Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, named the best hotel in Sin City in 2024 by Travel + Leisure readers, continues its multimillion-dollar transformation with the recent unveiling of two new bars on the resort’s renovated 23rd floor.
The addition of Peacock Alley, the brand’s signature bar and meeting place, and the debut of Hard Shake, a lounge experience where craft cocktails are enjoyed with long views and direct sightlines down the Las Vegas Strip, mark the completion of another major phase of a property-wide redesign.
“These are two distinct experiences with a nod to Hollywood glamour,” Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas hotel manager Robert Jenny told T+L of the Rockwell Group-designed spaces.
“Every Waldorf [Astoria hotel] has their own interpretation for the clock,” Jenny explained, referring to the signature timepiece in every Peacock Alley bar. “We took inspiration from our location. We have 320 days of sun, so naturally, a sundial was our inspiration. It’s a little sense of place that takes up the entire wall when you come off the elevator.”
Thomas Hart Shelby/Courtesy of Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas
The feather-shaped bar is crowned by a glass canopy, while a nearby custom clear-glass light fixture hangs delicately over the lounge among the muted blue couches and individual seats.
Here, you’ll find guests enjoying afternoon tea—a collection of finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries with the resort’s very own special blended teas, such as The Showgirl, a passionfruit and vanilla black tea, and The Meadows, a crisp, refreshing green tea infused with lemongrass.
“There’s a certain elegance surrounding afternoon tea,” Jenny said. “It’s been so popular that we expanded the seating capacity so we could accommodate the growing demand. It’s such a serene, beautiful space above the fray of the Strip.”
Come nightfall, attention turns to the new Hard Shake cocktail lounge, accented by art decor motifs. Tucked into the former SkyBar space, the glitzy, modern lounge is all about the cocktail. The name itself, Hard Shake, comes from a stylized three-point shaking technique pioneered by Japanese bartender Kazuo Uyeda in which the mixologist rolls and folds the ingredients in the shaker with precise movements. Signature cocktails like The Katana, crafted with Hibiki Harmony whisky with house-spiced Drambuie and a dash of pecan bitters, can be paired with light bites and enjoyed with views of the neon-lit Strip.
“Everything we’ve done,” Jenny explains, “all the small touches, whether it’s the cocktails, tea selections, or the design itself, is meant to draw people together and give them a space to gather and exchange stories.”
The hotel’s renovation started in 2023 with a floor-to-ceiling redesign of all 392 guest rooms, including 57 suites, upgrades to the hotel’s meeting and event space, and the relocation of the lobby and front desk to the ground floor.
