First things first. I combed through all of the older threads on this hotel since I didn't want to start a new one. However, so many of them led off in different directions or begun to discuss subway options, etc, that I decided to simply start a new thread altogether on this hotel. (So no beating me up for that.)

Alrighty. So, we wanted to hop down to the big city for a 4 night weekend to see some shows, have some great food and enjoy what is NYC. This time around, we opted to use the 50% off redemption award for Plat members, which made this stay just 5000 points per night. Not bad at all for NYC!!!

I was certainly wary of this hotel given some rough reviews here on FT and elsewhere. I knew the hotel was in the process of room remodeling, and hoped we wouldn't be disappointed. I felt it was a gamble, regardless.

Once we arrived, I began to feel better instantly. The lobby was newly appointed and the front desk was heavily staffed with a dedicated Plat/Gold desk that was clearly marked and fully staffed. Early check-in was a breeze and we were fortunate to have been upgraded to a parlor suite on the 40th floor. When we got to the room, it was more than a parlor suite, this was a full suite! So, we had two full baths, a wet bar with stools, a sitting area with three chairs and a couch, a dining table, 2 work desks and at least 4 phones! I would guess we had about 750-800 ft sq, which in NY is like having the state of Delaware!

The rooms were all very freshly renovated and the quality of furnishings and soft goods was all excellent. The view was okay, not great. If one craned one's neck, you could nearly see Times Square. We did, however, have a superior view of the Sheraton Manhattan, for whatever that's worth!

We made our way around 6pm the first day to the Lounge on the 44th floor. It far surpassed my expectations. I spend a lot of time in Sheratons and can tell you this is the best Sheraton Club Lounge (with the possible exception of the Mexico City Maria Isabel Towers Lounge, but that doesn't really count) I've been in. It was heavily staffed with long time employees and also recently redone. Furnishings were of good quality. There was one computer provided with HSIA for club guests along with a printer. The food offerings at night were substantial. Always two hot offerings along with an array of vegetables, crackers & cheese, sweets, and various other things like marinated artichoke hearts, etc. The real difference here was the quality of what was being offered was significantly better than the usual Sam's Club crap that we normally see in club lounges (think chicken wings, mini egg rolls, etc.). This was REAL FOOD that was well presented and constantly refreshed and maintained. What a nice surprise. I'd about given up on club lounges.

And, despite numerous accounts here on FT to the contrary, I will assure you that there was NO CHARGE for soft drinks in the club lounge for the four nights we were there. And, that is the new policy according to staff members. I do not know when it changed, but on numerous occasions, we heard lounge staffers telling new guests that the bar offered complimentary soft drinks. All day long, an array of Tazo teas and Starbucks coffee is offered in the lounge.

But, the highlight of the lounge was the offering they put out for breakfast. This was hands down the best cold breakfast spread I've seen in North America for a mainline hotel lounge. The usual suspects like yogurt, cereals, etc, sure. But also fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries in January!!!!!), Krispy Kreme doughnuts, cold breakfast meats and cheeses, freshly squeezed Orange Juice and freshly squeezed Grapefruit Juice. The staff was exceptionally willing to bring out things that one might want that wasn't offered. We told them how much we loved having the berries and within 30 seconds, out came a bowl of blackberries!!! (Probably $9 worth!) The pastries are real pastries, baked on premise, and not the frozen crappy ones that virtually every hotel in the US now uses. The banana bread is baked freshly from scratch every morning, etc. In sum, this lounge meant that we really could have a legit breakfast each day in the lounge and be well fed. A wonderful surprise!

And, of course, I consider the location of this Sheraton to be almost ideal for my visits to the city. Why? Because it's a very short and enjoyable walk into the heart of Times Square for all the madness there (along with Theater!). And, it's a few blocks away from the real heart of great shopping on Fifth Avenue. We used two nearby subway stations for access to all other areas of the city with no troubles.

I can say that the Sheraton Manhattan was looking pretty tired and run down. I didn't, of course, see the rooms, but it just looked awfully old on the outside.

Regardless, I thought it was important to post this regarding our stay this past weekend at the Sheraton NY. There's an awful lot of mixed info out there about this place and it nearly caused me to rethink my choice of hotels. I'm very pleased we ultimately chose to stay here. With just one exception, every employee we encounted there was exceedingly friendly and genuinely helpful. The concierge staff seemed eager to please and competent.

All in all, this stay was infinitely better than I had expected. Kudos to the management team here for their hard work that is evident here. This may well become my new favorite NY hotel (until it hops up to a CAT 5 or 6, anyway)!