Sonal Dutt is the food and lifestyle director of PEOPLE, overseeing the food, travel and home editorial team. She launched People.com's first lifestyle-focused vertical and celebrity recipe mobile app in 2013. Previously, she was the executive lifestyle editor at Every Day with Rachael Ray and Senior Lifestyle Editor at Woman's Day, and held editorial positions at InStyle, For Me and Details. The Virginia native graduated from James Madison University with degrees in Communications and English, and has a master's degree in Magazine Journalism from New York University. Her passions include cooking, boybands and NFL football.
Many hotels will deliver breakfast to your room. The Waldorf Astoria New York will bring you breakfast with a side of performance -- and history.
At the iconic Manhattan hotel, which reopened in July after an ambitious eight-year renovation that restored the landmark to its art deco grandeur, guests can order a room service package that includes a bespoke bedside preparation of their famous Waldorf salad.
Called The Waldorf Astoria Wake Up, the in-room brunch experience for two people includes a decadent lineup of eggs Benedict with caviar, red velvet pain suisse, freshly-brewed coffee, Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne and the salad, which is hand-tossed and prepared to the diners' liking by a white-gloved attendant. The result: A dish that remains crisp, crunchy and creamy, and that lives up to its legendary name.
The best part: The meal can be enjoyed while guests are still clad in their plush robes and snuggled under the bed covers.
The Wake Up package is available on stays between Jan. 5 and Feb. 17, 2026 and guests with the Hilton Honors American Express Card will receive a special rate when they reserve the package (booking is open until Feb. 13). As an added benefit, members with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card can earn 14x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on purchases -- including on in-room dining and restaurant meals -- at the Waldorf Astoria and other properties.
Created in the 1890s by hotel maître d' Oscar Tschirky, the salad is known for its combination of apples, celery, walnuts and mayonnaise that became an instant classic served around the world.
Today, chef and James Beard Award winner Michael Anthony has thoughtfully updated the salad with a mix of chopped gem lettuce, apples, grapes, celery, cheddar cheese, toasted sunflower seeds and sprouts, and is adapted for the changing seasons. Served at the hotel's Lex Yard restaurant and as part of the room service offering, the salad sits firmly at the intersection of old New York glamour and modern indulgence.
The original Waldorf hotel is also responsible for the invention of the eggs Benedict in the late 1890s and, in 1931, the concept of room service when they first offered elegant in-room dining for guests seeking privacy and discretion.
The private, elevated room service experience is part of a leading a trend in travel: literal quiet luxury.
Hectic schedules and busy family lives have led many, say experts, to prioritize peace, calmness and relaxation on their travels. In fact, according to Hilton's 2026 Trends Report, there's an increase in the number of travelers who are seeking destinations that offer elevated "Huspitality" -- vacations that allow guests to "dial down life's distractions" and find moments of quiet and silence while away from home.
More than half (56 percent) of responders said the top reason they plan to travel is to rest and recharge, and that spoiling themselves with "me time" -- whether that's spa treatments or a lazy room service breakfast in bed -- was high on the agenda.
Along the same lines, 79 percent of travelers say that familiar menu items serve as a source of comfort, according to the report.