The unsettling silence that has fallen over the Waldorf Astoria will soon be broken — by a bun෴ch 🔯of construction noise.
The historic Park Avenue hotel, which has been shuttered since March awaiting🧔 a massive $ꦦ2 billion renovation, has finally hired a de🌺molition crew to begin the project next month, The Post has learned.
Insiders say Hilton Hotels, which operates the Waldorf and owns the rights to🙈 its name, has been sweating bullets lately as Anbang, the Chinese insurance giant that owns the 86-year-old landmark, has stayed stonily silent after boarding up the building in March.
That’s partly because Anbang’s billionaire boss, Wu Xiaohui, has been “detained” by China’s authorities, with rumors swirling that he’s in trouble with the nation’s ruling Communist Party. In July, Bloomberg reported that Anbang may be forced to sell off US assets, including the Waldorf, as Beijing clamps down on cash leavไing the counܫtry.
“There have been some delays involving Chinese real estate groups because of the stricter requirements and a lockdown on Chinese capital flowing out,” said Mark VanStekelenburg, managing direct🌼or of CBRE Hotels.
One source close to Anbang, which bought the Big Apple’s most famous and historic hotel for a record price of $1.95 billion three years ago, insists that the three-year revamp is “on schedule,” with AECOM Tishman slated to begin demolition nex📖t month.
Wrecking crews had to wait for approval from the city’s landmarks department, which didn’t happen until April, the source said, adding that the next few months were spent liquidating the contents of the hotel, including taking inventory of its fancy fixt🎶ures.
Nevertheless, communications between Anbang and Hilton has been strained of late, insiders say. On top of doubts about Anbang’s plans — including whether it intends to keep the building — sources say Hilton execs were blindsided by Anbang’s move to convert most of the 1,413-room⭕ building to condominiums.
Last fall, Anbang s🌠aid it would convert just 321 rooms into condos, leaving 840 hotel rooms. But subsequently, insiders say, Anbang turned the plan upside down, slashing the rooms allotted to the hotel to between 350 and 400.
🍌The move, Hilton officials privately gripe, has reduced the Waldorf, where every US president except President Trump has stayed since Herbert Hoover, into a boutique hotel.
“There was never a hint they would shut the Waldorf down and condo it,” a source close to Hilton told The Post. “Hilton wants a♑ lot more෴ hotel rooms. This was the grandest hotel in the world.”
Hilton officials didn’t immediately comment.
The repercussions could echo far beyond Park Avenue, insiders ꦇsay. That’s because Hilton has licensed out the name to create 29 Waldor💜f Astoria resorts worldwide.
Anbang “has Hilton over a barrel,” the source close to Hilton added, as Hilton’s only means of retaliation would be to revoke Anbang’s license to the Wald♏orf name —ꦉ a move that would effectively tear out the heart of the brand.
“This is your linchpin foဣr selling Waldorf properties,” the source said of the 47-story, Arꦯt Deco landmark at 301 Park Ave. “The entire brand revolves around the Manhattan property.”