The Waldorf=Astoria Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando Florida hotel, will be the first Waldorf=Astoria built outside New York City. The Waldorf=Astoria Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando Florida hotel will be part of a world-class Hilton resort featuring a 24,000 square foot Spa and Fitness Center with 24 treatment rooms, 18-hole Rees Jones Golf Course, Resort Style Pool with private cabanas. The famous Waldorf=Astoria restaurant and lounge selection of Bull and Bear Restaurant, Peacock Alley Lounge, Oscar's and Sir Harry's Lounge. The 480 acre site is situated just off Epcot Center Drive and is surrounded by the Walt Disney World Resort on three sides with easy access to Sea World, Universal Studios Orlando, the Orlando International Airport (25 minutes) and the Orange County Convention Center (15 minutes).History of Waldorf=Astoria; on March 24, 1893, millionaire William Waldorf Astor opened the 13 story Waldorf Hotel on the site which had formerly boasted his mansion at Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. Four years later, The Waldorf was joined by the 17 story Astoria Hotel, erected on an adjacent site by Waldorf's cousin, John Jacob Astor IV. The corridor built to connect the two buildings became an enduring symbol of the combined Waldorf and Astoria hotels - it is represented by the '=' in The Waldorf=Astoria.In 1929, a decision was made to tear down the original Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in order to erect the Empire State Building and pave the way for a reincarnation 15 blocks north on Park Avenue. The current Waldorf=Astoria opened October 1, 1931 as the world's largest and tallest hotel, a veritable city-within-a-city. In 1949, Conrad Hilton purchased the Waldorf=Astoria. Now 60 years later, Hilton makes history again with the development of the first Waldorf=Astoria hotel outside New York City. The Waldorf=Astoria Bonnet Creek Resort Orlando Florida hotel will emulate the original hotel in elegance, service and amenities that the world's travelers have come to recognize as a leader in the hospitality industry.
