zacktravel

http://48lex.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/...nges/index.jsp

Free wine anyone?

zacktravel

Now if I can only find Mr. Right

yyzgigi

I don't see the words free anywhere. Would be nice if true.

Radiant Flyer

I'm currently staying at this hotel, 4 nights.

The wine is not free. There is a lounge/den offering many of the amenities you see in a Regency Club.

Morning - Breakfast pastries,

Afternoon - snacks, cookies, brownies, selection changes daily

Evening - Cheeses, small petit fours.

Beverages - Non- alcoholic are complementary, a nice selection of wine is offered ranging from $8 - $28 a glass.

Diamond Breakfast is a continental breakfast a $13 value they subtract from your final bill if you order another item.

The hotel is modeled after a Pied-ŕ-terre ( small living units ) each room comes with a small kitchenette, (small cooking area) with a dishwasher, refrigerator and a microwave. There is a fully stocked mini bar with a nice selection of wines, beers, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks, they are not complimentary.

Rooms are on the small side but nicely designed and decorated. I was first checked into a premier king, then upgraded to a suite. The room and suite are tiny, but this is midtown NYC. If you are traveling with a companion space is going to be tight. I guess I'm spoiled with the large rooms at the Andaz. The suite is ok if you would like a separate seating area but it's small, comes with a queen bed. I will not being using my Diamond Suite Upgrade Certificates for this. I personally like the layout of the premier king, nice space for one person.

THE PLUS: Service is 5 stars, a very eager to please , go the extra mile kinda of attitude, staff is friendly, professional, very welcoming. Lexington Brass the hotel restaurant is good to very good.

THE MINUS: Gym is way too small, can only hold 2 -3 people. The cardio area is a decent size, it's the weight area I was not happy with. Closet space in the room is also tight, if your planning a long stay not much space to hang your clothes.

In the end I would return if the rates end up being lower than the Andaz. What really makes this place is the 5 star service, staff was amazing, friendly. ^^^Hyatt Lex 48 is a welcomed addition to the Hyatt Collection of hotels in the Big Apple. ( just wish the gym was bigger)

I can't wait to see the NYC Union Square Hotel due to open in 2012.

jmanthetravelman

I have two free suite nights and have been comparing the two hotels via the website and calling Hyatt. Am very glad for the postings here and think I have decided on the Andez...although the Terrace Studio does sound attractive...well like Zacktravel would help if I had a bf to share it with, not so much fun by yourself!

Anyway thanks guys/gals for the info...Also Zack notice you are in the Chicago area too...GO BEARS!

peteropny

Welcome to Flyertalk and our Hyatt forum!!! I think you made the right decision especially since you are unlikely to get the Terrace Studio since the two free suite nights (from the Chase Credit Card I presume) book into the "entry" "base" level suite which is not the Terrace Studio. The Andaz should be considerably nicer than 48 Lex (although it has not been getting very good reviews lately - mostly due to room allocation issues).

JonathanIT

Could you further explain the breakfast situation? I don't quite understand this statement. I'm assuming it's at a restaurant on property. Diamond benefits include "Full breakfast" as per the published T&C, not continental... did you inquire about this? What options did the restaurant have? A credit of $13 seems grossly insufficient considering the NYC location and what most other Hyatt's offer (The Hyatt Regency Irvine, CA breakfast credit I had yesterday was a $20+tax/person for the buffet).

Radiant Flyer

The Diamond Breakfast is a breafast basket of pastries and breads, juice and coffee, a $13 value. If you order something else on the menu they subtract this from your bill. This is only available in the hotel restaurant, not room service. A far cry from the $50 credit at the Andaz which is also available though room service. This is a small hotel as when I ordered room service the host at the front desk delivered it. This may change since the hotel has only been open for about 2 weeks now.

bigguyinpasadena

Thanks for the above respose.
In the master thread on this property there is a report that Diamonds are given a $13 credit towards breakfast-which will cover a small continental breakfast. This seems very meager considering the options that Diamonds are offered at other properties without Regency Clubs.

hotelfanatic

Wow - the Lex created a Diamond Breakfast category. I really hope this idea is contained to this Hyatt. $13 credit for a NYC hotel resturaunt is grossly insufficient. I am getting a bad feeling this will migrate outwards to other properties if this works for the Lex. I for one will not make this my Hyatt of choice in NYC just for this reason - especially for the rates they are charging.

peersteve

Hmmmm..... this Hyatt seems to be very unsettled....is it a Hyatt Place/Summerfield done-up Manhattan-style (and Manhattan room rates)? Or was it a property picked up for overflow from HR Grand Central or Andaz 5th Av?

With the floor-to-ceiling windows, is this a converted office bldg (like the Courtyard on Third at 51st) or previously some small hotel?

Is the stylishness quotient close to the Ren57 nearby?

And the $13 breakfast allotment seems tiny.....(although I recall when the UN Plaza was Hyatt-run a glass of fresh-squeezed OJ was about $13)

TINPA

Few quick answers,

I'm not a big fan of the Ren 57 - I like this much better. It is nothing like a NY-version of a HP/SS. The rooms are definitely full service, just small. And my breakfast was an EW omelette with a big bowl of fresh berries - probably about $25 on the Lexington Brass menu - they told me since I was diamond it was complementary and they didn't even give me the check. Then again they were just figuring all of this out, as I was there on dayi 6.

BTW one of my very favorite restaurants is next door - Avra - a wonderful mediterranean spot. I haven't been there in a while but I love this place! I didn't realize this hotel was right there, and I wouldn't take my teen and her friend to such a nice restaurant but it really is great.

coterie

Stayed for one night last week.

I thought the hotel was a similar concept to Andaz (and not to Seattle's Olive8) but one notch lower in almost everything.

Pros;
Extremely friendly staff.
Nice clean rooms with somewhat of a large bathroom (compared to actual room).
Lexicon lounge is nicely appointed with Illy coffee, magazines, iMac and 4 or so very nice conference rooms. Did not try much of the offerings except for wine.

Cons;
No real benefits of being a diamond in this hotel.
Tiny rooms. Was upgraded to what I think was a premier King, but still was tiny.
Lower breakfast comp rates for diamonds (I was told $17 including drinks. Coffee and OJ came out to $4, so same as Radiant Flyer). You get basically the same thing if you go to the Lexicon lounge in the morning – some of the same pastries, OJ, Illy coffee).
Tiny, tiny gym.
Have to pay for wine at the Lexicon lounge – no free wine hour like the Andaz.
Butler's pantry is not free. Water is $5 (get the same Voss water at the gym for free).

For breakfast, since I had other brunch plans later on, I chose the pastries basket (which is the continental breakfast they refer to). The pastries they brought out - about 5 small ones in all were very good, but cannot see this as being a normal breakfast.

Diamond amenities are 1000 point or pastries (seems they like pastries here).

Overall, an OK hotel, but for the same money, would choose one of the other Andaz in NYC (a few days ago the rate was actually lower for Andaz 5th. Currently at Andaz 5th upgraded to an amazing suite…

PS. I would give them time to get things together.

peteropny

I'll second this - they've been open less than a month after all - and it really sounds like it's a "new concept" for Hyatt - certainly not like a cookie cutter Hyatt Place.

Radiant Flyer

I agree...

What I loved most about this hotel was the service, but I love the Andaz even more because of the amenities, large gym, generous Diamond Breakfast, complimentary mini bar, complimentary evening wine and the rooms are much larger. I would return if the rates end up being much lower than the Andaz. I would not waste a Diamond Suite Upgrade at this hotel. I was in a corner suite... very tiny, the same size of the Andaz Extra Large King, but with a wall dividing the sleeping area and tiny sitting area.