Andaz Fifth Avenue (NY) REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Jan 2, 2015, 6:14 pm
#1231
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Sweet Home Chicago
Programs: Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 646
Jan 6, 2015, 11:20 pm
#1232
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Danville, CA, USA;
Programs: UA 1MM, WN CP, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Gold, IC Plat
Posts: 15,722
Visited in mid-December for a 4-night extended weekend stay. Mrs. B was very impressed; however I was fairly non-plussed and still prefer my long-time fav, the Parker Meridien. Here's how it went down:
Check-in was fast. Personally I prefer a counter rather than being in the center of the small lobby, but no big deal. We were greeted promptly and offered a glass of wine (complimentary in the lobby from 6-8pm - nice touch
). SOP is for the desk clerk to take you to the room, another nice touch. As expected we received the splash suite. Sadly it was on the 4th Fl, but I did not feel I had much leverage to complain using a DSU on a C&P rate. I asked about the street noise as the suite faces Fifth but we were told that there were only 8 splash suites (one on each floor) - basically stacked in the same location. So we decided to keep it rather than risk a downgrade.
On the plus side these rooms are quite large - massive by NYC standards. Though it was only 2 of us it could easily have fit a family of 4+ Great views of Empire State and Library, if that's your thing (personally I'd prefer Central Park, but definitely better than facing some ugly edifice). Bathroom was large with a lot of counter space. Complimentary water and soft drinks in frig ^ - I wish every hotel did this so I didn't have to go out and stock up. Internet connection was generally good though facetime calls dropped in the bedroom. Nice comfy sofa.
Minus side - the shower controls were designed by a moron - took me a few minutes to figure out how to operate, and still had difficulty getting the right temp every day. Why they can't use a standard control is beyond me. Also there is no door to the toilet
and very little privacy provided by the swinging doors. Not good for 2 people, much worse if you had more. Much as I hate the standard HR bathrooms, I'd much prefer a normal one to this.
In terms of sleep the bed was pretty firm, a plus for me. The pillows were too soft - for some reason nobody offers hard foam or better yet temperpedic. To my surprise I found that the street noise was not troublesome after midnight, but don't plan to sleep in late on a weekday. And then there are the occasional sirens as Fifth Av is a major artery for emergency services. The bedroom is also far from the door, so there is no hall or elevator noise. There was some pounding music from a holiday party one night, but it stopped by 11 or 12. Blackout shades were very good, though one side stopped about 1" from the bottom. A maintenance guy (who visited to change a light) said that this was unfortunately the best that they could do. Overall good marks for sleeping, but not as quiet as my fav.
As others have noted, the breakfast was incredibly weak given the price. Pathetic compared to the sumptuous meal we received for the same price at the PH Tokyo. We used the door tag most nights - the food arrived on time but was cold. Coffee drinks cool quickly as they are stupidly served in large open saucers. To be fair management offered to send us coffee drinks directly from the restaurant after the first incident, but I find it sad that Starbucks provides better drinks at a fraction of the price (Nearest location is a block up 41st - but it's jammed). Good thing its free, because no way I would pay for this. Note - the famed poppy seed pancakes were unimpressive.
Housekeeping was subpar (as is often the case) - forgot to restock minibar and other misses. The rest of the staff was pleasant though we rarely saw anyone manning the door. Apparently doormen are not included in the rates.
IMO one of the best things about this hotel is the central location. Great for transit as it is close to both eastside and westside lines, as well as Grand Central. $61 on Uber to/from JFK. Easy walking distance to Rock Center, Times Square and some neat rooftop bars at nearby properties. Quick cheap taxi ride to Gramercy Park area, Upper East Side, Village, etc. Really can't be beat unless you want to be close to Central Park (i.e. summer).
Overall I would say the stay was enjoyable. Certainly this is one of the largest and most luxurious rooms I've ever seen in NYC (or any city) and a steal at C&P. Great place to use your DSU! However if I was paying normal rates I would probably stay elsewhere - the value just isn't here.
Check-in was fast. Personally I prefer a counter rather than being in the center of the small lobby, but no big deal. We were greeted promptly and offered a glass of wine (complimentary in the lobby from 6-8pm - nice touch
). SOP is for the desk clerk to take you to the room, another nice touch. As expected we received the splash suite. Sadly it was on the 4th Fl, but I did not feel I had much leverage to complain using a DSU on a C&P rate. I asked about the street noise as the suite faces Fifth but we were told that there were only 8 splash suites (one on each floor) - basically stacked in the same location. So we decided to keep it rather than risk a downgrade.On the plus side these rooms are quite large - massive by NYC standards. Though it was only 2 of us it could easily have fit a family of 4+ Great views of Empire State and Library, if that's your thing (personally I'd prefer Central Park, but definitely better than facing some ugly edifice). Bathroom was large with a lot of counter space. Complimentary water and soft drinks in frig ^ - I wish every hotel did this so I didn't have to go out and stock up. Internet connection was generally good though facetime calls dropped in the bedroom. Nice comfy sofa.
Minus side - the shower controls were designed by a moron - took me a few minutes to figure out how to operate, and still had difficulty getting the right temp every day. Why they can't use a standard control is beyond me. Also there is no door to the toilet
and very little privacy provided by the swinging doors. Not good for 2 people, much worse if you had more. Much as I hate the standard HR bathrooms, I'd much prefer a normal one to this. In terms of sleep the bed was pretty firm, a plus for me. The pillows were too soft - for some reason nobody offers hard foam or better yet temperpedic. To my surprise I found that the street noise was not troublesome after midnight, but don't plan to sleep in late on a weekday. And then there are the occasional sirens as Fifth Av is a major artery for emergency services. The bedroom is also far from the door, so there is no hall or elevator noise. There was some pounding music from a holiday party one night, but it stopped by 11 or 12. Blackout shades were very good, though one side stopped about 1" from the bottom. A maintenance guy (who visited to change a light) said that this was unfortunately the best that they could do. Overall good marks for sleeping, but not as quiet as my fav.
As others have noted, the breakfast was incredibly weak given the price. Pathetic compared to the sumptuous meal we received for the same price at the PH Tokyo. We used the door tag most nights - the food arrived on time but was cold. Coffee drinks cool quickly as they are stupidly served in large open saucers. To be fair management offered to send us coffee drinks directly from the restaurant after the first incident, but I find it sad that Starbucks provides better drinks at a fraction of the price (Nearest location is a block up 41st - but it's jammed). Good thing its free, because no way I would pay for this. Note - the famed poppy seed pancakes were unimpressive.
Housekeeping was subpar (as is often the case) - forgot to restock minibar and other misses. The rest of the staff was pleasant though we rarely saw anyone manning the door. Apparently doormen are not included in the rates.
IMO one of the best things about this hotel is the central location. Great for transit as it is close to both eastside and westside lines, as well as Grand Central. $61 on Uber to/from JFK. Easy walking distance to Rock Center, Times Square and some neat rooftop bars at nearby properties. Quick cheap taxi ride to Gramercy Park area, Upper East Side, Village, etc. Really can't be beat unless you want to be close to Central Park (i.e. summer).
Overall I would say the stay was enjoyable. Certainly this is one of the largest and most luxurious rooms I've ever seen in NYC (or any city) and a steal at C&P. Great place to use your DSU! However if I was paying normal rates I would probably stay elsewhere - the value just isn't here.
Last edited by Boraxo; Jan 6, 2015 at 11:30 pm
Jan 7, 2015, 8:17 am
#1233
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DTW
Programs: SPG Plt, Hyatt Diamond, DL
Posts: 369
I can't believe I forgot to mention this in one of my posts!! The WORST shower controls I've ever used! I'm so glad you mentioned this!!
Yeah, way too sweet and cake-y for me. The skillet (and side of bacon) were delicious though!
Minibar stocking has been a frequent issue for me on multiple stays. No consistency on time of restocking, what items they chose to restock, or whether it was actually done or not. Unfortunately I found that I needed to be proactive.
^^^
Yeah, way too sweet and cake-y for me. The skillet (and side of bacon) were delicious though!
^^^
Jan 19, 2015, 2:38 pm
#1234
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Texas
Programs: Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 454
Just stayed for the long weekend and overall pretty happy. Like others have said, not a fan of the checkin process and it was very hard to tell who worked here. Sometimes I felt like I was bothering them. We started in a Splash suite on the 8th floor but had to move after one night because we could hear the next door rooms music coming through the wall and security said they could not hear it. I offered to move rooms to resolve the issue and they put us in a similar suite on 12 but not a splash suite which was fine as the rooms were close in size. Had no further sound issues after that.
Had breakfast in the room everyday and hit at least $80 but all was removed at checkout without prompting. The breakfast sandwich is awesome as well as the omelet. Much prefer room service to a hotel breakfast in NYC.
if you use Uber or a taxi, walk to the next block since they added the new no left or right turn signs onto 5th ave. Otherwise you have to go a longer route to be able to turn onto the street.
Will come back soon!
Had breakfast in the room everyday and hit at least $80 but all was removed at checkout without prompting. The breakfast sandwich is awesome as well as the omelet. Much prefer room service to a hotel breakfast in NYC.
if you use Uber or a taxi, walk to the next block since they added the new no left or right turn signs onto 5th ave. Otherwise you have to go a longer route to be able to turn onto the street.
Will come back soon!
Jan 20, 2015, 6:11 am
#1235
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Just stayed for the long weekend and overall pretty happy. Like others have said, not a fan of the checkin process and it was very hard to tell who worked here. Sometimes I felt like I was bothering them. We started in a Splash suite on the 8th floor but had to move after one night because we could hear the next door rooms music coming through the wall and security said they could not hear it. I offered to move rooms to resolve the issue and they put us in a similar suite on 12 but not a splash suite which was fine as the rooms were close in size. Had no further sound issues after that.
Had breakfast in the room everyday and hit at least $80 but all was removed at checkout without prompting. The breakfast sandwich is awesome as well as the omelet. Much prefer room service to a hotel breakfast in NYC.
if you use Uber or a taxi, walk to the next block since they added the new no left or right turn signs onto 5th ave. Otherwise you have to go a longer route to be able to turn onto the street.
Will come back soon!
Had breakfast in the room everyday and hit at least $80 but all was removed at checkout without prompting. The breakfast sandwich is awesome as well as the omelet. Much prefer room service to a hotel breakfast in NYC.
if you use Uber or a taxi, walk to the next block since they added the new no left or right turn signs onto 5th ave. Otherwise you have to go a longer route to be able to turn onto the street.
Will come back soon!
1) black out shades appear to be better. Our last stay it seems that there was about a 1/2 inch gap. They've added metal stripping to seal that gap.
2) Room service breakfast is excellent, as you've stated. My wife and kids are huge fans of the french toast here and it was nice each morning. I also like the breakfast sandwich. Our bills were much higher due to the kids but it seems that somewhere in the neighborhood of $85 was taken off each morning
3) I found service here very good. Each day we stood our rollaway up to create more space; each day housekeeping clearly pulled it down to remake it. We had no problems with checkin; greeted at the door and checked in quickly. Our room wasn't quite ready at 4 PM due to being occuppied by a Diamond but they found us one in about 15 minutes...
My real wish list would that toilet room gain a door. But otherwise I find this to be an excellent choice in NYC. Much cheaper than the PH and with a DSU a true suite is great (plus the bath tub room creates a buffer space)
FDW
Jan 20, 2015, 11:05 am
#1236
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,260
Very happy to read there has been some improvements made as the blackout shade gaps for the Splash suite was the biggest issue I had for my one stay and makes it more likely I will return with greater frequency. ^
Jan 20, 2015, 12:38 pm
#1237
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
FDW
Feb 25, 2015, 9:50 am
#1240
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: RDU
Posts: 735
Feb 25, 2015, 10:33 am
#1241
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,260
Yes, its a full cash rate (well AAA but I consider that full cash) and I just checked and there is no Splash Suite available (ironically it looks like every other conceivable suite there is available). I will check to see if that changes and if so will retry. Thanks for info
Feb 25, 2015, 9:21 pm
#1242
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 415
I am looking at a AAA rate of $292 for 4th of July weekend... Is that a good rate for the Andaz King? No C + P available. But I can confirm DSU with the AAA rate.
The PH NY is also available with C+P $300 + 15,000 (which is really 12,000 with the current points back promo) and DSU is available also.
The PH NY is also available with C+P $300 + 15,000 (which is really 12,000 with the current points back promo) and DSU is available also.
Last edited by ENFO; Feb 25, 2015 at 9:27 pm
Feb 26, 2015, 7:15 am
#1243
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,260
I am looking at a AAA rate of $292 for 4th of July weekend... Is that a good rate for the Andaz King? No C + P available. But I can confirm DSU with the AAA rate.
The PH NY is also available with C+P $300 + 15,000 (which is really 12,000 with the current points back promo) and DSU is available also.
The PH NY is also available with C+P $300 + 15,000 (which is really 12,000 with the current points back promo) and DSU is available also.
From my perspective anything under $300 is a pretty good deal for Andaz Fifth, the lowest I have seen it is $240.
Feb 26, 2015, 9:20 pm
#1244
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 415
Mar 6, 2015, 11:50 am
#1245
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond. SPG Plat. Marriott Plat.
Posts: 522
Another possibility is to inquire about a paid upgrade at time of check in (if its in your budget). During my most recent stay over Thanksgiving weekend (hotel was near capacity at check in, and at capacity by Day 2 of my stay), the only suite available was a single Terrace suite, and it was offered at a slight upcharge.