What To Expect at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas: A Complete Review

Back in 2009, Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group made a splash in the center of Las Vegas when it opened the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, a nongaming hotel in a prime location on The Strip among the CityCenter development.

In 2018, the property changed hands and became the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, falling under the Hilton family of brands. The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas maintained the luxury look and feel it inherited from the former Mandarin Oriental but quickly became a fantastic new option for award travelers looking for a slightly different Las Vegas experience.

I recently spent a couple of nights in Las Vegas and was able to put this property to the test, thanks in no small part to an attractive value proposition created by booking through the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program.

Keep reading to learn how I booked the stay and how the hotel stacked up!

Booking Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas

As I mentioned above, one of the primary reasons for booking my brief stay at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas was that it was available to book through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, a program reserved for cardholders of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, the Centurion^® Card from American Express, and Business Centurion^® Card from American Express that confers elite-like perks at a select group of high-end hotels.

The hotel wasn’t exactly cheap, at $302 for 1 night, but it more or less matched what other high-end hotels were charging for the same night. Plus, I still had the full amount of my up to $200 annual prepaid hotel credit that comes with the Amex Platinum card to use, which went a long way in offsetting the cost of this stay.

The credit is applicable to prepaid stays booked through The Hotel Collection (minimum 2-night stays) or Fine Hotels + Resorts (minimum 1-night stays). And, prepaid stays booked through either portal with the Amex Platinum card earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. So, I went ahead and booked my 1-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas for a total of $342 after taxes. Several days after this transaction posted to my statement, I noticed the $200 credit, bringing the cost to about $142, excluding the $51 resort fee that was due upon checkout.

Less than $200 for a night at a high-end property such as the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas was a pretty solid deal. Admittedly, I could have booked it for an even less expensive rate had I not waited so long to book, but my travel plans were in flux until very close to departure.

With my Fine Hotels + Resorts booking, I was entitled to the following perks:

• A room upgrade, subject to availability
• Daily breakfast for 2 people
• Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout
• Early check-in at noon, if available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• A unique property experience credit; in this case, a $100 property credit to be used during the stay

The deal got sweeter, however. Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts allows Hilton Honors members to input their member information to reservations made through the FHR portal to take advantage of any elite perks they may be entitled to.

Because I also have the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*, I have top-tier Hilton Diamond status, which entitles me to a number of benefits at Hilton properties, highlights of which include 100% bonus points, room upgrades, complimentary breakfast in the form of a daily food and beverage credit, and more.

In this case, because my FHR booking already entitled me to complimentary breakfast, I was able to divert my Diamond-provided daily food and beverage credit to other uses, essentially combining it with the $100 property credit I was receiving from FHR.

The cherry on top was that this hotel provided me with the food and beverage credit as if there were 2 people in my room, even though it was just me, so I received a total of $50, giving me $150 to spend outside of breakfast while on property.

In my mind, this reduced my approximately $200 stay to about $50, thanks to the $150 I had to spend during my stay — not too shabby!

*The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Hot Tip:

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas is a Hilton property, meaning you can redeem Hilton Honors points for a stay here. Rates typically start at 76,000 points per night.

Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas Location

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas is in the heart of the Strip on Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s nestled within the CityCenter complex (also known as the Aria Campus), which is also home to Aria Resort and Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, the Veer condo development, and the Shops at Crystals, a high-end mall with exclusive shops including Gucci, Fendi, Hermes, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and many more.

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, like most hotels on the Strip, is just minutes away from Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), making getting to and from quick, easy, and relatively inexpensive. I didn’t arrive at the hotel from the airport, but upon my departure, I paid just under $14 for the 9-minute, 3-mile journey.

How walkable Las Vegas is — the Strip in particular — is subjective. On the one hand, most of the attractions visitors to Las Vegas frequent are on or very near the Strip, making it easy, at least in theory, to walk. However, the Strip extends for quite a while, and crossing intersections can be confusing and tedious. At any rate, Ubers are plentiful, and there’s no denying that the property is in the thick of the action.

Checking In

The night before my stay at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, I stayed at a nearby Hyatt Place property, as I had arrived in Las Vegas in the evening on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London.

Jet lag had me up early in the morning, and I was eager to get the Waldorf experience underway, so I waited until it was a somewhat reasonable time (around 10 a.m. or so) and made my way to the Strip.

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas is — perhaps by design — inconspicuous and can be easy to miss if you’re not entirely sure of where you’re going, like me. Luckily, my Uber driver knew exactly where he was going and even avoided the commotion of the Strip and took a back way in.

I finally pulled up to the hotel’s entrance around 10:30 a.m., where I was greeted by a friendly bellhop who quickly took my bags and told me they’d be delivered to my room whenever it was ready.

I stepped into the gloriously air-conditioned lobby (the Vegas heat in July is no joke), which was trimmed almost completely in luxurious white marble and featured art deco-inspired furniture in rich tones with gold accents.

This ground-floor lobby received a makeover somewhat recently, so it presented quite a different aesthetic from the rest of the hotel. However, as I’ll explain later, the property seemed to be taking a step-by-step approach to revamping the entire hotel.

When I arrived, there were no other guests in line, so I approached the desk, hoping a room would be ready for me.

The friendly agent began walking me through the check-in process and pulled out a small packet that contained information about the amenities, dining, and events happening at the hotel. The packet also contained a separate sheet that outlined the benefits I’d have thanks to booking through FHR.

She explained the property credit situation that I outlined above and handed me the key cards to my Strip View room with 1 king bed, an upgrade from the standard City View room I had booked.

The Room

To get to my room, I had to take one set of elevators to reach the third floor and then another set from there to the 18th floor, where my room was.

After a lengthy walk down the hallway, I found my room at the very end.

Bedroom

Upon opening the door, my eyes immediately went toward the windows, which beautifully framed a section of the Strip.

Directly to the left was the room’s plush, king-sized bed.

A small leather headboard set off the bed handsomely, and behind that was a beautiful display of geometric, somewhat shimmery pieces that were not directly on the wall but held together by a frame set in front of the wall, so they moved ever so slightly when the air conditioning was running. It was a small touch, but it definitely added some visual interest.

Two identical night tables were on either side of the bed. One contained the telephone, a water bottle, a notepad and pen, and a QR code that could be scanned to learn more about the hotel’s offerings.

The other had a Bluetooth speaker and clock, another water bottle, and a pair of earplugs, which I didn’t need at all. Both night tables had easily accessible outlets (though not tons of them) and touch-sensitive controls for the room’s lighting, shades, and do-not-disturb mode.

Next to the bed, but in its own little nook, was the room’s minibar. A kettle and ice bucket were provided, along with a couple of rocks and wine glasses.

Directly below that was the minifridge, which had a variety of soft drinks, water, premixed cocktails, Champagne, wine, and miniature bottles of select liquors for purchase.

Facing the windows were a spacious desk and a fairly comfortable chair.

The Nespresso machine and the appropriate accouterment, including complimentary pods, were on top of the desk. Their location led me to believe that the room wasn’t designed during a time when high-end coffee machines were a prerequisite of any luxury hotel room.

Continuing along the windows, I found the TV, which was sitting on top of a smallish credenza. I didn’t use it at all during my stay, but it was equipped with smart functionality, including direct Netflix streaming.

On the other side of the room were a small table and chair.

And on the other wall was the closet, which was perhaps on the small side, though it contained everything you’d need, including 2 plush robes, an iron, an ironing board, slippers, extra linens, and more.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of this room, however, was a small panel near the door labeled “Valet Closet.”

I barely noticed it at first, but upon further inspection, I realized just how cool of a feature it really was. Essentially, it’s a little box in which you — or hotel staff — could place items, like shirts to be pressed, without staff ever having to step foot in the room. I don’t typically use hotel services like that, but I found it to be such a neat feature that more high-end hotels should provide!

Last, but certainly not least, the views were a standout feature of this room. I spent several minutes simply gazing out the window, trying to spot as many landmarks of the Strip as I could.

Bottom Line:

I very much enjoyed my room at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. It may have been a little outdated in 2024, but it was plenty luxurious, spacious, and quiet. There wasn’t much more I could ask for!

Bathroom

The bathroom was one of the more unique hotel room bathrooms I’d experienced, primarily due to its long, skinny shape.

This allowed for plenty more amazing views — in fact, I think the views from the bathroom were better than from the rest of the room.

The double vanity was at a sharp angle with 2 basin sinks and not a tremendous amount of counter space, though it was plenty for just me.

The shower and tub were located together in a larger wet room, and I appreciated that both rainfall and handheld shower heads were available. I found both the pressure and temperature control to be excellent.

Toiletries were by Aesop, a very popular, high-end (and very expensive!) brand known for its minimalist aesthetic and incredible-smelling products. I definitely felt cool just for using them.

The toilet was in a separate water closet at the far end of the space.

Before we move on, let’s take in those views 1 more time.

Amenities

When you think of Las Vegas, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is gambling — and, by extension, casinos.

Just about every major property on the Strip has a casino integrated within it, but not the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. It’s specifically a nongaming hotel, which is a really interesting change of pace for the city.

In fact, it was one of the reasons I ended up choosing this property for my brief stay. My main goal was to relax and soak up all the luxury of the Waldorf under the hot desert sun.

With that being said, I wasn’t left wanting anything — here’s a look at what was available.

Pools

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas has a fairly expansive outdoor deck on the eighth floor, which contains 2 pools and a separate hot tub area.

Both of the pools look similar — long, skinny rectangles — but one is reserved for adults, and the other is open to children.

When I arrived, I immediately noticed the attendant station, which was stocked with plenty of water bottles for the taking, Sun Bum 30 SPF lotion, aloe vera, and towels.

An attendant approached me and asked if I wanted a lounger, which I did. She grabbed a couple of towels and led me to a pair of loungers at the adult side of the pool under an umbrella — crucial because that day was a stifling 112 degrees outside.

After I got set up, she returned with a couple of cold water bottles and an ice-cold towel — it was so frozen that I couldn’t even unroll it. But it only took a few seconds to melt a little bit in the sun, and then it was the perfect cooling device.

After I had downed both water bottles, I got up to get a few more and walked around the entire deck.

The family pool had the same large and very comfortable loungers with plush cushions (a must at any luxury property).

Looking out across the family pool, I could see the Park MGM hotel and New York, New York.

Meanwhile, looking out across the adult pool, I looked straight into the CityCenter complex, with one of the Veer condo towers, the Vdara, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Autograph Collection, in direct sight. It was a cool view that made this pool area feel like it was located in the heart of a denser city rather than in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip.

There were plenty of cabanas scattered around each pool available for renting. It would have been the perfect day to do so because it was so hot and they were completely covered, but I knew they were out of my price range for that afternoon, so I stuck to my trusty lounger.

When I got a bit too hot — even sitting in the shade — I made my way to the pool bar, which was equipped with misting fans. It was a perfect place to cool down and enjoy a beverage.

While this pool deck lacked some of the party atmosphere that many other pools in Las Vegas are famous for, it was perfect for my brief stay because it was genuinely a lovely place to relax.

Spa

The Waldorf Astoria Spa is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. As you’d expect at a hotel of this caliber, the spa offers a complete range of treatments, including couples experiences, massages, facials, full-body treatments, nail services, and salon services.

Fitness Center

The hotel’s gym is just down the hall from the spa and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The space is clad in dark wood — just like many of the other public spaces throughout the hotel — but filled with light thanks to an entire wall of windows that allow natural light to pour in.

The gym had plenty of new equipment for both cardio and strength training from Technogym.

Additionally, there was a station set up with towels and complimentary headphones in case you forgot your own.

Finally, another station provided cold towels, water, and fruit.

House Car

The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas has a house car available to guests on a first-come, first-served basis. The service is on offer from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Monday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

Arrangements can be made with the bellmen. Note that it’s only for drop-offs within 2 miles and that are on the Strip.

Wi-Fi

Complimentary Wi-Fi was available throughout the hotel by entering my name and room number into the Hilton Honors network. It worked flawlessly wherever I was in the hotel (save for the elevators, which wasn’t a surprise), and I didn’t have to reconnect each time I opened my phone or computer.

Parking

The hotel offers valet parking only at a rate of $45 per day, though I did not use it since I was without a car on this trip. Self-parking is not available.

Pets

Pets are not allowed at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, save for service animals that are registered with the hotel before arrival.

Food and Beverage

Because this property is not an expansive Las Vegas megaresort, the dining options are relatively limited. That worked in my favor for this stay because I was far less overwhelmed than I typically am when I visit Sin City.

Here’s a look at what was available:

Zen Kitchen

Zen Kitchen is the hotel’s all-day restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, it’s open from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

I enjoyed breakfast here, free of charge, of course. I ordered a breakfast burrito ($25), which contained bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese, potatoes, and black beans. It was served with salsa verde and sour cream on the side, and it was positively scrumptious. I also ordered a green juice ($15) to accompany it, which was made with spinach, arugula, pineapple, cucumber, apple, celery, and kiwi.

As I don’t drink coffee, the juice gave me a good jolt early in the morning (my jet lag had me awake not so bright but very early).

I didn’t eat any other meals at Zen Kitchen, but judging by the quality of my breakfast, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it if I had.

Zen Cafe

Just outside Zen Kitchen was Zen Cafe, a spot meant for those who want something smaller and easier to grab on the go for breakfast.

It serves breakfast and lunch items and a range of coffees and juices. It was open daily from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

Pool Cafe

I got to sample some of the offerings from the pool cafe during my afternoon of relaxation.

First, I treated myself to a Poolside cocktail ($18), made with gin, simple syrup lime juice, cucumber, and mint. It was light and refreshing, perfect for a scorching hot day. I also appreciated that the cocktail cost under $20, especially in an era where it’s more or less the norm to see pool cocktails going for at least $22 apiece.

For lunch, I ordered the spicy tuna and crispy rice ($28) and the Baja tacos ($27), which consisted of blackened mahi mahi, mango coleslaw, avocado, and chipotle aioli in corn tortillas. Both dishes were outstanding and didn’t feel too heavy, which was, again, ideal for such a hot day.

Hotel Bar

On the 23rd floor, Hotel Bar affords incredible views of the Las Vegas Strip, especially if you get a table by the windows, which I was lucky enough to grab.

I found the palette interesting, with deep purple carpeting and banquettes, and the marble-clad walls were neat, as were the hanging bulb lights. It seems like this space was a holdover from the Mandarin Oriental days and had yet to get the treatment that the ground-floor lobby got. I don’t think it needs much, though, just some new carpeting and slightly different colors for some of the seating.

I ordered a Negroni ($24), which was perfectly made. I swear it tasted even better because I got to enjoy it with the phenomenal view I had overlooking the Strip!

Hotel Bar has the following opening hours:

• Monday through Thursday: 4:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.
• Friday: 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Saturday: 12 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Sunday: 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Tea Lounge

Tea Lounge is also on the 23rd floor, though the space was closed for renovations during my stay.

Typically, it’s open for a lavish English tea service from Wednesday through Sunday at the following times:

• First seating: 11:45 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:15 p.m.
• Second seating: 1:45 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:15 p.m.
• Third seating: 3:45 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:15 p.m.

In-Room Dining

Of course, the hotel offered room service, which I certainly took advantage of. Ordering was done completely digitally by scanning the QR code on the nightstand. I settled on a grilled chicken wrap ($25) with pesto aioli, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and Parmesan cheese. It was served either with a side salad or French fries — I chose the fries.

I placed my order at 8:15 p.m., and it arrived at 8:22 p.m. — I jotted it down because I was absolutely floored by how quickly it arrived.

I enjoyed the meal, to be sure, but I was slightly disappointed that no club sandwich was available!

Room service is available at the following times:

• Breakfast: 6:30 to 11 a.m.
• Dinner: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
• Late night: 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Service

Service at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas was excellent from start to finish. Everyone I interacted with was incredibly friendly and helpful. I had a great chat with the pool attendants, who were more than happy to give me their recommendations not just for food and drink at the pool, but for Las Vegas in general.

As I mentioned above, the room service order arrived at my room lightning fast, and the staff member who delivered it was eager to help in any other way he could.

Finally, at check-in, I appreciated how quickly the process moved and how clearly the agent explained how my credits from both my FHR booking and my Hilton Honors Diamond status would stack.

Final Thoughts

I had a great time at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. Thanks to a decent rate through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and the fact that I could stack that booking with my Hilton Honors Diamond benefits, it was a no-brainer for my 1-night stay in Sin City.

While I wouldn’t argue with anyone saying the hotel is in need of a refresh, it’s not egregiously out of date by any means, and it still boasts plenty of luxury. On top of that, it seems as if the hotel is making an effort to renovate piece by piece, with as few interruptions to guests as possible.

If you’re interested in visiting Las Vegas but don’t have much interest in the gambling scene the city is so famous for, the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas is a perfect luxury option. And if you can find a good rate through FHR and can couple that with any sort of Hilton Honors elite status, this property should shoot to the top of your list.

The next time I find myself in town, I’d love to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas again — I just hope I book it a little further in advance so I can score an even better deal.