IC The Barclay New York Master Thread
#16
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 263
I just made a refundable booking at Intercontinental Times Square as a fallback. I'll post an update on how it plays out.
#17
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,881
This is odd; my reservation for April 29-30th still shows as "confirmed" on the IHG website and nobody from the hotel contacted me. However, the hotel's website and IHG's website both show that no bookings are possible until May 2nd.
I just made a refundable booking at Intercontinental Times Square as a fallback. I'll post an update on how it plays out.
I just made a refundable booking at Intercontinental Times Square as a fallback. I'll post an update on how it plays out.
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Okay so for starters, I now also see room categories changed to show Superior > Deluxe > Premier > Executive > Barclay.
On the opening date, well darn, I have an email from the GM (Mr. Houdre) dated Apr 6 sharing that Apr 19, 2016 will be the opening date. Wonder what went wrong.
Now we are arriving on May 1 for 4 nights and similar to patmcpsu no one from the hotel has reached out to me yet. Actually quite interestingly, I have reached out to them via the general reservations email to inform them that I have 4 single night reservations (all reward nights, hence flexibility is king ) and would like to get the same room assigned for the entire stay period.
Of course, on the general reservations email I still got an auto-reply that said that the hotel is closed for renovations, so I got in touch with some of the sales & Marketing guys listed in the auto-response who were kind enough to talk to their reservations colleagues and convey my request.
Well, as others have said, it promises to be interesting. Hey, if they comp me the nights I'd be okay to be the "guinea pig" as long as there is electricity and running (hot/cold) water. .
On the opening date, well darn, I have an email from the GM (Mr. Houdre) dated Apr 6 sharing that Apr 19, 2016 will be the opening date. Wonder what went wrong.
Now we are arriving on May 1 for 4 nights and similar to patmcpsu no one from the hotel has reached out to me yet. Actually quite interestingly, I have reached out to them via the general reservations email to inform them that I have 4 single night reservations (all reward nights, hence flexibility is king ) and would like to get the same room assigned for the entire stay period.
Of course, on the general reservations email I still got an auto-reply that said that the hotel is closed for renovations, so I got in touch with some of the sales & Marketing guys listed in the auto-response who were kind enough to talk to their reservations colleagues and convey my request.
Well, as others have said, it promises to be interesting. Hey, if they comp me the nights I'd be okay to be the "guinea pig" as long as there is electricity and running (hot/cold) water. .
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
I had a look at the IC Barclay website and there is a small message saying reopening is on Apr 29. I dropped another note to them to see what is going on. I can understand preopening troubles, but at least communicate. Their Facebook page for example is a joke not mentioning anything.
#20
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Well, I pinged the GM and he has been as responsive as ever - respect. Opening is now set for 29 April for already booked guests while new bookings are taken from May 2 onwards. Initial plan of April 19 got delayed by some permit issuance troubles that didn't come through as planned. However, the permits seem to have been received now so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all will be fine.
#21
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 263
I got a very good cash rate (under $200) for Intercontinental Times Square, and I see it as "low risk low reward" in terms of what to expect.
On the other hand, I have an Executive Room booking using 60k points at The Barclay. It will be their opening night, but it sounds like a "soft open". I could see this either being a disorganized mess or a generous grand-opening kind of environment (including awesome upgrades because hardly any other guests will be there).
What do you think?
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Under $200 is definitely tempting and to be honest, if it was a one night stay, personally I would not spend 60k points for a comparable level hotel. YMMV.
My situation is a bit different as I'm staying multiple nights with room rates in the $350++ range and I booked for 50k points and will get 5k back for every night due to the Ambassador 10% reward bonus options I chose upon membership renewal.
My situation is a bit different as I'm staying multiple nights with room rates in the $350++ range and I booked for 50k points and will get 5k back for every night due to the Ambassador 10% reward bonus options I chose upon membership renewal.
#23
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
No reward nights or Chase Anniversary nights being shown on the web from now through April 2017.
Is it a web glitch, something else temporary or more serious than that?
Is it a web glitch, something else temporary or more serious than that?
#24
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
My guess would be it is temporary until they are fully reopened. Reward nights have been available at times and then faded away again so I think it may be preopening jitters. Keep checking regularly is what I would do.
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Okay, so potentially there are not so good news for RA & AMB planning to use reward nights at the IC Barclay. I have been told in writing the following by a Directors level person at the hotel:
"The upgrades will apply for paid stays, but are not eligible on IHG Reward points reservations.
Superior-upgrade to Deluxe
Deluxe-upgrade to Premier
Premier-upgrade to Executive
Executive-upgrade to Barclay King
Barclay King-upgrade to one-bedroom suite
Royal Ambassador's are entitled to an automatic upgrade to an Executive room."
Now what exactly will be offered and what not, especially for RA (as above seems to be the 1-level Ambassador policy) only stay experiences will tell, but given the already smaller rooms at IC Barclay and the fact that the IC TS still honors RA and AMB benefits on reward stays favor may shift to the IC TS at least on awards. A sad development vs. the previous policy.
"The upgrades will apply for paid stays, but are not eligible on IHG Reward points reservations.
Superior-upgrade to Deluxe
Deluxe-upgrade to Premier
Premier-upgrade to Executive
Executive-upgrade to Barclay King
Barclay King-upgrade to one-bedroom suite
Royal Ambassador's are entitled to an automatic upgrade to an Executive room."
Now what exactly will be offered and what not, especially for RA (as above seems to be the 1-level Ambassador policy) only stay experiences will tell, but given the already smaller rooms at IC Barclay and the fact that the IC TS still honors RA and AMB benefits on reward stays favor may shift to the IC TS at least on awards. A sad development vs. the previous policy.
#26
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, AAdvantage Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 263
Okay, so potentially there are not so good news for RA & AMB planning to use reward nights at the IC Barclay. I have been told in writing the following by a Directors level person at the hotel:
"The upgrades will apply for paid stays, but are not eligible on IHG Reward points reservations.
Superior-upgrade to Deluxe
Deluxe-upgrade to Premier
Premier-upgrade to Executive
Executive-upgrade to Barclay King
Barclay King-upgrade to one-bedroom suite
Royal Ambassador's are entitled to an automatic upgrade to an Executive room."
"The upgrades will apply for paid stays, but are not eligible on IHG Reward points reservations.
Superior-upgrade to Deluxe
Deluxe-upgrade to Premier
Premier-upgrade to Executive
Executive-upgrade to Barclay King
Barclay King-upgrade to one-bedroom suite
Royal Ambassador's are entitled to an automatic upgrade to an Executive room."
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Let's see what'll be available post reopening when things "stabilize". In the end this silly "no benefits on reward nights" is a general IHG Rewards program level issue. It is just that so far, to my knowledge, all ICs in the US still chose to extend full RA / AMB benefits regardless of paid or reward stay. YMMV.
#28
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
NYT: A Manhattan Hotel Is Made Over, and a Reporter Wanders Back in Time
http://nyti.ms/1qTcStn
The article does include an image of renovated guest room which the writer had stayed in during his first visit in 1962.
http://nyti.ms/1qTcStn
The biggest changes to the hotel are the additions of two new ballrooms on the second floor, and a 4,500-square-foot suite and terrace on the roof, above the 14th floor.
Zoning rules limit how much floor area a building can have. To compensate for what was added, the architects consolidated the hotel’s offices. They also removed part of the floor slab between the first and second floors, creating a two-story space in which a grand staircase was built.
Among the losses during the renovation was a lovely domed laylight in the lobby ceiling. It could no longer fit there because of all the added structural reinforcement needed to support the ballroom above.
A new, flat laylight has been installed in its place, with translucent panels that are illuminated from behind by LEDs. Ornamental embellishments, like the Barclay’s recurring crossed-arrow motif, will be added later, said Les Faulk, the InterContinental company’s design director.
Zoning rules limit how much floor area a building can have. To compensate for what was added, the architects consolidated the hotel’s offices. They also removed part of the floor slab between the first and second floors, creating a two-story space in which a grand staircase was built.
Among the losses during the renovation was a lovely domed laylight in the lobby ceiling. It could no longer fit there because of all the added structural reinforcement needed to support the ballroom above.
A new, flat laylight has been installed in its place, with translucent panels that are illuminated from behind by LEDs. Ornamental embellishments, like the Barclay’s recurring crossed-arrow motif, will be added later, said Les Faulk, the InterContinental company’s design director.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: PARIS (France)
Programs: AF/KLM Club 2000 | InterContinental Diamond RA |AMEX Plat | Visa Infinite |Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 10,963
NYT: A Manhattan Hotel Is Made Over, and a Reporter Wanders Back in Time
http://nyti.ms/1qTcStn
The article does include an image of renovated guest room which the writer had stayed in during his first visit in 1962.
http://nyti.ms/1qTcStn
The article does include an image of renovated guest room which the writer had stayed in during his first visit in 1962.