Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead

The polished and professional staff of the Waldorf Astoria Atlanta evince genuine warmth and good cheer, sometimes in stark contrast to the grim countenances of some (but certainly not all) of my fellow guests. Perhaps the staff bonhomie during my stay was partially inspired by the giant toy soldiers at the front door and inexplicable festooned Christmas trees still present throughout the property in late January. Regardless, you’d have a hard heart not to be impressed by their alacrity and willingness to be on the guest’s side. A special shoutout to the bartender who kept the bar open late to offer me an end-of-the-road whisky following a long odyssey that started the day in Barcelona and involved multiple modes of transit to the property involving planes and trains (but no automobiles due to the unavailability of taxis, Ubers and Lyfts at the ATL airport due to snow and ice on the road). I could have retired to my room to the well-stocked minibar but appreciated the sympathetic ear as much as the drink itself. My assigned room was well designed for both rest and work, very quiet, commodious, well-appointed and… surprisingly shabby. This storied 42-story property designed by starchitect Robert A.M. Stern Architects is the 12th tallest building in Atlanta and one of the tallest residential high-rises in the US. The hotel has been through a few previous incarnations, launching as a Rosewood Mansion project at the nadir of the hospitality industry during the 2008 financial crisis. It quickly fell into foreclosure in 2010 and was rebadged as a Mandarin Oriental hotel in 2012. Subsequently, the property transitioned to the Waldorf Astoria brand in 2018. I don’t know if my room was previously renovated as part of these transitions. If so, perhaps I simply had the bad luck to be assigned a room whose immediate previous occupant was a barbarian (or group of barbarians). If, however, the condition of my room is representative of the rest of the hotel, these guestrooms have seen some hard living over the years and are overdue for a refresh to meet the customary standards of Hilton’s flagship brand. One of the wall sconces flanking the bed had its switch perilously dangling and was entirely inoperable. The closet door hinges were ripping away from the frame, requiring a shove of the shoulder to right it back square each time I closed it. The carpet has been trampled by countless feet into a gray mash obscuring its original pattern. Baseboards and sills bear the scars and gouges (painted over) of countless roller bags and room service trolleys. One of the interior seals in the window appeared to be separating from the frame. I sent photos of these maintenance issues to the Guest Services text mailbox and showed them to the front desk but never heard a word in response or saw any maintenance staff following up. The public areas of the hotel are beautifully-designed and appointed, although the dining room can become a bit overwhelmed during the breakfast rush. When they run out of available tables, hungry guests have to cool their heels, spilling out to wait in the lobby. One hostess seemed to wilt a bit under the pressure and remarked to me she thought she was going to lose her mind. I assured her that no breakfast patron was worth losing one’s mind over and that everything was going to be A-ok. And admittedly, the pace of service could be charitably characterized as “Southern Hospitality,” moving a bit more slowly than, say, a New York diner. One morning I arrived at the restaurant at 9:20 AM. Coffee, water and juice arrived almost instantly, but at 9:50, eggs were still nowhere in sight. I finally had to abandon ship eggless for a 10:00 meeting. In the staff’s defense, some of the diners were a bit precious. The gentleman seated next to me insisted on placing his order while wearing enormous headphones, causing the server to have to shout to confirm his very particular order: two pancakes (he emphatically wanted the third pancake that comes standard with the order removed before the plate was presented to him), two egg whites, two strips of bacon, etc. Maybe two was his lucky number, maybe he lacked the self-control to avoid gobbling the third cake or maybe he just wanted two and only two pancakes. I resisted the urge to suggest he might be happier at the Ritz Carlton Maldives where pancakes by default come two to an order. I encountered the apologetic restaurant manager later in the day and explained it was not my intention to ghost them before my eggs arrived but that I had simply run out of time. When I returned later for lunch, I was treated royally to prompt five star service. I encourage guests to read the menu closely. I ordered the “Little Gems Salad” thinking Little Gems = Little Gem lettuce. Nope. As it clearly says on the menu, the little gems are in fact local lettuces akin to ubiquitous “spring mix” bin found at every Whole Foods and its ilk. I may be the only person in America to loathe this unpalatable and largely indigestible concatenation of frisee chicory and assorted dandelion weed-like leaves but consider yourself forewarned. The fitness center is voluminous and has just about every workout option imaginable. I didn’t encounter more than a couple of other guests at any time during my stay and I was often the only one in the expansive facility. If your level of fitness drops over the course of your stay, that’s on you, not the Waldorf Astoria. There’s also a beautiful large indoor pool for laps and recreational splashing. Owing to the frigid 15-degree temperature, no one used the outdoor hot tub during my stay, but it looked tempting for more temperate times. This is a comfortable, luxurious, friendly hotel. I look forward to returning… after they apply a fresh coat of paint and fix the hinges and sconces.

Spa and dining services

I spent one evening here while in the area on personal business. The hotel, especially the room, was lovely. I spent a peaceful night enjoying my luxurious space. The room was quite large with an amazing bathroom. The bedding was fluffy and cozy. Though I was alone, there was plenty of space for two to spread out. Once I closed the door, it was very quiet. The room was well maintained and showing no signs of wear. I enjoyed my breakfast in the dining room -- as a Hilton Diamond member, that was essentially free -- though the hours were shorter than what the app stated. Confirm with the staff if you want to be sure not to miss it. One thing to note: the indoor pool is lovely, but there is no whirlpool, just FYI. I was surprised that when I first arrived, there was no one to greet me in the lobby or direct me to the small front desk. There was also no one at the front desk, which was okay as I had checked in on the app. Later, when I returned to the hotel, the front desk attendant seemed kind of suspicious and I had to explain I was a guest who had checked in on the app and been to my room earlier. The next morning, I had to wander around to find the restaurant, which also lacked a greeter. It just seemed strange for a luxury hotel. Overall, a very positive experience in a fantastic room.

Superb experience at this lovely hotel! Everything here was first right. The food in the dining room was excellent for a hotel as was the service.Sukru our concierge treated us like absolute royalty as we were hurricane Helene survivors from asheville. We are so appreciative to everyone on the staff for making us feel so warm and welcome. Definitely stay here again and recommend highly!

My daughter and I booked a one night stay at this amazing hotel and it was absolutely beautiful and the staff were all so friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, we had to leave early due to a family member passing away and they were so kind and understanding and Jermaine who works in Valet was absolutely wonderful and so sweet. His kindness touched my heart. I highly recommend the Waldorf Astoria Buckhead.

It’s a beautiful, clean hotel and the staff were very friendly and helpful…very conveniently located..I will definitely return!!

Nothing.. it was fabulous…

Overall, a lovely stay: Pros: The spa is excellent The service is excellent There is real attention to detail; for example the floor of the elevator is marble which makes a seamless transition to the marble floors. The light fixtures all have art deco elements. There are smell that are pipped in that are lovely. There is a nice tree pattern in the carpet. Etc The breakfast is excellent. The Coincerge was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Areas of growth: There were no vegan options for lunch. Our waiter seemed confused; the chef seemed confused. As my family is vegan, this made it difficult for us to eat lunch. Just one or two vegan options listed on the menu would have been helpful--just list two vegan options on the menu for lunch. The house car only runs on a couple of days. In contrast, the intercontinental (which is almost next door) house runs every day. The tea in the room was not good. This odd because there is a different brand of tea--which is quite good--in the spa. That's right: they have two entirely different brands of tea--one good (for the spa) and one that is not good (for the room). The speakers on the TV do not work well. We actually switched from the TV to the iPad to watch TV just for the sound. That all going said: we had a lovely stay and look forward to returning soon.

Our stay started with friendly staff welcoming us in a beautiful setting. The bar did not disappoint, nor the quality of the room. It was huge and the balconies were a nice touch. I wish we had just decided to stay there the whole time as our second hotel could not live up to this stay. Thank you!

Beautiful property wonderful staff highly recommend

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