Workers were busy taking down the swirly, glass-globe chandelier in the huge domed foyer of the marbled lobby of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando when I arrived. It seemed perfectly OK to me, but it was about to be replaced with a fancy crystal one from the Czech Republic, complete with handmade leaves.
After a year-long, multi-million dollar, top-to-tail rolling renovation, this glittery fixture is the finishing touch to the reimagined hotel. It hangs over the imposing clock centerpiece — a reference to the iconic Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan, which opened in 1931.
One of 34 hotels under the Waldorf marquee, a division of Hilton Hotels, the Orlando outpost is the only purpose-built hotel in that portfolio (aside from the original). Nestled on Disney property within the 482-acre Bonnet Creek preserve, it opened in 2007 and was looking tired. Now, the livery hotel blends Art Deco with South Florida motifs.
Designed by Parker Torres, gone are dark spaces. Light has been let in throughout, and neutral palettes and giant green fronds added.