Originally Posted by synthzero

Pleasant surprise: I was able to use an SUA to book an "upper floors" one bedroom suite, which prior to this Thompson had attempted to exclude from upgrades as well as SUAs by calling it part of a "separate" "hotel within a hotel" (which was just an excuse for not honoring upgrades to upper floor rooms). I found this "hotel within a hotel" concept to be very irritating when we stayed here a few years ago and they were out of studio suites so gave us a terrible cramped room NOT on an "upper floor", I called and asked at least for a higher floor room - but no, that was part of a "different" "hotel within a hotel", the manager told me at the time. A "different hotel" with the same lobby, restaurants, elevators, etc... But they seem to have shifted their corporate policy to more closely align with Hyatt standards and lo and behold, my SUA got me confirmed into the 525sf one bedroom suite, PLUS access to the "upper floors" lounge! Which is far more in line with what I would have hoped one could get as a Globalist using an SUA. The photos of the upper floors lounge look quite nice - with a decent spread of food. The Thompson breakfasts are also quite good, usually, so we are certainly looking forward to this trip, now. If this is now Thompson's new treatment of Globalists and SUAs, I am definitely impressed. I still prefer the Park Hyatt across the street, but for considerably fewer points the Thompson Central Park is now a very viable option for a New York trip.

I agree with the comment above that in some ways the "studio suite" feels more open and light, because it doesn't really have a wall between the bed area and the living room... but the one bedroom suite is indeed larger, and that plus access to the lounge is definitely a very nice development.