Encouraged by some of the posts which suggest that the post-opening bugs are starting to disappear, I decided to keep this week's stay at the 5th. I checked in a few minutes ago and am just starting to assess what we've got here.

First thing's first: the location is smashing. Bryant Park and the NYPL are right at the entrance and there are great places to eat and drink all around, yet you're not in either the touristy hub-bub of Times Square or the controlled commuter chaos of Grand Central. The Festival of the Americas is on this weekend, so things are a bit more security-focused in the area than one might otherwise expect (read: cops everywhere).

I had a bit of trouble figuring out which doors were the entrance - I tried the corner "the shop" - nope. Then, went left to find another set of closed doors (nope!), finally I looked it up, saw the "on 41st" and went back around the corner to see the entrance at last. Doors were propped open, with nobody in sight, so I just walked in. I made it about five steps before being greeted by a Host who immediately offered me a drink (it's hot, I was sweating).

Water in hand, he proceeded to check me in, which was a quick and quite painless process, with a few interesting notes: the system prompted him to get my email address (Hyatt has been sending me pre-arrival emails all week). He also inquired about newspaper preference (nice) and turndown service preference. He confirmed my Diamond status and walked me through the benefits: complimentary breakfast in either the room or the shop, choice of 1K points or roomlinx or a $15 f&b credit. The hotel is full, so no room upgrade was available (standard Andaz King)... coming from the Andaz XL King at WS

The Host walked me to the room - North tower, so the two elevator business was necessary - and told me about the event space and bar as we did. He was personably and knowledgable - I like this a little more than at WS, where it feels just a bit unnecessary after so many visits. The room itself is a nice example - high floor, although a few more scrapes, paint dings, and wear and tear items than one might expect for such a new property... and I'm guessing they're having some trouble with the carpeting from some odd stretch areas. I really like the furniture as well - the wood adds some much-needed warmth. The air-shaft view is nothing to write home about, and the lighting is a bit less versatile than the WS version of same. My biggest problem is seating: it just plain isn't comfortable enough to work at that desk, which for a midtown hotel seems like a big deal. All due credit to the Parker Meridien: they at least knew to put function first for their office chair. One other small item I noticed: the mini-bar faces towards the door, versus towards the seating area of the room, which seems unintuitive.

I'll post again tomorrow with an update on Roomlinx, the Food & Bev situation, housekeeping comments, and the bathroom/bed situation. So far, however, this seems like a great addition for Hyatt in NYC.