Sep 2, 2014, 11:56 pm
Last edit by: RedSun
- Globalist breakfast: one entree, one hot drink, one cold drink (data points since Dec 2018)
- Available as room service subject to $10 delivery fee
- Complimentary shoeshine and iron-pressed service for 2 items during your stay, it is available through the ipad.
- Mercedes benz suv and s class (with wifi) available complimentary for drop off only within 10 blocks north or south from PHNY.
- Bicycle is available during warmer month.
Hotel lobby on ground floor. Stairs or elevator to 3rd level to reception area for check-in. Separate elevators to guest room from 4th to 23th floors. No 13th and 24th floors. Spa, gym and pool are on top 25th floor.
Park Hyatt New York REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Feb 2, 2015, 6:05 am
#362
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP (OWE), VA PLAT, EY GLD, SPG PLAT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton DIA, Hertz PC
Posts: 8,527
Feb 2, 2015, 12:31 pm
#363
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DCA IAD BWI
Programs: AS MVP, Hyatt Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Global Entry, Hertz 5*
Posts: 176
My first trip report (ever!):
I have only stayed at the DC Park Hyatt prior to this, and had applied a DSU, so this "regular" 3-night stay - on the 2 free Chase Hyatt card nights and 1 night on cash & points - is not a strictly apples and oranges comparison. This brand new, top of the line property is clearly aiming for the big leagues, but overall could use some polishing up and a year or two in the AAA/farm leagues to gain some experience. That's my reaction, and what follows is my trip report from this past weekend, a belated mini-honeymoon in NYC.
Thurs:
Like most folks have mentioned, the doormen are extremely welcoming (more on that later) at the front door; they asked for my wife and I's name, then directed us upstairs after taking our luggage and promising to deliver it our room.
We checked into the hotel on Thursday night after a evening flight from DCA, and a quick Dial7 reserved cab ride from LGA (someday, that airport will finally have decent public transit to downtown NY, but not anytime soon). At the check-in desk (actually the 3rd floor) the front desk lady was chipper and ready to assist. I was told that I had been upgraded as a Diamond member to a Park Deluxe room facing Central Park (as many have said before, blocked by the Essex House building and others, but eh, I'll take what I can get) and was eligible for a late check out. I specified a 4 p.m. checkout, and she said she would encode that into our keycards.
A small bit of confusion occurred when I inquired about the house car - as it was already 10 p.m., she wasn't sure and had to check, but only after the check-in formalities were complete. This is a minor point, but FD communications with the downstairs doormen and upstairs staff were uniformly lackluster throughout the stay. In any case, we were told the house car (a 2015 Mercedes with water, newspaper, and wifi, although not sure how to take advantage of all of that in ~10 blocks) was not available anymore after several minutes of back and forth. Then we were given keycards to our room, 1801, and told to take the elevators up to the 18th floor.
When we left the elevator, we encountered a wall of wood and mirrors, and got a bit lost. But like a ninja, the tall smiling doorman (can't remember his name, although we asked) emerged with our luggage and took us to our room. Beware, it's a heavy door, so if you have lots of luggage or don't frequent the gym as often as you should, remember that it is a really heavy door. The doorman showed us the 2 closets, the cocktail cabinet, the bathroom (with TV in the mirror), and the iPad. He answered all of our questions and wished us well before he left. We walked to a late night ramen joint (Ippudo west: highly recommended) and walked back. Before we settled in to sleep, we shut the blinds, and they keep the room dark, though not pitch black..
Note: light from the iPad and phone, and even the cocktail cabinet, may keep some photo-sensitive sleepers up.
Due to our (not so...) newlywed status, we were provided a bottle of sparkling wine, gratis, along with a food amenity (chocolate ganache cake? with gold foil) since I declined the HGP 1k pt amenity. A written welcome from the head housekeeper and the spa were also placed on the desk. Among my favorite parts of the room were a series of books on Carnegie hall's history, a box containing a few stamped postcards, the warm and comfortable bathrobes/slippers, and the emergency flashlight (torch, for you Brits) in one of the bedside drawers.
The bed was indeed firm, but Mrs. AD and I weren't really bothered by it. But we can see how folks used to softer mattresses would be uncomfortable. I highly recommend you make this a major factor in your decision making process if your sleep is valuable to you. Turn down service each night included closing all the blinds, setting up slippers, and providing a glass of water on the bedside table. Also, despite the heavy doors, one could hear the slamming of doors and passerby conversation from outside in the hallways from time to time.
The room only had one broken item - but it was the all-important iPad, with the ordering/messaging service. It was charging on the stand, and had weather, time, and music, but upon accessing the "menu" area, nothing happened except a "Retry: No guest" message appeared. As we got in very late Thursday, I decided to defer repair to the morning. But that was not a good first impression. Before going to bed I called it in, and arranged a repairman to come by at 9 am to fix the defective iPad.
Fri:
In the AM, the repairman (all of them are dressed in black shirts and pants) came by as promised and said that was unusual, and took it away for repair.
Later in the morning, we could not figure out how to get the Nespresso machine to work, so we contacted engineering/concierge to have a come in to fix it. Turns out we didn't press the "on" button hidden in the back, I felt like an idiot. The room we were in was (apparently, according to the Nespresso fixit guy) newly opened and we were the first guests in the room, since the day before, he had to manually open the water lines to the room.
Both bathroom and shower rooms were spotless, and numerous times we saw housekeeping staff had made refresh touches (i.e. cleaned tile floor, empty trash/recycle, fold T.P. into a "v" shape, refresh water bottles for cocktail bar cabinet, etc.). After asking for extra coat hangers, we immediately received 4 extra coat hangers.
Breakfast was a room service "57th St Breakfast" brought up on a nicely appointed cart, with side fold-out tabletop wings. Tip: if you want to wait to eat, there's a warming box on the side of the cart, as is extra silverware and condiments on the other side.
I left to visit some friends, and coming back, I went for a dip in the pool. It's on the 25th floor. Exiting the elevator, if you turn left, you hit the somewhat overpriced Spa Nalai, and if you turn right, you see the stairs headed up to the well-appointed gym and the swimming pool on the right. Lockers are in the far right, and I would bring shower shoes or sandals at a minimum. The gym has some top of the line treadmills, yoga mats, and a Concept 2 rower, among other brand new workout machines.
Had a nice couple of laps in the clean two-lane pool, which I was glad had been fixed. The lifeguard said it had been undergoing repairs (?), and that the pool was usually not crowded, except weekends, which I confirmed to be the case. He added that typically doctors, bankers, and lawyers visited, along with European and Asian guests and their families; the only Americans he really saw regularly stayed on points (heh). Many large, thick towels are available as is water in carafe and bottle form. There was a hot tub/jacuzzi my wife and I later used featuring "champagne bubble" jets and a small sauna next to the hot tub we did not use which smelled like mint eucalyptus. The views from the limited number of comfortable chairs surrounding the pool were nice, and for older or less physically robust guests there was an apparently ADA compliant pool lift. The music from selected artists performing at Carnegie Hall enhanced the experience, and overall, it was a great time and the highlight of our stay.
After returning from that, I took my wife to the West Village for an early dinner (Sushi Nakazawa of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" fame). As it was too far for the house car, we proceeded to take a cab (turns out the one and only Gett app we used was the cheapest taxi ride of the week) down to the restaurant. For those of you who have never traveled via car in NYC - avoid it if you can, the traffic is horrible and the subway truly is the fastest form of transportion in the Big Apple.
Upon our return, we were warmly welcomed back by the doormen, and there was hot apple cider in the waiting area behind the lobby front desk. I've seen it change from coffee to fruit-infused water to that throughout the day, which is a nice touch.
The water pressure is greater from the rainforest/waterfall shower from the ceiling versus the angled detachable showerhead. Both the showers can be turned as hot or cold as you like, and the Le Labo bath products are upscale and nice.
Sat:
A long lost high school friend came by to have brunch, and we had a great time in the Back Room at OneFiveSeven. It was wonderful, with delicious food and drink plus superb service. If you are a Diamond member, make sure you charge the breakfast meal(s) to your room, and not your card, as the front desk will have to take off the charges later.
We left and after a long day of shopping and dining, we stopped in the hotel to take a break. Coming down around 7:30 pm to head to the theater (it is Theater Week in NYC, after all, 50% off many Broadway shows, can't beat that...), the house car was unavailable, so we ordered an Uber. The driver was sorely confused so after talking on the phone, I canceled that and tried to hail a taxi. Yet again, fail, because the cabbie said we were better off taking another cab after we told him where we were headed. We exited and ran to the corner of 7th Ave to hail another cab, and eventually made it to the theater, picked up our tickets, and got seated seconds before the curtain lifted and the lights were dimmed (whew!).
Suffice it to say, New York can be difficult for non-New Yorkers to navigate! The bad news is the front desk doesn't seem to know much about restaurants or hot spots outside the immediate area. The good news is the MTA/subway is supremely efficient and goes everywhere, and it super affordable, and even has touchscreen kiosks now on some platforms. If you don't mind doing slightly more walking, you'll definitely get to see more sights and people on the train than in a car or taxi.
Back to the hotel's house cars, at issue is the two available vehicles that are contracted to the PHNY, which are strictly provided to guests on a first-come-first-served basis. If there is only one thing I can mention for this review, it is this: don't depend on it if you need to make a reservation or key appointment, and your BEST bet is to bypass the front desk/concierge, and ask the doormen directly, in person - as they are closest to the drivers and car location information than anyone else. Again, the front desk, on numerous occasions, seemed confused or imprecise about the times, location, and availability of the offered car service - so you are well served to befriend the doormen and get the ground truth from them.
The play was great, and after taking the train to and from a late night dinner spot (Cold Sat. night in January? Zero wait time at Momofuku Ssam bar), we got back to the hotel and got some much-needed rest. Housekeeping had replaced all the toiletries we used up, and provided turn down service without prompting.
Sun:
My wife and I entertained two cousins (one of which was celebrating a birthday) who were in town, at the Back Room for brunch. As on Saturday morning, the food and service were impeccable and friendly. I highly recommend the short rib hash and the lobster salad, along with the kale/apple juice mix. The service we received from our server Eduardo was impressive and he provided us a warm welcome after the meal by providing a special plate of dessert treats for the birthday cousin - which was a spectacular hit. The young cousins commented that someday they hoped to stay at a hotel as posh, and I told them about the Hyatt Chase Visa/HGP program, to which the birthday girl (a Marriott Gold member) said she would sign up for immediately.
After another quick visit to the pool, we decided to clean up and pack up. Before I went to the lobby to check out, I called down to the concierge to send a valet up to help my wife bring down and store the luggage. This was not done, despite two more re-confirmations*.
Back at the lobby, I swung by the concierge desk (? not clearly indicated) and confirmed with a gentlemen that I had just spoken to about a bellhop or someone to help with luggage*. Then I walked to the front desk to check out and the lady there asked about my stay and I discussed how much my wife and I enjoyed the pool. She smiled and printed out my stay folio, but it had the the entire price of the morning's brunch on it - without the removal of the Diamond-amenty-qualified breakfasts. After I pointed it out, it was finally removed, but only after several back-and-forths, printing of receipts, and naming of specific Back Room dishes we ordered (versus dishes ordered by the non-hotel-guest cousins). She did ask if I needed someone to help with luggage, and I declined saying I had already arranged with the concierge. This was just before 4 pm.
After returning to the room, my wife was ready to go, and we waited for 10 minutes. Heaven forbid, right? Normally I wouldn't mind but as we had more things we wanted to get done, with the limited time we had left in NYC, we understandbly wanted to get going. At 4:15 pm, I called and asked a concierge* about the status of the valet - he said one would be sent shortly. My wife insisted we just carry our own luggage down, as she was tired of waiting, and so I called right back to cancel it, and we took our stuff down, to the 1st floor/entry and stored it with the nice reception gals there, who gave us a ticket to retrieve it later. They were helpful and friendly, and later when we got our luggage back they were helpful in pointing out where to find the house car driver (out front, beneath the bright lights of the entrance).
After some errands were run and a quick sprint through Central Park, we returned to the Park Hyatt for the last time, got our bags, and asked the doorman if the house car was available. As it turns out, the doorman was chatting with the house car driver, who immediately introduced himself, and helped us with the bags, and took us to catch our Acela train ride home. He confirmed our destination, gave us a quick introduction of the car and even mentioned he would drive us past Times Square en route to Penn Station to give us a final look at wild, electric New York City.
Overall:
PHNY is worth a stay in NYC if the location, amenities, or high-class (I might not call it First Class entirely) service appeal to you, or your 2 Free Chase Hyatt nights is about to expire. I extended my stay by one night fortunately by calling the Diamond line and finding a cash & points availability on the stay's third night. But it may be worth reconsidering an expensive out-of-pocket stay or costly points redemption if you need seamless service or softer beds/zero light sleeping experience.
The front desk staff at this hotel is good and competent but not outstanding and certainly NOT an enhancement to a guest expecting overseas PH hospitality. It seems they are NOT seasoned and management is invisible. Standouts, however, include the doormen, the staff at the Back Room, and the housekeeping & engineering staff. They are positively welcoming and try their best to exceed customer expectations. The hard product is indeed luxurious and high-end, but it may not suit all guests (particularly those with certain sleep preferences).
In the end, the trip was a success, and the PHNY was centrally located enough to serve as a pleasant home base and transit point between jaunts uptown and to lower manhattan. As my wife and I got in the house car (the nicely appointed 2015 Mercedes) to depart, one of the doormen asked if we were ever coming back. A strange question, but I gave an equally zany answer: "Sure, for my next honeymoon." My wife did not appreciate that answer.
What I meant by that, is when she and I celebrate a future anniversary, and assuming the PHNY can fix its teething pains and polish up its service, in time it could be an outstanding location to stay in and enjoy.
-AD
I have only stayed at the DC Park Hyatt prior to this, and had applied a DSU, so this "regular" 3-night stay - on the 2 free Chase Hyatt card nights and 1 night on cash & points - is not a strictly apples and oranges comparison. This brand new, top of the line property is clearly aiming for the big leagues, but overall could use some polishing up and a year or two in the AAA/farm leagues to gain some experience. That's my reaction, and what follows is my trip report from this past weekend, a belated mini-honeymoon in NYC.
Thurs:
Like most folks have mentioned, the doormen are extremely welcoming (more on that later) at the front door; they asked for my wife and I's name, then directed us upstairs after taking our luggage and promising to deliver it our room.
We checked into the hotel on Thursday night after a evening flight from DCA, and a quick Dial7 reserved cab ride from LGA (someday, that airport will finally have decent public transit to downtown NY, but not anytime soon). At the check-in desk (actually the 3rd floor) the front desk lady was chipper and ready to assist. I was told that I had been upgraded as a Diamond member to a Park Deluxe room facing Central Park (as many have said before, blocked by the Essex House building and others, but eh, I'll take what I can get) and was eligible for a late check out. I specified a 4 p.m. checkout, and she said she would encode that into our keycards.
A small bit of confusion occurred when I inquired about the house car - as it was already 10 p.m., she wasn't sure and had to check, but only after the check-in formalities were complete. This is a minor point, but FD communications with the downstairs doormen and upstairs staff were uniformly lackluster throughout the stay. In any case, we were told the house car (a 2015 Mercedes with water, newspaper, and wifi, although not sure how to take advantage of all of that in ~10 blocks) was not available anymore after several minutes of back and forth. Then we were given keycards to our room, 1801, and told to take the elevators up to the 18th floor.
When we left the elevator, we encountered a wall of wood and mirrors, and got a bit lost. But like a ninja, the tall smiling doorman (can't remember his name, although we asked) emerged with our luggage and took us to our room. Beware, it's a heavy door, so if you have lots of luggage or don't frequent the gym as often as you should, remember that it is a really heavy door. The doorman showed us the 2 closets, the cocktail cabinet, the bathroom (with TV in the mirror), and the iPad. He answered all of our questions and wished us well before he left. We walked to a late night ramen joint (Ippudo west: highly recommended) and walked back. Before we settled in to sleep, we shut the blinds, and they keep the room dark, though not pitch black..
Note: light from the iPad and phone, and even the cocktail cabinet, may keep some photo-sensitive sleepers up.
Due to our (not so...) newlywed status, we were provided a bottle of sparkling wine, gratis, along with a food amenity (chocolate ganache cake? with gold foil) since I declined the HGP 1k pt amenity. A written welcome from the head housekeeper and the spa were also placed on the desk. Among my favorite parts of the room were a series of books on Carnegie hall's history, a box containing a few stamped postcards, the warm and comfortable bathrobes/slippers, and the emergency flashlight (torch, for you Brits) in one of the bedside drawers.
The bed was indeed firm, but Mrs. AD and I weren't really bothered by it. But we can see how folks used to softer mattresses would be uncomfortable. I highly recommend you make this a major factor in your decision making process if your sleep is valuable to you. Turn down service each night included closing all the blinds, setting up slippers, and providing a glass of water on the bedside table. Also, despite the heavy doors, one could hear the slamming of doors and passerby conversation from outside in the hallways from time to time.
The room only had one broken item - but it was the all-important iPad, with the ordering/messaging service. It was charging on the stand, and had weather, time, and music, but upon accessing the "menu" area, nothing happened except a "Retry: No guest" message appeared. As we got in very late Thursday, I decided to defer repair to the morning. But that was not a good first impression. Before going to bed I called it in, and arranged a repairman to come by at 9 am to fix the defective iPad.
Fri:
In the AM, the repairman (all of them are dressed in black shirts and pants) came by as promised and said that was unusual, and took it away for repair.
Later in the morning, we could not figure out how to get the Nespresso machine to work, so we contacted engineering/concierge to have a come in to fix it. Turns out we didn't press the "on" button hidden in the back, I felt like an idiot. The room we were in was (apparently, according to the Nespresso fixit guy) newly opened and we were the first guests in the room, since the day before, he had to manually open the water lines to the room.
Both bathroom and shower rooms were spotless, and numerous times we saw housekeeping staff had made refresh touches (i.e. cleaned tile floor, empty trash/recycle, fold T.P. into a "v" shape, refresh water bottles for cocktail bar cabinet, etc.). After asking for extra coat hangers, we immediately received 4 extra coat hangers.
Breakfast was a room service "57th St Breakfast" brought up on a nicely appointed cart, with side fold-out tabletop wings. Tip: if you want to wait to eat, there's a warming box on the side of the cart, as is extra silverware and condiments on the other side.
I left to visit some friends, and coming back, I went for a dip in the pool. It's on the 25th floor. Exiting the elevator, if you turn left, you hit the somewhat overpriced Spa Nalai, and if you turn right, you see the stairs headed up to the well-appointed gym and the swimming pool on the right. Lockers are in the far right, and I would bring shower shoes or sandals at a minimum. The gym has some top of the line treadmills, yoga mats, and a Concept 2 rower, among other brand new workout machines.
Had a nice couple of laps in the clean two-lane pool, which I was glad had been fixed. The lifeguard said it had been undergoing repairs (?), and that the pool was usually not crowded, except weekends, which I confirmed to be the case. He added that typically doctors, bankers, and lawyers visited, along with European and Asian guests and their families; the only Americans he really saw regularly stayed on points (heh). Many large, thick towels are available as is water in carafe and bottle form. There was a hot tub/jacuzzi my wife and I later used featuring "champagne bubble" jets and a small sauna next to the hot tub we did not use which smelled like mint eucalyptus. The views from the limited number of comfortable chairs surrounding the pool were nice, and for older or less physically robust guests there was an apparently ADA compliant pool lift. The music from selected artists performing at Carnegie Hall enhanced the experience, and overall, it was a great time and the highlight of our stay.
After returning from that, I took my wife to the West Village for an early dinner (Sushi Nakazawa of "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" fame). As it was too far for the house car, we proceeded to take a cab (turns out the one and only Gett app we used was the cheapest taxi ride of the week) down to the restaurant. For those of you who have never traveled via car in NYC - avoid it if you can, the traffic is horrible and the subway truly is the fastest form of transportion in the Big Apple.
Upon our return, we were warmly welcomed back by the doormen, and there was hot apple cider in the waiting area behind the lobby front desk. I've seen it change from coffee to fruit-infused water to that throughout the day, which is a nice touch.
The water pressure is greater from the rainforest/waterfall shower from the ceiling versus the angled detachable showerhead. Both the showers can be turned as hot or cold as you like, and the Le Labo bath products are upscale and nice.
Sat:
A long lost high school friend came by to have brunch, and we had a great time in the Back Room at OneFiveSeven. It was wonderful, with delicious food and drink plus superb service. If you are a Diamond member, make sure you charge the breakfast meal(s) to your room, and not your card, as the front desk will have to take off the charges later.
We left and after a long day of shopping and dining, we stopped in the hotel to take a break. Coming down around 7:30 pm to head to the theater (it is Theater Week in NYC, after all, 50% off many Broadway shows, can't beat that...), the house car was unavailable, so we ordered an Uber. The driver was sorely confused so after talking on the phone, I canceled that and tried to hail a taxi. Yet again, fail, because the cabbie said we were better off taking another cab after we told him where we were headed. We exited and ran to the corner of 7th Ave to hail another cab, and eventually made it to the theater, picked up our tickets, and got seated seconds before the curtain lifted and the lights were dimmed (whew!).
Suffice it to say, New York can be difficult for non-New Yorkers to navigate! The bad news is the front desk doesn't seem to know much about restaurants or hot spots outside the immediate area. The good news is the MTA/subway is supremely efficient and goes everywhere, and it super affordable, and even has touchscreen kiosks now on some platforms. If you don't mind doing slightly more walking, you'll definitely get to see more sights and people on the train than in a car or taxi.
Back to the hotel's house cars, at issue is the two available vehicles that are contracted to the PHNY, which are strictly provided to guests on a first-come-first-served basis. If there is only one thing I can mention for this review, it is this: don't depend on it if you need to make a reservation or key appointment, and your BEST bet is to bypass the front desk/concierge, and ask the doormen directly, in person - as they are closest to the drivers and car location information than anyone else. Again, the front desk, on numerous occasions, seemed confused or imprecise about the times, location, and availability of the offered car service - so you are well served to befriend the doormen and get the ground truth from them.
The play was great, and after taking the train to and from a late night dinner spot (Cold Sat. night in January? Zero wait time at Momofuku Ssam bar), we got back to the hotel and got some much-needed rest. Housekeeping had replaced all the toiletries we used up, and provided turn down service without prompting.
Sun:
My wife and I entertained two cousins (one of which was celebrating a birthday) who were in town, at the Back Room for brunch. As on Saturday morning, the food and service were impeccable and friendly. I highly recommend the short rib hash and the lobster salad, along with the kale/apple juice mix. The service we received from our server Eduardo was impressive and he provided us a warm welcome after the meal by providing a special plate of dessert treats for the birthday cousin - which was a spectacular hit. The young cousins commented that someday they hoped to stay at a hotel as posh, and I told them about the Hyatt Chase Visa/HGP program, to which the birthday girl (a Marriott Gold member) said she would sign up for immediately.
After another quick visit to the pool, we decided to clean up and pack up. Before I went to the lobby to check out, I called down to the concierge to send a valet up to help my wife bring down and store the luggage. This was not done, despite two more re-confirmations*.
Back at the lobby, I swung by the concierge desk (? not clearly indicated) and confirmed with a gentlemen that I had just spoken to about a bellhop or someone to help with luggage*. Then I walked to the front desk to check out and the lady there asked about my stay and I discussed how much my wife and I enjoyed the pool. She smiled and printed out my stay folio, but it had the the entire price of the morning's brunch on it - without the removal of the Diamond-amenty-qualified breakfasts. After I pointed it out, it was finally removed, but only after several back-and-forths, printing of receipts, and naming of specific Back Room dishes we ordered (versus dishes ordered by the non-hotel-guest cousins). She did ask if I needed someone to help with luggage, and I declined saying I had already arranged with the concierge. This was just before 4 pm.
After returning to the room, my wife was ready to go, and we waited for 10 minutes. Heaven forbid, right? Normally I wouldn't mind but as we had more things we wanted to get done, with the limited time we had left in NYC, we understandbly wanted to get going. At 4:15 pm, I called and asked a concierge* about the status of the valet - he said one would be sent shortly. My wife insisted we just carry our own luggage down, as she was tired of waiting, and so I called right back to cancel it, and we took our stuff down, to the 1st floor/entry and stored it with the nice reception gals there, who gave us a ticket to retrieve it later. They were helpful and friendly, and later when we got our luggage back they were helpful in pointing out where to find the house car driver (out front, beneath the bright lights of the entrance).
After some errands were run and a quick sprint through Central Park, we returned to the Park Hyatt for the last time, got our bags, and asked the doorman if the house car was available. As it turns out, the doorman was chatting with the house car driver, who immediately introduced himself, and helped us with the bags, and took us to catch our Acela train ride home. He confirmed our destination, gave us a quick introduction of the car and even mentioned he would drive us past Times Square en route to Penn Station to give us a final look at wild, electric New York City.
Overall:
PHNY is worth a stay in NYC if the location, amenities, or high-class (I might not call it First Class entirely) service appeal to you, or your 2 Free Chase Hyatt nights is about to expire. I extended my stay by one night fortunately by calling the Diamond line and finding a cash & points availability on the stay's third night. But it may be worth reconsidering an expensive out-of-pocket stay or costly points redemption if you need seamless service or softer beds/zero light sleeping experience.
The front desk staff at this hotel is good and competent but not outstanding and certainly NOT an enhancement to a guest expecting overseas PH hospitality. It seems they are NOT seasoned and management is invisible. Standouts, however, include the doormen, the staff at the Back Room, and the housekeeping & engineering staff. They are positively welcoming and try their best to exceed customer expectations. The hard product is indeed luxurious and high-end, but it may not suit all guests (particularly those with certain sleep preferences).
In the end, the trip was a success, and the PHNY was centrally located enough to serve as a pleasant home base and transit point between jaunts uptown and to lower manhattan. As my wife and I got in the house car (the nicely appointed 2015 Mercedes) to depart, one of the doormen asked if we were ever coming back. A strange question, but I gave an equally zany answer: "Sure, for my next honeymoon." My wife did not appreciate that answer.
What I meant by that, is when she and I celebrate a future anniversary, and assuming the PHNY can fix its teething pains and polish up its service, in time it could be an outstanding location to stay in and enjoy.
-AD
Last edited by airbornedaddy; Feb 2, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Feb 2, 2015, 1:46 pm
#364
Join Date: Feb 2013
Programs: Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,252
[U][B]
Overall:
PHNY is worth a stay in NYC if the location, amenities, or high-class (I might not call it First Class entirely) service appeal to you, or your 2 Free Chase Hyatt nights is about to expire. I extended my stay by one night fortunately by calling the Diamond line and finding a cash & points availability on the stay's third night. But it may be worth reconsidering an expensive out-of-pocket stay or costly points redemption if you need seamless service or softer beds/zero light sleeping experience.
-AD
Overall:
PHNY is worth a stay in NYC if the location, amenities, or high-class (I might not call it First Class entirely) service appeal to you, or your 2 Free Chase Hyatt nights is about to expire. I extended my stay by one night fortunately by calling the Diamond line and finding a cash & points availability on the stay's third night. But it may be worth reconsidering an expensive out-of-pocket stay or costly points redemption if you need seamless service or softer beds/zero light sleeping experience.
-AD
Thank you so very much for the bolded comments as I am someone for whom both of those are rather important.
Feb 2, 2015, 10:07 pm
#365
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,453
Thank you. You could not pay me to stay at Times Square. And I curse any taxi driver who tries to cross the west side between 42nd and 48th.
Feb 5, 2015, 12:54 am
#367
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,600
I'd assume it's the usual [email protected] @:-)
Feb 5, 2015, 7:51 am
#368
formerly htang333
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Wi-Fi
Programs: Virtuoso, Top Ranked: Four Seasons (Top 25 Advisor), AMAN (Top 50), Rosewood, Hyatt Prive, etc.
Posts: 1,455
I'd assume it's the usual [email protected] @:-)
thank you!
Feb 9, 2015, 11:11 am
#369
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barcelona
Posts: 3,317
Just figured this would be of interest to those Hyatt junkies out there:
3rd night free if you're booking into a suite
4th night free if you're booking into a Park or Park Deluxe
Good deal IMO.
EDIT: this promo applies to Virtuoso bookings only.
3rd night free if you're booking into a suite
4th night free if you're booking into a Park or Park Deluxe
Good deal IMO.
EDIT: this promo applies to Virtuoso bookings only.
Feb 15, 2015, 3:40 pm
#370
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
PH or Andaz 5th Ave?
It will be a paid stay. Not worried about cost. I am also Diamond.
Location to transportation, good breakfast, and comfort are top priorities. Also, looking for easy/short access to great restaurants.
Your choice?
It will be a paid stay. Not worried about cost. I am also Diamond.
Location to transportation, good breakfast, and comfort are top priorities. Also, looking for easy/short access to great restaurants.
Your choice?
Feb 15, 2015, 5:12 pm
#372
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: San Diego,CA
Posts: 10,083
I agree but the breakfast is outstanding at the Park Hyatt New York too
And some of the team on board is more inspiring
They stole away some of the best team members from other Hyatts including Andaz 5th Avenue
But hands down the reason I would stay at the Andaz 5th avenue going forward
is there outstanding heartfelt management that cares about guests and deeply respects Hyatt Gold Passport guest loyalty and exceeding expectations when possible
Andaz 5th Avenue isnt selling upgrades to Diamonds or restricting inventory and blocking upgrades
Nor seeing Diamonds and other mere program members as a liability
Until their business culture at the Park Hyatt New York becomes people & relationship oriented as opposed to seeing us as upsell candidates
I'll continue to avoid them
At any price for revenue on award
For those that are happy to be in a new hotel with a few warts and wrinkles as it learns at an enormous revenue or point premium it's still a fair choice
With the nicest lobby and dining of any New York Hyatt
And some of the team on board is more inspiring
They stole away some of the best team members from other Hyatts including Andaz 5th Avenue
But hands down the reason I would stay at the Andaz 5th avenue going forward
is there outstanding heartfelt management that cares about guests and deeply respects Hyatt Gold Passport guest loyalty and exceeding expectations when possible
Andaz 5th Avenue isnt selling upgrades to Diamonds or restricting inventory and blocking upgrades
Nor seeing Diamonds and other mere program members as a liability
Until their business culture at the Park Hyatt New York becomes people & relationship oriented as opposed to seeing us as upsell candidates
I'll continue to avoid them
At any price for revenue on award
For those that are happy to be in a new hotel with a few warts and wrinkles as it learns at an enormous revenue or point premium it's still a fair choice
With the nicest lobby and dining of any New York Hyatt
Feb 16, 2015, 7:00 am
#374
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: DTW
Programs: SPG Plt, Hyatt Diamond, DL
Posts: 369
Also, I've noticed their C+P inventory becoming stingy
Feb 24, 2015, 10:41 am
#375
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Providence, RI
Programs: AAEXP, BASlv, UAGold, Hyatt Diam, IHG Plt, SPG Plt, HH Diam, MR Plat, CC Gold, Nat ExecElite
Posts: 440
No Award Availability?
This hotel doesn't seem to have any award availability over the next 3 months except for Sunday nights. I checked every Friday and Saturday until the end of May as well as a few random dates during the week and no nights except Sunday have any award availability. Has this changed recently or has this always been like this? It seems like the hotel is faking their inventory of "low level" rooms or something so they don't have to give out any award stays.