I'm honestly very impressed with this property, especially for $123 a night :-)

I checked in around 9 PM after flying into Newark before the weekend (so I could make sure I'm here just in time for the nor'easter). I thought this property would be a good overnight stay due to the low rates and general proximity to my next hotel and was coming in with pretty low expectations. When I walked in, the front desk agent was speaking on the phone to someone and mentioning that valet would be coming next month (I also got next month answers for suites and the in-hotel restaurant). I was upgraded to a City View King on the 18th floor "with a view of the Empire State Building". Really, it was mostly a straight-on view of the water tanks, but you could see the Empire State Building pretty well if you turned to the left. Regardless, the back-facing position meant the room was really quiet for New York, which was nice.

The room is very green, but it was less off-putting in person. Small, but efficient. The chair and ottoman could be easily moved. The bed was quite comfy - a bit more firm than other Centrics, but the pillows were also much better (a selection of dense and less-dense pillows). Good thick, but still light, covers. Quick climate control. I'm sitting at the desk right now and find it perfectly workable. Lots of outlets and lights. The bathroom is quite nice in design. Great shower with good pressure and HOT water (seriously, I had to turn it to midway between hot and cold to get it comfortable).

Service was a highlight - the front desk agent was very friendly - asking me about my travels in and even walking me to the elevator and holding the door open for me and my luggage (they don't even do this at Park Hyatts). No issue with late checkout.

This was my first time with Butler breakfast (no sandwich shop voucher offered). I pre-ordered the night before and selected 8:30 AM for delivery. The breakfast arrived at my room at 8:19. Was it amazing? No. But, it was passable and not really that bad. The pancakes and bacon were good together for making tacos, and the coffee wasn't bad (though it was hard to open up without making a mess). Is this my preferred way of doing breakfast? Not at all, but it's not as bad as I expected.

Overall, this would be a terrible points redemption right now (25K is higher than the Central Park Thompson), but cash rates are wonderful, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back.