Waldorf Astoria London — Admiralty Arch is on course for a second-quarter 2026 opening, with Hilton confirming the property's culinary programme: Clare Smyth MBE's Coreus and Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud will serve as the hotel's two signature restaurants when doors open later this spring.
The announcement places two of the world's most decorated chefs under one roof at one of London's most historically significant addresses. Smyth and Boulud together hold seven Michelin stars across their existing restaurant portfolios — a credential that signals Hilton's intent to position the Admiralty Arch property at the very top of the London luxury hotel market.
The building
Admiralty Arch sits at the junction of The Mall and Trafalgar Square, commanding views of Buckingham Palace, Nelson's Column and the ceremonial approach to the Palace from St James's Park. Commissioned by King Edward VII as a memorial to Queen Victoria and completed in 1912, the building served for most of the twentieth century as government offices — at various points housing figures including Winston Churchill and, more obliquely, Ian Fleming, whose time in naval intelligence is said to have informed the early James Bond novels.
The conversion to hotel use has been led by the Reuben Brothers, the London-based private investment group, through a long-term lease arrangement. The project has taken several years and has navigated the considerable complexity of adapting a Grade I-listed government building with deeply unusual floor plans into a luxury hotel.
The hotel
The property will open with 100 rooms and suites alongside private residences comprising 17,500 square feet. There is a spa, destination restaurants and bars, and a range of event spaces including a ballroom capable of accommodating up to 320 guests — a significant function revenue opportunity in a city where high-quality ballroom space in landmark buildings commands premium pricing.
The restaurants
Coreus will be Clare Smyth's fine dining expression for the property — a seafood-focused restaurant that she has described as a celebration of the United Kingdom's coastal regions, seas and farms. The maritime theme aligns with the building's naval heritage. Smyth, who trained under Gordon Ramsay and held three Michelin stars at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay before launching Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill, brings one of the most respected culinary reputations in the UK to the project.
Café Boulud brings Daniel Boulud's more accessible, brasserie-format dining to the ground floor offer. Boulud's original Café Boulud has operated in New York for decades; the format typically delivers a broad French-American menu at a price point below his flagship Daniel restaurants, making it well-suited to a hotel dining context where the guest mix includes both destination diners and residents seeking everyday eating.
The market context
The opening adds to a remarkable cluster of luxury hotel activity in London in 2026. Six Senses opened at The Whiteley in Bayswater on 1 March; the St Regis Mayfair is progressing toward its own opening date; and the Hyatt Regency London Olympia is due to follow in April.
For Hilton specifically, the Waldorf Astoria London represents the brand's first presence in the capital under the flag, arriving against a backdrop of growing competitive intensity in London's ultra-luxury segment. Whether the Admiralty Arch location — prestigious but slightly removed from the traditional luxury hotel corridors — positions it as an alternative to The Savoy and Claridge's, or as a destination in its own right by virtue of its unique setting, will be one of the questions 2026 answers.
What is beyond question is that confirming Smyth and Boulud together is a serious opening statement. Both chefs attract significant media attention and a loyal international clientele. For a hotel that needs to establish itself quickly in a competitive market, the culinary programme may prove the most effective marketing investment Hilton has made.