sanjeev

I'd like to get opinions on the 2 Manhattan hotels. Which on people prefer, why, room sizes, service, etc. And what sort of upgrade did people receive as a SCCS member, particularly if they used a weekend or Web saver rate?

Thanks!

jsm

Our crack travel department wants us to stay at an IC in New York on a trip in Feb. What do people think of the Intercontinental Central Park and the Intercontinental on 48th street.

Thanks for the help!

2 Many Miles

I spent 80 days at the Central Park South property, and about 15 at the 48th St. Property last year.

They're both nice hotels, but the CPS property has THE BEST hotel staff in all of NYC. Because it's a small hotel, they can treat you extra-special.

It's my home more than my appartment in Boston is...

SMS

Hi,

I just booked the IC New York (the one in town not the Central Park)and as a new SCC member I was wondering, what I can expect.

I have reserved a superior junior suite and arranged a pick up at the airport.

Is it likly that I will get an even better room?

Does this pronto when picking up at the airport really work?

How is the IC in New York, are the rooms and service nice?

Thanks for your feedback.

---
SMS

UpgradeMe

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum62/HTML/000026.html

Jim90068

I stayed at the NY Intercontinental for a weekend in mid-April.

Checked in on Friday nite, was told that I'd be upgraded to their newly renovated floor.......very nice room, pretty much standard size, but beautiful new furniture, wallcovering and carpets......& the same old bath room.

However......in refurnishing the rooms, they rearranged the furniture so that the bed no longer was placed on the wall facing the window, and away from the door. They placed the bed so that it was parallel to the window, and so that the side of the bed faced the door. It doesn't seem like it would be a problem, except that at night, the hallway light shines through the bottom of the door and throws a lot of light toward your face, if you happen to sleep facing that way.

On Saturday when we returned from a day out in the city, we were rushing to get ready for an evening event, when we noticed that the bathroom had sprung a leak, and there was water dripping from the ceiling over the toilet. We called the front desk, explained the problem. They told us to stick around, someone would call right back. Ten minutes later, a second call to the front desk got no response either. A third call to the assistant manager got a response.....a serviceman, and a change to another room.

The new room was also one of the newly renovated rooms, with again the same furniture placement problem as in the other room.

When we checked out the next day, when asked how our stay was, I related the problem to the desk clerk, and she smirked condescendingly "well, you know those rooms have just been redone......something is bound to happen".

I wrote a letter to the manager as soon as I got home, and much to the hotel's credit, they refunded one night of our weekend room charge.

I'll give them another try, next time I'm in the city.


[This message has been edited by Jim90068 (edited 05-30-2001).]

doc

Host hotel of the 2000 Freddie Awards!

db7

Just booked a stay at the Barclay - they are advertising refurbished rooms - can anyone advise on how they differ from the old rooms

Shareholder

They are less dowdy and furnished with new desks, armoirs, wallpaper, etc. Standard rooms are not too small, and the beds are quite high, almost as if on a podium.

I was somewhat disappointed by the way they treat SCC members, or rather do not treat us, there. Having stayed at the Barclay last fall, I can only suggest ensuring you get a room that faces into the street, because anything else will have the sound of air conditioners, heaters and other mechanical units coming through the windows which are poorly soundproofed. Very badly designed hotel in this regard, but typical of those build during the period it was to maximize the number of rooms that could be put on a floor. I have heard better things about the new property up by Central Park. You might want to reconsider unless you really must be near Grand Central Station. I cannot recommend a stay here, since my comments card containing not a few negatives, was never responded to. Which is very unusual, since I just got a call from the Food Services manager at a HI who was concerned that I only rated his restaurant a "fair".

Jim90068

Stayed there last year in one of the renovated rooms. Nice new furniture and wall coverings...same old plumbing, windows and a/c.

The problem I has was that the decorator they used move the placement of the furniture around so that 1) the bed new was directly in the a/c and heat stream from the ceiling vents and, 2) the bed faced the doorway, so if you happened to sleep on your left side, you faced the door and the light streaming under the door.

While we stayed there, our bathroom developed a plunbing leak, so that there was a steady and someowhat voluminous drip from the ceiling onto the toilet. It took over an hour for anyone from the front desk to realize the severity of the problem. They moved us finally to another renovated room with the same furniture placement issues.

Probably won't stay there again.

b/t/w their restaurant service stunk.

Norway_Asia

I just also stayed there in the beginning of June. As a SCC member, I think I was upgrade to a better room....

It was nothing to write home about.

I called "housekeeping" to get a " European converter plug" - and had to wait 1 hour, with a total of 3 calls. Amazingly low-service level (in my personal opinion).

Maybe I was just "unlucky"....

If I had to pay for the room - I would not choose it again. (Unless it was around $100).

Shareholder

No, sounds like their standard low level of service. Still heard nothing from management based on the comment card left when I checked out. At other hotels when I have left such cards, positive or negative comments, I always get a letter or email or even a call from someone as follow up.

As I noted before, if you must stay at an IC in New York, try the one on Central Park, and keep clear of the Barclay.

miAAflyer

I agree with the prior posts. The Barclay is terrible. No special treatment for 6 Continents--the fruit in the room was disgusting and the non-smoking room smelled of smoke. CP South is a much better bet.

B Watson

Terrible hotel made much worse by the renovation - it least it used to have taste!

SCC member service is just as bad as their treatment of eveyrone - I am SCC ONLY due to Amex Centurion - I would never pay for the privlage of Intercontinental treatment - hotel chain of last resort for me.

Shareholder

If the Barclay was your only IC experience as a SCC member, then I recommend you try one of their other properties, particularly outside NAmerica to discover what is so good about this program. The Barclay is unworthy of being in the group.