Kacee

Just completed a three night stay. Triple A rate dropped to $135/night which I would describe as ultra-dirt cheap (especially considering I paid $525/night last time I stayed here). I know some on this forum would call the Andaz Suite just a large room, but the living and sleeping spaces are nicely divided and I view this as a fine use for a DSU (although I, too, wish there were a visual divider for the bath/shower). Breakfast buffet had a somewhat limited selection, but quality was excellent. Service was fine. I like the fact that this hotel has a real lobby with seating areas, unlike Andaz 5th Ave. Overall a nice stay and a great value.

PortlySpartacus

With that rate to stay in NYC, superb. I think it being January has something to do with the rate being so low as well. Funny how a reasonable rate in an expensive city/location improves the overall experience

River in Sight

Very similar experience - paid $135/nt over last weekend for a 3 night stay and used a DSU into the Andaz Suite. I had reserved it at $158/nt and checked a couple of days before arrival and found it available for $135 - I was pretty happy with that. I was happy with the room - the only thing I didn't like were the vertical blinds - they way they're setup, at least half of the window is covered at all times. Since the hotel is mostly in the shadow of other buildings anyway, I felt that the blinds made the room even darker than it needed to be during the day.

Anyway, we enjoyed hanging out on Stone Street and found that to be a good option for dinner. The hotel is very convenient to transit and to get back to Penn Station is maybe 25-30 minutes door to door. All the staff were friendly and we enjoyed the breakfast although the staff sure does spend a lot of time complaining about management. There is a Duane Reade across the street for essentials. We were never at the hotel for the wine hour, but cookies were available all day as well as coffee (Nespresso) and tea in the lobby.

We came here from the Park Hyatt and this was definitely a step down but I still enjoyed it.

Kacee

My other downtown stays recently have been at the Conrad, and I think Andaz compares well. The Conrad's location on the river is slightly nicer, but it's much less convenient to transit. Conrad is considerably larger and more impersonal, and the rooms still recall the Embassy Suites which the property used to be.

Mary2e

Had a one night stay over the weekend - at that fabulous $135 per night rate and I burned a DSU. They told me we were given the "deluxe executive suite' which I couldn't find on the website It also didn't look like the Andaz suite in the picture, and as others have said, it's just a very large room with a sleeping alcove off to one side.

We were unimpressed. The room was clean and everything worked well, it was just too sterile for our tastes, and yes, and I wasnt crazy about those clear doors in the bathing and toilet areas.

The living room area was very comfortable with more than enough room to spread out. I found the bed to be very uncomfortable and too low for my taste.

Having all those wrap around windows were also nice.

The rooms are starting to show their wear - I imagine that they get a lot of heavy use given the location.

We had no real issue except for a couple very minor -

• The flooring is separating from the concrete below and "squooshed" as we walked in in the area right in front of the bed.
• We were on the 17th floor, which is the top for the hotel with the residential units above, and apparanetly, at least in the corner/area we were located, the gym for those apartments is located. Even with concrete floors we could hear someone running on the treadmill because it made a squeaking noise that sounded like it was coming through the bathroom walls. It was not bothersome at all, but we couldn't figure out what it was for a bit

The lobby had free coffee and muffins all day, and were were advised of all of our diamond benefits at arrival. We did not have the breakfast in the restaurant because we were there for a wedding the night before and were invited to the bridal brunch the next morning.

Parking was $34 with a voucher provided by the hotel. Given that cab fare to/from the wedding hotel was around $30, we may have been better off staying at Union Square, which was closer to the wedding venue and about $50 a night more expensive.

I'm not nuts about the Wall St location, as I never liked it downtown, so much, that I refused to ever work there I can't imagine people living there.

My husband really didn't like the hotel and said he wouldn't stay there again for free I would stay again if the rate was cheap enough.

Miesque

From my perspective (and I think a few others on here), the only reason to stay at Andaz Wall Street (other than needing to be exactly at that location) is when other hotels you prefer are significantly higher rates. If Andaz Fifth Avenue is within $100 of Andaz Wall Street then its a no brainer to go with Andaz Fifth Avenue.

Andaz Wall Street and the Conrad are pretty comparable, both premium financial district hotels, busy/expensive during the week, quieter/cheaper on weekends, well distanced from the hubbub of midtown and definitely not a touristy hotel (some like myself love that). Most of the differences between the two are reflective of the differences between their respective brands. Conrad is more traditional/conservative and less "hip" than Andaz. I personally find the free range, casually dressed young desk clerks of Andaz to be a bit too casual for a nice hotel (and almost a tad disconcerting), whereas I know some like that. In term of physical condition of facilities, I think the Conrad is much better shape as there is notable wear and tear and Andaz Wall Street. The Conrad often seems to get the term "cold & impersonal" applied to it, but I personally find it very comfortable, so much such that 80% of my NY stays have been there over the past few years.

Kacee

I don't like the street noise or the total lack of a ground floor lobby at Andaz 5th Ave. and would not pay $100 more per night unless I needed to be midtown.

I also like being downtown, reasonably close to SoHo. Union Square is probably the best Hyatt location (along with PH), but the small rooms and reports of inconsistent food/service have scared me off.

mnmag

Re: parking -- street parking is free on Sundays (some streets are free on Sat., too). I will choose the WS location for a weekend stay when I plan to drive my car into the city & park.
The $135/nt rate is worthwhile, as the 5th Ave. property would not have a rate like that available.

Mary2e

I know it's free. But I'd rather not leave a nearly new luxury car sitting on the, pretty much, deserted streets of lower Manhattan overnight In hindsight, I could have brought the older car, but it was still easier to hand it to someone else and not worry about it.

I wouldn't have stayed at Fifth Ave because the wedding was in the East Village - Union Square would have been a bit closer.

bdemaria

+1

Miesque

Very much agree about the street noise and that (plus the shortcoming in the blinds/curtains) is the reason why the Conrad gets the edge for me (unless I need to be Midtown) even though Andaz Fifth is technically a bit nicer. One big positive point for all three is that the rooms are a decent size for Manhattan and I really don't like small rooms, even though that is the norm at most Manhattan hotels.

Kacee

Absolutely 100% agree.

I used to stay regularly at the Sofitel which also has nice size rooms if you spring for the Junior Suite.

ZBigFam

stayed here last night and was upgraded to a beautiful suite (complimentary). I will always be thankful to this hotel because of the way they helped me out in a tough situation. I had gotten back from a business dinner at around 10 and fell asleep and woke up at 4am (caught a 6am flight out of LGA). When I awoke I couldn't find my glasses (I am extremely near sighted). So i proceeded to look throughout the room, took off the bedding looked in the pillows, moved the side tables....all for naught. This was obviously made more difficult by the fact that I was looking for my glasses without my glasses. Anyway, in desperation i called the operator and asked them if they could send someone to help me. They arrived within minutes and helped me look for about 5 minutes, I was about to give up hope when they spotted them...they were on the other side of the very large King bed on the floor in under one of the nooks at the bottom of the bed. I told the gentleman that I would love to tip him but I had no cash and he was so kind and said "don't worry about it, that's what I am here for, let's help you catch your flight"

This gentleman and the Andaz staff saved me from a horrible day and I made my flight. I wish I could have remembered to ask for his name but I was frantically getting ready to leave.

rebyang

breakfast is not as good as before. No brunch? Also kids' buffet price is same as adult's, it's weird.

Biggie Fries

No doubt that the breakfast has gone downhill. The buffet is okay; it used to be good. Diamonds only get buffet. Not sure what would happen if you ordered off of menu, but the egg dishes we saw others ordering weren't up to the old standard, which was pretty good.

I won't even mention that the new Dina Rata has a B sanitary rating (door on Pearl St. side) because, hey, maybe that means that they are working hard to fix it. I will gripe that there is no longer a brunch -- breakfast is over by 10:30. Manhattan these days is a total brunch place, with brunch lasting well into the afternoon ... It would be nice on weekends if they served until noon at least.

Too bad. It's still a cool hotel with some excellent weekend rates from time to time. You used to be able to have everything (better menu, brunch). Now you can't.