nba1017

Just completed a three night Valentine's day weekend stay. Some thoughts:

Location

The one major 'problem' with this hotel. I'm a resident New Yorker, know the city very well, and drive all over, and I still found it to be inconvenient. Without a car, you effectively need to take cabs back and forth to any area not on the 4/5 or 1 lines. Nevertheless, if you can stomach the 10-15 minute commute to any place of interest, then it's not really a big issue.


Room Quality

A pretty solid point. The rooms are large by New York standards (450 square feet, or so) and the views are beautiful. It's pointless to stay here without booking a water view, as they run $50 more for the rooms and suites and are just breathtaking. We were in 1221, which was a top floor Statue of Liberty view room (no upgrade as it was a surprisingly busy Valentine's weekend), and were overall impressed. The glass desk and dual chairs functioned very well as a dining table, and the reading chair was very comfortable. The standard five-star comforts were all in place.

Some complaints include very, very poor interior soundproofing. We could clearly hear the baby in the room next to us, as well as a stereo in the room on the other wall. The bathroom door is also very light, meaning that a toilet flush or shower in the middle of the night will wake you up in bed. Another small point is that it took upwards of fifteen minutes to fill the bathtub, which shouldn't really be the case. Finally, the minibar selection was surprisingly poor--eight bags of M&Ms and nothing else of interest.


Service

I'm a little divided on how to assess the service at the hotel. The door staff were excellent--professional and informed regarding the area, particularly regarding parking. The front desk was helpful half of the time and a bit of a pain the rest. Little requests such as extra towels or getting my keycard to work for the seventh time were handled slowly, and while I received small apologies for what were really petty inconveniences, they weren't proactively resolved. Housekeeping was also a bit inept, and despite calling at 11am one day for our room to be cleaned, when we returned at 3pm it was untouched. Finally, and most annoyingly to me, the hotel has a couple of small policies that really stink of nickel-and-diming. A 'corkage fee' and charging for silverware, along with a $6 per person delivery charge for room service borders on egregious, even for New York. I'd much rather pay an extra $50 or so on my room rate than have to sign for a $50 breakfast with an extra $50 in on it. C'est la vie though, I suppose.



All in all, the weekend rates are almost untouchable by New York standards. Coupled with FHR benefits and the 3rd night free promotion, I ended up paying about $700 for three nights with breakfast and a dinner included. For this, I can overlook the location and flaws in service, though if I were paying a midweek rate of $500 or so, I'd probably be less forgiving in my assessment.


Any questions, just ask.

SocialAdept

Got an upcoming stay at $245/night (+$50 food credit) I myself. This being New York that's an unbelievable rate.

The Renaissance 57 is at an equally great $135 same weekend so I'm doing a Marriott mattress run, haha (MegaBonus, 2 stays = 1 free night).

baccarat_king

Ritz Battery Park

2 nights (Friday/Saturday night), this month

Liberty Suite, Club lounge access, 1 Bedroom Larger Suite, 1 King, Bathrooms: 1.5, Water view

Friday, - Sunday,
(2 nights)
995.00
10th Anniversary Offer: 2nd Night at $10, includes see Rate Rules
Estimated government taxes and fees
150.27

So, basically, 2 nights in the Liberty Suite for $1150 (all-in); including Club Lounge Access.

Good deal?

Thoughts on the Liberty Suite? Upgrade possible for a Marriott Platinum?

Also, 4 people (2 adults, 2 teenagers); Marriott Platinum
Will all 4 of us be able to access the lounge?

Spunwasi

I'm going to have argue this point - it's inconvenient if you're running back and forth between Upper East Side museums and your hotel room all day. Otherwise it's 5 minutes from Bowling Green Station, and a 5 minute subway ride from anything a real New Yorker would do...LES, Village, etc.

m.photog

Sounds like a reasonable deal to me. This hotel gets some mixed reviews but we enjoy staying there. The restaurant is nice and has a good Sunday Brunch. Can't speak about the Liberty Suite as we have always had a standard room. Harbor view is nice and the telescope in the room is a nice touch for looking at the Statue of Liberty.

Concierge has always been helpful if that is important to you. As for club access, the first time we visited there we had our daughter who was in her early twenties at the time and nothing was said when we all three walked in.

If you have a little extra time the Museum of Jewish Heritage is across the street. I thought it was very interesting.

http://www.mjhnyc.org

nba1017

I wouldn't really call the UES and UWS any less worthy of "real" New Yorker's attention. My point was simply that, relatively, for your average tourist, the hotel is further from the standard attractions one would want to check off a list.

NYBanker

Except ground zero and liberty island!

NYBanker

sounds like a good deal.

Club will be no problem for all four of you.

Upgrade seems doubtful...but you never know. You might try booking this package via an RC stars agent...if they can book it, you'll get more amenities and potentially a better shot at an upgrade.

Let us know how you enjoy your stay!

ThreeA4Me

Is there a fresher thread available or do no Flyertalkers stay here (have three night stay upcoming)

sonomawine

We stayed for 6 nights at end of August first part of September, and had a wonderful stay. We had a standard Liberty view room with Club Access. The Club was slow most of the time, but when busy it was too crowded. We really enjoyed Max in the Club-- he's iconic. Location was good, and for the most part didn't have issues getting an Uber. Would return again, and am looking forward to it soon.

DrivingRain

good point; Uber is a God-send for this property...

livefromtuscany

Have they done any room refurbishments? When I last stayed there in 2011, the rooms (furniture/fabrics) were already showing some wear & tear...

SocialAdept

When I was there in April I saw no signs of recent refurbishments.

In fact it feels like the RCBP looks more like a JW Marriott in style than an RC, and the city's actual JWM is in a much better spot just below the park. If you want RC in NYC wou should go for the Central Pakr property which is bete rin just about every department.

RCBP has one thing goign for it though. The price can be a rela steal for NYC. In January I'm seeing rates as low as $199.

DrivingRain

I can never seem to find JW Marriotts that compare well to RCs...perhaps I stay at the wrong ones?

Most recent was Grand Rapids which was nice and everything...but absolutely incomparable to the RC Battery Park. The JW had Vegas-like carpeting and simple finishes at every turn, while the RC Battery Park has built-in banquettes in even mid-level suites. Quite different IME.

I certainly agree that the RC Central Park is nicer than the RC Battery Park, but I havent experienced why that relegates Battery Park down to JW Marriott level. My experiences simply dont add up to that particular conclusion.

Maybe a Four Seasons Miami or San Fran would be a better comparison esp given that RC Battery Park had the same original owners and designers...and thus it was unsurprising that it ended up with a very similar look and feel.

m.photog

Our last stay at this hotel was about three years ago. See post #12 in this topic to read my thoughts on the loss of the roof top bar called Rise. It was a great place to relax and its loss was a real shame. Otherwise we have enjoyed this hotel.