Branded residences: a pillar of Hilton’s luxury strategy
Hilton has given a progress update on Branded Residential by Hilton, the group’s division dedicated to branded residences. Most of the progress concerns Waldorf Astoria Residences: the group expects to reach 34 properties and 3,498 homes by 2030, nearly three times the current portfolio.
The idea is to offer the brand’s signature service, “Sincerely Elegant Service“, in a private residential setting, with turnkey management provided by Hilton. Each project is designed to fit its surroundings while keeping the Waldorf Astoria identity. The group often works with leading international architecture firms.
Joe Haughney, vice president, Branded Residential by Hilton, described Waldorf Astoria Residences as one of the most fully realised expressions of Hilton’s luxury growth strategy. He said the brand brings its legendary service, its connection to each destination and the group’s hospitality expertise to private residences in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations.
Florida: a run of price records
Developed by Related Group and Merrimac Ventures, Waldorf Astoria Residences Pompano Beach is the portfolio’s first purely residential project. The 92-home beachfront tower topped out in May and is now 90% sold. A penthouse there sold for around €16.2 million ($18.1 million), the highest residential transaction in Pompano Beach’s history. Completion is scheduled for summer 2027.
The project was already among the developments cited in our analysis of the global branded residences market’s change of scale. According to Hilton, the brand’s arrival has helped transform the image of this long more understated stretch of the South Florida coast.
On the state’s west coast, Waldorf Astoria Residences St. Petersburg, a 50-storey tower marking the brand’s arrival in the region, has passed €178.7 million ($200 million) in sales. A penthouse there sold for around €24.1 million ($27 million), a record for the Tampa Bay area. Completion is scheduled for 2030.
Further south, sales have begun at Waldorf Astoria Residences Sarasota. The project will become the tallest building in downtown Sarasota, with move-in scheduled for 2029. It will focus on wellness and outdoor spaces.
The Gulf: demand confirmed in the UAE
In Abu Dhabi, Waldorf Astoria Residences Yas, which overlooks both the waterfront and a golf course, sold out on its launch day. Elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, Hilton has signed Waldorf Astoria Residences Dubai Islands and recorded a record penthouse sale at Waldorf Astoria Residences Ras Al Khaimah.
According to Dan Wakeling, vice president, Development, Luxury & Residences, EMEA, Hilton, Waldorf Astoria’s heritage in luxury hospitality gives the brand a distinctive position in the residential sector. He said the response to its projects reflects the brand’s enduring appeal among discerning buyers, who seek not only an exceptional home but also a lasting connection with a name synonymous with elegance, hospitality and timeless luxury.
Dan Wakeling, who previously led the announcement of the first Waldorf Astoria in Greece, at Scarlet Bay, sees growing demand from owners and developers across the EMEA region. He is counting on this momentum to take Waldorf Astoria Residences to new luxury destinations, both established and emerging.
The Americas: Mexico, Utah, Texas and the Caribbean
In Mexico, Waldorf Astoria Residences Guadalajara, signed with developer GFA, is the brand’s first standalone residential project in Mexico and in the Caribbean and Latin America region. Construction has started and 53% of the homes are already sold. The architecture is by Gensler and the interior architecture by Cuaik Architects. Completion is scheduled for winter 2029.
In Utah, Waldorf Astoria Residences Deer Valley has launched sales ahead of a 2028 opening. The project is located in Deer Valley East Village, billed as the first major public alpine ski resort developed in North America in more than 40 years. Residents will have direct ski-in, ski-out access to the slopes.
Waldorf Astoria Residences San Miguel de Allende is due to open in 2027 with 24 residences in the heart of this UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mexican city. In the Caribbean, Waldorf Astoria Residences Turks and Caicos Dellis Cay will offer 65 homes in 2030, ranging from beachfront and oceanfront villas to condominium apartments.
In Texas, Waldorf Astoria Residences Texas Hill Country will be located in Fredericksburg, at the heart of the wine region. The offer will include private residences and multi-bedroom villas, with a spa, dining, concierge services and high-end amenities.
Athens, Marbella, Tokyo: EMEA and Asia take up the baton
In Greece, Waldorf Astoria Residences Athens The Ilisian will open at the end of 2026 on the top four floors of the tower that houses the recently opened Conrad Athens The Ilisian. The two brands will thus coexist within a single complex, each with its own architectural identity.
In Spain, Hilton has signed Waldorf Astoria Residences Marbella, in the province of Málaga. The project will comprise 120 branded residences attached to a luxury resort and strengthens the brand’s presence on the Mediterranean.
In Japan, Waldorf Astoria Residences Tokyo Nihonbashi will be the brand’s first residential project in Tokyo. Developed by Mitsui Fudosan Residential with Hilton, it forms part of Tokyo Midtown Nihonbashi, a future mixed-use development that will also include offices and retail. Its 71 homes will have direct access to hotel services and will be well connected to Nihonbashi and Tokyo stations. The first residents are expected in autumn 2027.
Miami, Denver, Punta Cacique: construction moves ahead
In Costa Rica, Waldorf Astoria Residences Costa Rica Punta Cacique has delivered its first Estate Homes. This limited collection comprises 22 large clifftop villas on the Cacique peninsula, in the province of Guanacaste, close to the Nicoya peninsula, one of the world’s five “Blue Zones”. Designed by Garnier Arquitectos, RoblesArq, Gensler and EDSA, the villas measure up to around 1,024 m² and overlook the Gulf of Papagayo and the Pacific.
They are the first private residences under the Waldorf Astoria brand within Punta Cacique, a master-planned estate of around 243 hectares. Priced from around €6.7 million to more than €10.5 million, they are already more than 50% sold. They complement the recently opened Waldorf Astoria resort and the Coral Residences, which have sold out.
In Miami, Waldorf Astoria Residences Miami continues to sell well. On completion in 2028, it will be the tallest residential building on the US East Coast outside New York. The 100-storey tower is designed by Carlos Ott with Sieger Suarez Architects and will house Peacock Alley, the brand’s signature space. Eighty-nine floors have already been poured.
In Colorado, Waldorf Astoria Residences Denver Cherry Creek, developed by PMG, will be the first Waldorf Astoria property in the state. Construction is due to be completed in 2028 and more than 75% of the homes are already sold.
An increasingly standalone model
Analysis – Several of the projects mentioned are standalone residences without an attached hotel, such as Pompano Beach, Guadalajara and Denver Cherry Creek. The brand is thus establishing itself in markets where no Waldorf Astoria hotel has been announced. The pre-sale rates already achieved, from 53% in Guadalajara to 100% at Yas, show that the brand remains attractive to buyers well before completion.
Hilton says its residential pipeline continues to grow in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, and that further announcements are expected by the end of 2026 and beyond. Branded Residential by Hilton now brings together 13 brands and around a hundred residences in operation or under development.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Waldorf Astoria Residences set to nearly triple by 2030
Portfolio target: 34 properties and 3,498 units by 2030
Record sales: Pompano Beach 90% sold ($18.1M penthouse), St. Petersburg past $200M ($27M penthouse)
Sell-outs and pre-sales: Yas sold out on launch day, Denver Cherry Creek 75%+, Guadalajara 53%
New signings: Guadalajara, Marbella (120 units), Dubai Islands, Tokyo Nihonbashi (71 units)
Construction: Miami 100-storey tower at 89 floors poured, completion 2028
