The Tiki Pivot
Originally opened in 1947 by architects Mercer & Mercer, the Waldorf began as a clean post-war modernist hotel. Its defining identity was forged in 1955, when owner Bob Mills commissioned a radical Polynesian Pop overhaul to showcase his collection of black velvet paintings by artist Edgar Leeteg — replacing minimalist interiors with bamboo walls, plaster palm trees, and starry ceilings that remain largely intact today.
The Anselmi-Gomez Era
By the 1990s, the venue had faded into a basic rental hall as East Hastings declined around it. A full cultural revival came in 2010, when musician Thomas Anselmi and restaurateur Ernesto Gomez assumed control, installing analog sound systems and relaunching the complex as a "cultural incubator", drawing international touring acts, a thriving avant-garde arts scene, and The Arrival Agency's now-legendary complex-wide New Year's Eve events.
2013 Heritage Crisis
The revival was nearly erased in January 2013, when the building's owner agreed to sell to condo developer Solterra Group of Companies. A grassroots campaign of 23,000 signatures and a public intervention by Mayor Gregor Robertson forced the City to freeze demolition and grant official heritage status, eventually allowing the Viaggio Hospitality Group to take over and complete a full renovation.
The Multi-Room Ecosystem
The Waldorf operates as four distinct spaces under one roof: Tabu (cap. 153) for full live band and club nights, the Tiki Bar (cap. 90) for immersive DJ sets via its Funktion 1 rig, The Hideaway (cap. 80) for intimate acoustic and comedy events, and an outdoor lot (cap. 500) for festival-scale open-air productions. A basement recording studio stocked with vintage analog gear rounds out the complex; most famously, Skrillex used it to score Spring Breakers during a post-show residency — bartending caesars for staff between sessions.