Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas was named as the city’s best hotel in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards, which relies on the input of more than 600,000 votes by readers, according to the magazine’s website.
Vegas Inc sat down with Bradford Rice, general manager at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, to talk about its uniqueness as a nongaming, nonsmoking resort on the Las Vegas Strip, its ongoing renovations and how it’s continuing to drive demand as visitation to Las Vegas remains shaky.
The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.
What, in general, do you think secured Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas this ranking?
What is really undeniable is trying to create unforgettable experiences for guests. That's the core of it in today's luxury traveler — they're really looking for that unforgettable experience. ... We really try to define ourselves as a refined haven. A real oasis. We're a nongaming hotel. We are a nonsmoking hotel. We have two floors of spa in the property as well, three swimming pools. So that haven away from the excitement, where you can get all the excitement and energy outside of the building, but then you want to come back and retreat a little bit, is quite unique in Las Vegas, I think. And the team here has done an incredible job in trying to provide that.
This is the third year the resort has been a leader in its category in the World’s Best Awards. Do you want to talk about that consistency and what keeps customers coming back?
It's really a tribute to the team members who are in the hotel and the amount of teamwork that they provide to our guests and how they work together to provide those great experiences. It's a lot of hard work, and Hilton has been named the No. 1 employer for several years running now, and this is a result of that effort. Meaning: We really try to place our employees in the forefront. We call them team members; put them in the forefront so that they have the empowerment to really take care of our guests.
Can you talk about the resort's unique amenities?
In our spa, we provide all sorts of different types of treatment, as well as fitness and a gym.
We have a pool deck with three swimming pools. We have a cafe outside the deck, as well, and again, it's really a serene swimming pool environment. It's not the one with all the parties going on, so people can relax in cabanas. They can relax in chaise lounges. We have full lunch service out there. We have cocktail service out there, as well, for people to really relax.
And we have a really refined breakfast, as well, in our Zen Kitchen breakfast restaurant. We have three restaurants in the hotel right now. Zen Kitchen serving breakfast and lunch. Then we have our renowned Peacock Alley, which is really a Waldorf Astoria brand story, starting at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and proliferating throughout our hotels.
But on the 23rd floor, overlooking the Strip, we have these amazing views, and we provide a sincerely elegant type of environment — not pretentious — where we have a really great afternoon tea overlooking the Strip. And we have a cocktail lounge called Hard Shake, which also serves meals in the evening, which is super exciting. And then we have a space right now, which I can't share the details quite yet because we're still finalizing it, but we will be working with another concept too. In the next few weeks, we'll probably be able to make an announcement where we'll be having another dinner house in the hotel as well, overlooking the Strip.
That level of culinary mastery is one of our hallmarks. To be able to provide a fine dining dinner house, afternoon tea with really approachable and sincere elegance and a high energy cocktail lounge — all on the same floor, all overlooking the Strip, with a great ... view.
In recent years, the resort’s undergone a lot of renovation. Do you want to talk about those changes?
It's really incredible the investment that the hotel ownership has taken in the hotel property itself. About three years ago, they did a full rooms renovation. They also renovated the lobby and the 23rd floor, where I spoke about the Peacock Alley. Currently, we're renovating our three presidential suites ... and they should be done in the early fall. So that really helps us with our entertainment, sports and VIP guests that come to the hotel needing extra space.
There’s a lot going on in the world right now that has the potential to affect visitation to Las Vegas. How does a resort like Waldorf Astoria make sure it's still somewhere people want to come?
This is a challenge that faces markets all over the United States right now in terms of the hotel industry, and it's a really challenging time, but we're optimistic. ... We have a really strong loyalty program called Hilton Honors. It drives a lot of revenue and a lot of reservations, a lot of advertising — marketing interest — into the property itself. ... We're excited to be part of the Las Vegas community, and it's really exciting to see what the city is doing to try to drive interest and to drive demand into this area.
I don't think (the) challenges are going to lighten up, but at the same time, we're very optimistic and really excited about what the future holds.
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