GUWonder

Are the hotel's "Bigelow" soaps ever placed in the room as individually wrapped soaps, or is it that Andaz's supply of them is from a big package of soap bars that are not individually wrapped?

NDDomer86

They do come individually wrapped (at least it did when I requested extra at the Andaz Wall Street) but housekeeping always seems to unwrap them when placing them in the rooms.

GM at Andaz 5th Avenue

Hello Flyertalk friends,

Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays!

There has been much discussion about which suite is used for the Diamond Suite upgrade certificates. I wanted to take a moment to clarify this.

We currently offer either one of the following - an upgrade to an Andaz Large Loft which is an open plan 675 sq foot loft or an Andaz Suite which range in size between 519 and 612 sq feet. The Andaz Suites have only just opened. This is why we only initially offered the Andaz Large Loft. Some guests prefer the 12 foot ceilings and more open plan style of the Large Loft and some prefer the suite with the door between the lounge area and the bedroom. You can make your preference at time of reservation.

The reason why some of you were upgraded further to a Splash Suite was because of a lack of availability of Large Lofts. This was simply 'luck of the draw.' The Splash Suites are not eligible suites for the Diamond Suite upgrade certificates.

I hope this clarifies the matter, Please don't hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Jonathan

AN-Diamond

Hi Jonathon,

My understanding of the T&C's of the Hyatt program was that as a Diamond member I was entitled to the best avaliable room at check-in with the exception of suites, and that suites are defined as having a seperate bedroom - if thats the case, why wouldnt a Diamond member recieve an upgrade to a Large Loft on check-in without having to use a suite upgrade certificate (subject of course to avaliability).

With that said, I am really looking forward to my stay at the Andaz 5th Ave in January, I have really enjoyed staying at the other US Andaz's (and my last stay in London was much better than my previous ones).

I am using an upgrade cert for my stay, and was told it was to an Andaz Suite (no choice given).

Also, as a random question, why no e-concierge for this property? I usually dont use it, but sometimes it just seems easier to organise transfers etc through the hotel via the e-concierge than arranging things from the other side of the planet.

Matt

bmw303

There are many suites in several Hyatt Hotels that do not have a separate bedroom. Often times these are classified as "Petite" or "Junior" Suites. So it really comes down to how the hotel classifies the room (either as a suite or a room)

With that said, many Hyatt hotels upgrade Diamonds to suites and every hotel that I have gone to that have the one-room only (junior) suites generally upgrade diamond to the junior "suite" if its available. So I would agree that it would be nice if the Andaz upgraded Diamonds to the large loft.

ma91pmh

Jonathan - thanks for the clarification on diamond certificate upgrades. I was just looking at a January booking though and according to hyatt.com the large loft is 483 square feet not the 675 you quote below?

laxsnaogg

To answer your q; I just used points for a suite, and was told it would be the "Andaz Suite", which is the 519 sq ft room. My confirmation email indicates as such.

feeb1

Just returned from a 2-night stay in NYC at the Andaz 5th Avenue. We had an Andaz Suite room on the 12th floor, and it was perfect for us -- great table for reading, using laptop, or eating, the chairs were comfy, and we loved the complementary beverages in the fridge. Really appreciated the generously-sized bath towels. Wireless internet was fast. Room service (for Diamond breakfast) was right on time and food was delicious and very prompt, and dinner in the restaurant was also quite good.

I can't say enough about the Host staff -- they were all professional, pleasant, and very competent in dealing with anything that came up. One example is the unusual situation we had at check-in -- because of the snow, 41st was impassable, so we could not pull up to the hotel entrance but had to stop on 5th Avenue. One of us went to tell the host our situation, and he took care of everything -- told us to stay with the car on 5th, and then he came along with the valet to park our car while the host carried our luggage from 5th Ave. He made us feel taken care of after a difficult journey, and got our stay off to a great start!

We had a wonderful first stay at this hotel, and will definitely be returning in the future!

chalf

I had a four night award stay at the Andaz 5th Avenue over the weekend preceding Christmas. Everything about the hotel was outstanding and incredibly welcoming. We had a very spacious room on the 8th floor. The breakfast in The Shop was outstanding, and as a Diamond unbelievably good value considering the amount we paid for the room ($0, as an award stay). We also appreciated the complimentary tea/coffee/water/wine in the lobby for guests; it is a small but much appreciated gesture to make gusts feel at home and in a more intimate environment. We even stopped by when sightseeing in the area just for a break. The staff is also extremely helpful and friendly, and truly seems interested in ensuring that guests have a high-quality and relaxing experience. I would gladly stay again either on business or pleasure.

The only "complaint" is that the quality of the room service tea preparation was not the same as in The Shop and was variable, despite a 50% higher price plus room service surcharges. That said, it was still outstanding.

mrakant

This is one of the best Hyatt hotel I have stayed world wide. Room is excellent, staff is great and food is fantastic!

I would rate Andaz to be far better than some of the other high end properties I have stayed in NYC and around the world. Next stay I would like to stay at North section ie court yard rooms and see the difference.

Thanks Jonathan!

Arun

mrakant

I would like GM to clarify what type of rooms are avaiable for points stay because I found out reservation just said only one CAT room is avl?

IndyJeffrey

I recently completed an award stay at the Andaz 5th Ave and had read all of this thread prior to my decision to give it a try. Based on all the useful feedback, I decided to join FlyerTalk and become a participant.

I had great email interaction with the GM in advance of my staff and enjoyed my one night in one of the larger loft rooms. I encountered none of the lighting or HVAC issues mentioned earlier in the thread, so perhaps your feedback and refinements over time have resolved them.

I founds all of the staff warm, approachable, and helpful and the only hiccup in that regard was not being offered the small exit amenity at check-out. The fitness center was much larger and had more equipment than I would have believed from the web site images. Wasn't around to try the evening wine reception and the coffee machine in the a.m. was behind cabinet doors so I'm not sure if you ask a staff to get it for you, DIY?

Had breakfast in the restaurant on Sunday morning and enjoyed it quite a bit. Service was very efficient if a tad impersonal. Had cocktails in The Bar downstairs the evening prior and had a fantastic server who spent considerable time chatting with us.

Like others I found the desk chair unsuitable for long periods of time and I would hate it if I was staying for multiple days on a business trip. One long-term issue (IMHO) is that the beds are low to the ground ... as is the amoeba-shaped sofa. That's not going to be a good fit for anyone with even the slightest of mobility issues.

Hated the soaps and shampoos and can't believe Tony Chi is so vain in his design approach to eliminate hooks for damp workout gear or towels. Just where does he think people are going to put those things?

Was at the Grand Hyatt the next evening and missed some of the warmth and style of the Andaz. But the new Market in the GH lobby and some of the other changes along the way will help improve that hustle and bustle experience as well.

mrakant

We moved in to Andaz after staying at Penn. My wife and myself really fell in love with Andaz.

1. She loves the layout of room and bath room and loves the big space.

2. I have been very sick of BF at Hyatt and other hotels but in room BF (pancakes, fresh juice) were fantastic. First time in a hotel a good coffee came with rally hot milk. Well done. Other Hyatt needs to learn from Andaz.

3. Wifi works like a charm. Free drinks etc in room and wine etc in lobby is a great choice to have...

4. May be we are small built we loved the sofa to stretch our legs and sit down and surf with our iPads

5. The desk is simple we have no complaints but the chair looks good now but we see maintenance will be difficult for it. We have seen few bolts which keeps the leather and wood together coming out. Also this chair may not be suitable if you are on heavy side.

6. We find TV is at right place and viewing is easy without straining your neck.

7. The pillows are BAD. Too soft and not suitable for good night sleep. We need to put three pillows together to get a good feel.

8. Bath room should have a place to hang wet towels or gym cloths. A very serious limitation.

9. Hot water from shower - still having issues some time with varying temperatures when taking showers.

10. Final comments from my wife....this hotel may not suit people who are not used to European feel and looking for flower drapes and bed spreads. Well suited for younger generation.

10. The check in staff are very good but need to explain clearly about special events and other hotel details to new guests. I found ot about new year events only from a guest while waiting in lobby!

Overall we give this hotel 5 stars and I am sure they will improve.

jayer

As in the Hotel Pennsylvania? I thought that place hadn't been redone since the last time Glenn Miller left for Europe. I like the Andaz too, but doesn't almost anywhere look good after the Pennsylvania?

RichardInSF

I think the reference might be to the Peninsula, a hotel in midtown east, which is part of a medium-sized luxury chain headquartered in Hong Kong. But re-reading it, it could also mean a stay somewhere in the state of Pennsylvania.