?
Uh with us, uh uh we wanted tomake sure that everything is
branded World of Astoria NewYork, and everything is managed
by Waldo Astoria New York, youknow, and from Hilton, from us.
(27:37):
Uh so with that, it will give methe direct access to the to the
residents.
So everything that we aredesigning, everything that we
are creating, we're alwaysincluding the residents uh uh in
it, the programming.
For example, you know, doormen,concierge, you know, all of the
positions that we do, those areall our employees, all our team
members, they're all gonna beuniformed the same way we are,
with the same beautifulwardrobe, with great engagement.
(27:59):
And also the residents willbenefit as well from the hotel
amenities, but also from theirown amenities.
I mean, we have two stories ofamenities, just two entire
floors, two f two floors.
Uh and they're uh full of theseuh delightful kind of areas,
including a private swimmingpool, fitness center, bar, even
(28:20):
billiard room, you know, massagerooms.
So you have all this activationthat we can create for the for
our residences.
So what I love to do uh when aresidence comes in and moves in,
I like to introduce him to myIsegory Chef, to my head
concierge, to my director offoreign beverage, you know,
myself, you know, we go out andmeet them, we have a little
lunch together.
So he will have access, thisperson, he or she will have
(28:43):
access to the core team that wecan provide the experiences to
them.
Because I really want to feellike part of the hotel, you
know, and uh I'm gonna benurturing their relationships
very, very much.
So not only you're binding to aninvestment when you when you
stay at the Wildorf, but you'realso binding an incredible
lifestyle.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (29:02):
So I want to just uh last question before then I have
some other fun questions.
But um for uh the WaldorfAstoria has been part of the
Hilton family for a long time.
So, what kind of uh benefits doyou derive from being part of
the Hilton family?
And what does Hilton get fromthe World of Astoria?
SPEAKER_00 (29:23):
Well, I'll tell you, uh it is a very exciting time
for Hilton, very excitingbecause uh World of Astoria,
without the greatest of them allfor the last seven years, has
also been growing as a brand.
Right.
So so we have had someincredible destination
throughout the world.
I mean, uh I was just in theMiddle East and I visited four
World of Astoria within uh Doha,uh spectacular probably, Kuwait,
(29:46):
incredible.
I mean, uh Dubai, uh DIFC andthe Palm, you know, so four
probably within, you know, anhour flight from each other or
an hour drive from each other.
Uh and it's just incredible, youknow, the how the brand is
really, really taking off as anultra-luxury, you know,
proposition, you know.
And now with the World ofAstoria coming back on board in
New York, uh, Hilton sees thisuh almost as a a a new era not
(30:10):
only for uh for New York City,but also for the brand of World
of Astoria.
And uh so there is thisultra-luxury component that we
uh that we're going after andnow and we have a lot of
interest in new developers andall of that.
Uh and this is gonna be abusiness card for us, you know,
uh the location of New York.
And uh as you know, everybody'sgonna stop by over there and see
it and take note of how howdetailed-oriented we are.
(30:32):
And uh so the future of uh ofHilton in the old in the
ultra-luxury space is here andis coming and it's starting
right when we open the hotel.
You know, uh it's gonna be a newnew era uh for Hilton.
And uh and Hilton provides a lotof support, I must say, the uh
incredibly the infrastructure ofHilton in all the senses, with
(30:54):
his food and beverage to Selsand Marketing.
We have a really greatbandwidth, you know, and I'm
having a really uh wonderfulrelationship with all my
corporate people and they allwant to come in and help because
uh it's such an incredible uhundertake, you know.
SPEAKER_01 (31:08):
Amazing.
Okay, so now we wrap up andlet's shift gears a little bit
and have a little bit of a fun.
SPEAKER_00 (31:14):
Yes, let's do it.
SPEAKER_01 (31:15):
Uh we've talked about luxury and leadership, now
we get to know you a little bit.
So you've had an extraordinarycareer working with some of the
most luxurious hotels in theworld, and now you are at the
helm of the world of Astoria.
You're surrounded by finedining.
And like you said, you'reputting so much um uh emphasis
(31:36):
on create, really creatingworld-class cuisine.
Um but when you're off duty,what is your comfort food?
SPEAKER_00 (31:43):
Uh you know, it's funny because I I don't
necessarily seek after uh whatused to be called fine dining,
you know, the odd elevateddining.
I mean I appreciate when a newrestaurant comes in, I'm one of
the first ones to go, but justbecause I like I want to keep an
eye on the culture and uh uhwhat is the design and all of
that.
So I do I do that.
But I really truly I feelcomfortable in real uh rustic,
(32:05):
uh very food-orientedestablishments, you know.
They perhaps focus more on food.
Uh, even though thepresentation, yes, it's good.
It is good, but it's it's true,it's honest.
But the ingredients arefantastic, you know.
Sometimes uh uh you buy so muchinto a decor and all of that,
but you know, but the food needsto come through.
I'm more of a I'm focused on thefood and the service as well.
(32:29):
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (32:30):
I'm gonna push you.
SPEAKER_00 (32:31):
Give me the name of a dish.
Oh my god, oh my god.
You can't escape by all ofthese.
Give me the name.
You know, I better not be.
New York is so competitive.
Okay, I'll tell you, theGramercy Taver.
It is one of my favorite.
You know, I'm not just sayingthat because uh because Michael
Anthony is working with us, butI respect the his vision.
And when you especially on thebar area, you walk in there on
(32:52):
the bar, again, it's very laidback, you don't feel like it's
pretentious.
But when a cuisine comes to you,oh my gosh, you know, it's like
the best seafood, the best meat,the beast uh the cheeses.
He knows exactly whereeverything comes from, you know.
And to me, that that is why Iwould pay top dollar for if for
somebody that took the time todo the research and then offer
(33:12):
it to you.
I did all the work, I did allthe resources, I did it, and I'm
gonna give you the best of myknowledge and I'll put it on the
plate for you, and that's foryou.
To me, that's uh rather thanjust do another recipe and put
it together in a fancyrestaurant, you know.
I also I have to be honest withyou.
I also respect, you know, DanielBalud is a wonderful culinarian
in the city.
I have a great relationship withhim.
(33:33):
I did a restaurant, you know,when I was at Roswood Bahama, I
can say that great culinarianand he is always ahead of
himself.
I really, really enjoy workingwith him as well.
There's a lot of culinarians,you know, out there that really
I respect.
Uh but Michael is gonna be my myguy.
That is fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (33:52):
Now, people listening are gonna be very
curious if I'm gonna push youany further, and I am.
Um, let's just say that this isa Sunday and you're not going to
work and you're home and you'rehungry, you need to cook one
dish.
What will that be?
SPEAKER_00 (34:10):
Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_01 (34:11):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (34:13):
Okay.
Well, no, I like I like this.
You know, I look, you know, uhif you during lunchtime, uh
probably make me a nice plate ofpasta because uh it's the
Italian.
Yeah.
I'm always looking for thatanswer.
The pasta is the one, you know,uh uh it is one of those things
that they are the it's alwaysgonna stay with me.
But that should be lunchtime.
I don't know if I'm gonna do itat dinner time.
Okay.
But you know, uh I just signedup for uh well, just stand up.
(34:36):
I've been training for the NewYork Marathon.
Oh wow.
So so I'm gonna actually berunning the marathon on November
3rd, you know, for uh for CDHarvest, which is a great you
know uh you know fundraiser.
And um uh and with that, youknow, I started in a little bit
more pasta, so I have a littlebit more reason to pasta.
So so yes, I'm an aspirin ofpasta.
(34:57):
Night time probably I would doI'll keep it a little bit
healthy.
I would do a little fish or a gror gr grill chicken and things
like that.
Yes.
Excellent.
SPEAKER_01 (35:06):
Okay.
So if you could um escape for aleisure trip right now, where
would you go for a bit ofrelaxation?
Aaron Ross Powell, Jr.
SPEAKER_00 (35:12):
I say remote and adventurous.
I I have this vision of uh youknow literally what I what I've
been craving is to do an actionadventure trip whereby you you
do something that that kind ofpushes yourself.
Like for example, go to theKilimanjaro and climate, you
know, and then after that uh youcheck in into a five-star hotel.
(35:33):
Okay.
And you after you are tired,your muscles are sore, and you
and you're like that.
Then you have all the five-staruh beautiful space.
And you just crazy, enjoy, anduh and it becomes even three
times better, right?
So you you have a sense ofaccomplishment and that sense of
uh uh relaxation because to behonest, there's so much I can
relax uh because I'm alwaysactive and all of that.
(35:55):
Even uh after two, three days,I'm like, okay, I need to I need
to explore, I need to discover,I need to I need to feel alive,
and uh uh and I enjoy remote uhremote destination more than uh
the predictable destination, Iwould say.
SPEAKER_01 (36:08):
Luisi, it has been a pleasure having you on the show,
on the podcast.
Thank you for giving us aglimpse into your world and
sharing exciting insights aboutthe Waldorf.
Um I'm sure our listeners can'twait to see the new era of the
Waldorf.
I know I can't wait to seeeither.
Um so we look forward to thegrand reopening and all the best
(36:30):
for your marathon, for yourKalimanjaro climb, as well as
the grand reopening in the U.S.
SPEAKER_00 (36:36):
uh, so sweet.
Thank you very much.
And by the way, when I say NewYork friendly, I'm also Boston
friendly, okay?
It's not too far away.
Okay, so please come on down.
Uh uh and thank you for the nicewelcome.
And uh I would love to show youin due time uh the splendor of
uh, let's call it the newWaldorf or the reimagined
Waldorf.
Uh it's an it's uh an evolution,I would say, but uh it will be
(36:59):
the greatest of them all.
Fantastic.
SPEAKER_01 (37:02):
We look forward to it.
Okay.
Thank you.
And thank you everyone forjoining us today.
Special thanks to the team whoproduces this podcast, Bara
Littman, Andy Halleck, and theentire team at Boston University
School of HospitalityAdministration.
To keep up with distinguishedpodcasts, be sure to subscribe
wherever you listen to yourfavorite podcast.
(37:23):
You can also learn more aboutour undergraduate and graduate
programs at Boston UniversitySchool of Hospitality
Administration by visitingbu.edu slash hospitality.
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