Review: Waldorf Astoria Kuwait City

During my Allegris round the world journey, I spent one night at the 200-room Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, which opened in 2022. Prior to my trip, I asked OMAAT readers where I should stay, given that several new luxury hotels have popped up in Kuwait in recent years.

In the end, I decided on the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, and I’m so happy that I did. This is a phenomenal luxury city hotel, with gorgeous design, an amazing breakfast buffet, excellent elite recognition, and an unusual location, but in a good way (in my opinion). I can’t recommend this hotel enough, and would return in a heartbeat.

Booking the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait

For the night I was staying, the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait was charging ~$400. For this stay, I booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, and took advantage of the $200 hotel credit that’s offered with the Amex Platinum Card, so the stay cost me considerably less out of pocket.

On top of that, for booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, I received several extra perks, including a $100 food and beverage credit (well, more on that below, because there was a small issue there). I also have Hilton Honors Diamond status, so on some level those perks stack.

For what it’s worth, had I redeemed Hilton Honors points, my one night stay would have cost me 80,000 points. Based on my valuation of Hilton Honors points, paying cash was the better value.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait location

The Waldorf Astoria Kuwait has an unconventional location, as it’s connected directly to The Avenues Mall. The Avenues Mall is Kuwait’s biggest mall, and for that matter, one of the biggest in the world.

Okay, by US standards, the concept of a luxury hotel being attached to a mall sounds exceedingly unappealing. Whenever I visit a mall in the US, I fall into a near depression. But it’s a different story in the Middle East, where malls are largely the social hubs where friends and families hang out in their time off. Kuwait is a dry country, and when social interaction doesn’t revolve around alcohol, it does change the dynamics a bit.

Personally I loved the location. The Avenues Mall is probably the nicest mall I’ve ever been in, so I liked the people watching (especially as I was staying on a Friday night, so it was quite the scene). It’s also great to have so many indoor walking opportunities (since it can otherwise be hot in the Middle East for much of the year), as well as access to endless food and beverage outlets.

Now, the catch is that the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait is otherwise isolated a bit from the downtown portion of the city, as it’s located next to a major highway. So while you can stroll out of the hotel and into the mall, expect that you won’t be able to walk anywhere else.

In terms of getting to and from the hotel, it was only a 10-minute drive between Kuwait International Airport (KWI) and the hotel. Since I was flying in first class on Kuwait Airways, I was able to take advantage of the complimentary chauffeur service in both directions.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait lobby & check-in

Upon arriving at the Waldorf Astoria, I was welcomed by a bellman, and escorted into the lobby and to reception. The Waldorf Astoria has a stunning lobby — it doesn’t get much more elegant than this. The lobby has a large atrium, lots of fresh flowers, and is generally spotless and luxurious-feeling.

The check-in process was friendly and efficient. The associate explained all of the hotel’s facilities, and also said I had been upgraded to a king deluxe one bedroom suite, presumably due to a combination of my Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts booking, plus Hilton Honors Diamond status.

I was also given an envelope explaining the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts perks. When I opened the letter, I saw that the unique amenity was reportedly up to $100 worth of limousine service. However, when I booked, it was clear that it was a $100 food and beverage credit.

I brought this to the attention of the front desk supervisor, and she was able to apply the credit as I had been promised in writing by Amex. However, she did claim that this was a problem on Amex’s end, and they’ve been trying to get it fixed.

I hope that’s not actually the case — for what it’s worth, I wouldn’t have booked this way if that were the benefit, since the limousine has no value to me, and other luxury hotels in Kuwait offer generic $100 property credits. So I hope the hotel reconsiders that stance, since this amenity would cause some people to book away from this hotel.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait suite

Upon being checked in, I was escorted up to my suite. The hotel has a total of nine floors, and I was assigned a room on the fourth floor.

The hotel has an atrium spanning all floors of the property, and it’s pretty beautiful, if you ask me. I don’t know why, but I’m a sucker for nice atriums.

The hallways had an equally luxurious design.

I was assigned room 420, located toward the end of the hall and on the right.

The king deluxe one bedroom suites at this hotel are massive, at 1,151 square feet (107 square meters), way bigger than your typical standard hotel suite.

The suite featured a long entryway, with a half bathroom on the left, ahead of the living room area.

The living room was huge, and was broken up into two areas. One area had a proper desk, and a dining table with chairs and a booth. There was then a half partition separating that from the rest of the living room, with a large couch, a couple of chairs, and a TV.

I feel like so many hotel rooms have boring interiors, as owners try to save money and cut costs. This was the opposite extreme, and I was amazed by the amount of attention to detail in the design, from the built-ins and millwork, to the accessories, to the wall treatments, to the art, to the fresh flowers.

Back near the entrance was the minibar setup, with a complimentary Nespresso machine, kettle, and bottled water, plus drinks and snacks for purchase.

There was a door separating the bedroom from the living room. The bed was comfortable, but a bit firmer than I prefer. The bedroom also had a chair, plus a TV.

Then the main bathroom was past the bedroom, and it featured double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet and bidet.

Toiletries were from Acqua Di Parma, in individual bottles (which I like, though I was surprised that the brand standard Aesop toiletries weren’t offered here).

The only thing about the room that didn’t particularly impress me was the view. I suppose that’s not surprising, when you consider that this hotel is connected to a mall off a highway. My room faced the pool in one direction, and the rooftop of the mall in the other direction.

Shortly after checking in, I was brought a delicious welcome amenity with an obscene amount of sugar. In addition to a fruit plate, there was also a three-tier setup with all kinds of sweets, plus two chocolate “bars” that had my Hilton Honors status etched into them. Hah.

All-in-all, I had a very favorable impression of the suite, obviously.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait gym

The Waldorf Astoria Kuwait has a 24/7 gym, located on the second floor. The gym was phenomenal — it had just about every cutting edge machine imaginable. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait pool

The Waldorf Astoria Kuwait has an outdoor pool on the second floor, right down the hall from the gym. I’m not a pool person, but some will no doubt appreciate this. It’s not the biggest resort-style pool that you’ll ever find, but for a hotel at a mall, I’d say it’s pretty darn nice.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait spa

While I didn’t have the chance to use it, the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait has a full service spa, with eight treatment rooms, three hammams, and two vitality pools. You can find the full treatment menu here.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait Ava Restaurant (breakfast)

Ava is the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait’s Mediterranean all-day dining restaurant, and you can find the menu here. The restaurant serves breakfast daily from 6:30AM until 11AM, lunch from 12:30PM until 4:30PM, and dinner from 6:30PM until 11PM. I had breakfast here, as it was included with my rate (and elite status).

It’s a pretty restaurant, with several seating options, from couches to more traditional tables. I was at breakfast for about an hour, and I was the only guest there the entire time, so that was… cool, I guess?

I know I’m a total weirdo, but I love how the restaurant opens up into the mall, so you have an unusual view. The stores in the mall don’t open until later in the morning, so it’s kind of unique to sit here at breakfast and enjoy this deserted mall.

Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait consists of a lavish breakfast buffet, plus the option to order as many a la carte options as you’d like. You can find the a la carte options below.

Breakfast buffets in the Middle East and Southeast Asia are simply on a different level, and this breakfast perfectly exemplified that. It’s not just the quantity of options, but also the quality of everything. The buffet had everything you could possible want. I won’t even start to list the options, because it had just about everything your heart could desire.

A friendly server was at my table immediately to offer me a drink of choice, and I had a cappuccino, which was divine — it was as tasty as it was artsy.

I also decided to order the shakshuka from the menu, which I enjoyed.

What an incredible breakfast, easily the best that I’ve had in a very long time. Gosh, I still dream about this breakfast, weeks later.

Waldorf Kuwait Kuwait Peacock Alley

Every Waldorf Astoria has Peacock Alley, which is the signature bar and lobby lounge concept. At the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, it’s open daily from 8AM until 11PM, so you can come here for a drink, a snack, or a meal.

In the evening I strolled through the lobby and I saw just how lively Peacock Alley was, to the point that nearly every table and couch was taken. Not only that, but there was live music. So I immediately asked for a table, and decided to have something to eat and drink.

Live music is one of my favorite things in the world. Like, I have no interest in going to a concert, but I still love music, especially in settings I’d like to be in anyway. The musicians were were incredible, and I could have listened to them for hours. They had such a diverse range of songs, so I was always excited to see what they’d perform next.

You can find the Peacock Alley food & drink menu here. I brought my laptop down here and enjoyed the ambiance while working. I first had a cappuccino to drink, so that I wouldn’t fall asleep.

I love Middle Eastern food, though unfortunately the menu wasn’t particularly local. So I decided to order the rye bread and prawns, which was essentially a modified avocado toast with prawns. I know, I’m predictable.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait other food & beverage outlets

While I only had dinner at Peacock Alley and breakfast at Ava, the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait has a couple other food and beverage outlets that I should mention:

• There’s Roka, the modern Japanese restaurant that’s open for lunch and dinner; you can find the menu here
• There’s Oxio, the poolside bar that’s open for most of the day; you can find the menu here

Bottom line

The Waldorf Astoria Kuwait is a stellar hotel that I’d highly recommend. The hotel has beautiful design, excellent elite recognition, a delicious breakfast, and a very cool location. I can’t say that spending a night at a hotel connected to a mall was ever on my bucket list, but after staying at the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, I’m sold on the idea.

I’m also so happy I stayed on the weekend, since it made for some great people watching. Malls are still very much a social hub in the Middle East, so I felt like I was in the heart of the action.

What do you make of the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait?