puddy

The restaurant did not offer anything, and I didn't bother with the front desk. We were hungry and ended up going out for coffee and (average at best) bagels from Leo's.

Like I said, the stay was fine, but I wouldn't return. I only stayed here because they had a decent rate and wanted to check off a Thompson hotel from the list. I think it's only a good choice if you want to stay in NYC at a Cat 4 hotel or need to stay in FiDi and can't swing the Andaz.

projectmaximus

Gild Hall is adequate. (Obviously this description is subjective but I think broadly it applies well) If you're seeking a special experience, or if your needs are beyond adequate, then you really want to look elsewhere. It's "cheap" as a cat 4 with generally lower cash prices compared to most comparable hotels for a reason. Literally the only cat 4 Hyatt in Manhattan.

My singular stay there was totally fine, but my needs and expectations are relatively basic. Next trip we are booked at HR Jersey City. Will then be able to compare these two cat 4s and know for the future which one will be our preference moving forward, though I still think if the price is right then I'd rather stay at 50 Bowery or Park South for my budget/tastes. Oh, and as I understand it, Gild Hall isn't a great representation of Thompson.

sbedelman

If it weren't for the silliness at the restaurant this would be my go to place for lower manhattan. The staff at the hotel are great but day after day a plain omelet would drive me nuts and one of the pleasures of this hotel is the intimate European feel so I value being able to eat in the restaurant.

Shame really.

Kacee

Yeah it's 15k points in Manhattan, and thus the only place to burn a Cat 1-4 cert. Time for folks to adjust expectations. I don't expect anything beyond a clean room when burning a Marriott Cat 5 to stay at the RI Downtown/WTC, and I would expect about the same here.

ChurnieEls

I tend to agree, but I think a Cat 1-4 Cert/15k WoH is worth a lot more than a Cat 5 Marriott FNC.

Kacee

I agree the Hyatt program is better and the Hyatt certs thus more valuable. But a Hyatt Cat 1-4 and Marriott Cat 5 are very similar in terms of the types of properties they give access to.

DELee

And trying to find a redemption for either program for certificates at these levels on Manhattan are few and far between.

David

futuramadramallama

(Tl;dr IMO, a nice stay. I'd probably go back.)

Stayed here recently, and the experience had a few similarities to puddy's.

Room: I thought the room (and bathroom) were nicely appointed; no issues with water pressure/temperature, room temperature, cleanliness, or wifi. Room is well stocked with snacks and drinks, but nearly everything has a charge (charges are well labeled). Amenities were typical to Thompson: individual D.S. & Durga, Bowmaker Scent.

Breakfast and Staff: Breakfast menu and hours were similar to others' experiences (except I had room service, explained below). I tried the "American Breakfast" option, and found it nicely prepared: each component was surprisingly tasty. One rather nice touch was the orange juice must've been fresh squeezed (like the kind you might find at a farmer's market). Breakfast hours seem to be both evolving and not correctly quoted on the website, so inquire ahead.

I too was there during a private party, so instead Felice (the restaurant) offered an informal room service option (overall elapsed time, ~30 min). At first, it was a bit of a hassle as it took a few calls to make it happen (there must've been a miscommunication between Felice and the front desk about correct procedure when the former has a private event). That said, once aware of the issue, the staff seemed proactive; desk staffer offered to walk over to the restaurant to ensure the room service request was fulfilled, and [I think] the restaurant manager/host herself delivered the doggie bag to my room. I think this is notable (maybe even laudable) because I've seen several recent reports of apathetic or idle staff at other properties (Hyatt or otherwise, NYC and elsewhere). Other staff experiences were similarly professional-yet-hospitable, though it helps to be courteous I think.

Elevator and Coffee and Neighborhood: The elevator is a bit of a wait at peak times, but IMO, it's probably in the normal range for a building of this height and "average population." Be aware that the lobby [pod] coffee machine is only available from 6am to 10am; one day when I wanted coffee at 10:30am (unaware of the 10am cutoff), they had punctually shut it down already but also made an exception for me. Building doesn't get a lot of sunlight because it's in FiDi, but also has excellent subway access for the same reason; neighborhood felt safe [to me] and almost too quiet.

Overall, I thought it was a decent/nice stay and would go back again, especially given the category level and the fact that Butler is gone.

DELee

Am at the property thru Monday if folks have questions they'd like some boots on the ground to get answers for.

So far biggest issue was asking floors have the ice machines over the house phone and getting bad data so I had to go all the way back to the front desk and ask directly.

David

krazykanuck

I had a one night stay on Thursday and just wanted to note that the free breakfast now has a 4th option, the "Felice Oatmeal" which is described as "warm organic oats, fresh blueberries, and honey." I had the American breakfast, and the eggs were cooked perfectly to my liking, bacon was tasty and crispy, but I thought the breakfast potatoes were pretty bland. Would have preferred toast instead but per the above, didn't want to make a potentially costly substitution error Staff didn't seem to be in a particularly welcoming mood. Didn't explain that I apparently could have had juice (per the post two above) and didn't refill my coffee or anything other than visit once to drop off my plate. That said it still beats Butler by a mile!

As with my prior visit, I was upgraded to the relatively roomy King Deluxe.

coleslaw

Do they actually have ice machines? I remember they had a tiny plastic ice “bucket” on the desk but I don’t remember seeing any ice machines while I was there. I ended up just going to the bar to get ice.

DELee

Yes this hotel does have ice machines. I was told specific floors when I used the house phone which were wrong/incorrect. However when I went down to the front desk and asked directly and specifically, floors 4, 10 and 14 are magic floors for ice machines.

Here's the tiny ice bucket that's in our room:



I've only confirmed the existence of the ice machine on the 4th floor but now I have more confidence of similar machines on the 10th and 14th floors.

David

puddy

Agree on the service. Not exactly welcoming which doesn't really bother me. However, it was like pulling teeth just to get a cup of coffee. When I asked if I needed to sign anything, I got a "Not really" as the server walked away. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ That said, it was a tasty breakfast with perfectly cooked eggs.

bostonpilot

This is my approach to the hotel as well. If I want a "nice" stay in NYC with my wife, I go for one of the higher end properties, usually the PH (yes, I know how many hate the place, but I've always had great stays there), but if its just me and I'm paying, Gild Hall is a great use of a cat 1-4 cert, but I'd suggest that if you can also use a suite upgrade, its actually a pretty nice hotel, especially given the size for a NYC property.

shaker58

3rd overnite stay this year. Asked for larger room and was given a Suite. Great to have the extra space with our dog so enjoyed the upgrade. Finally to eat breakfast at hotel but limited options and hours. My American breakfast didn't come with bread. Waitress said only comes with potato's or bread as a choice. Unfortunately she didn't offer me a choice. My wife got bread with her fruit bowl so it was fine. It appeared the waitress wasn't thrilled serving the hotel guests with breakfast vouchers.
parking was free no issues with billing at checkout