aa4ever

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be in NYC for several days and looking for a new place to stay. I can get decent rates at the Trump SoHo, Gramercy, RC Battery Park and London. Any recs on which is the best one? I prefer the location of the Gramercy followed by Trump SoHo, but is one or two of these by far the best? From what I can get from a search, they all seem to have somewhat mixed reviews on here. Also, I don't know the boutique hotels in NYC, but if you have others recs, I'm open to them. Don't want too, too expensive.

Thanks!

Raffles

Soho House remains my preferred option in NYC, but you need to be a certain sort of person to like it. Great rooftop pool.

What are the rates like at the new Conrad Battery Park for your dates? Still early days so may be cheap(ish) and rooms are huge for NYC.

View from the Wing blog is very positive about the Andaz 5th Avenue and this would let you use your Hyatt status, eg http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...l-in-new-york/

Kagehitokiri

zigzag said good things about americano, which is only twice the size of soho house, and doesnt have members, but then only has more of a plunge pool

Yoshi212

It can be pricey but should be along the lines with the hotels you have selected already. I really enjoy the Bowery Hotel. The rooms are not huge but they're quite nice. Have a more relaxed setting and the hotel service is great. Also the downstairs bar and restaurant are quite good. I live a few blocks away and whenever I organize conferences I get myself and the speakers rooms there. Also it's in a fun are surrounded by good eats and places to go out.

RichardInSF

Well, maybe Andaz looks good from the wing, but it certainly doesn't look good as a hotel guest. This hotel and its sister, the Andaz Wall St, are triumphs of PR over good management in so many ways. Among other things, larger rooms are mislabeled and sold as suites, there are no blackout curtains, and service is mediocre.

Also, the London is not a luxury hotel.

ABG

Greenwich Hotel... but probably more costly than any of the ones you mentioned thus far aa4ever

aa4ever

Thanks everybody. I looked at the recommended hotels, and they all look very nice. The Bowery actually looks like it would fit my needs pretty well.

However, I'm also curious if anyone has any opinions on Gramercy vs. Trump Soho. Both have FHR promotions running and they would be about $320 a night including amenities. Is one a better place?

Yoshi212

Well what are your needs?
Personally I like the Gramercy vs the Trump SOHO because of location. Service that I have experienced at each has been good but I was not a guest. Calling down for a bottle of bourbon/snack during a meeting was done so easily and quickly. I'm not a fan of SOHO but Gramercy can be boring to some if you don't know where to go. Which is why I say Bowery.

MSPeconomist

These properties are in very different neighborhoods even though they're all Loweer Manhattan and their styles are different. I wouldn't call them all (Trump SOHO, RC) boutique hotels at all.

I would add to the list W Union Square and W Downtown. Of the two, the first is less like the typical W with lighter colors and some rooms (standard SPG Plat upgrade to corner when suites aren't available as usual) that are large for NYC.

aa4ever

My needs are just a generally good hotel. I've lived in NYC and am moving back. Like the Gramercy area but SoHo is also good. Mostly interested in finding which of the two hotels would actually be a better hotel, as either location would be equally good for me.

Yoshi212

Gramercy gets my vote out of the two. Trump SOHO is a larger hotel with not as intimate of an area and you can get a cab or subway to other areas while you reexplore.

ps9a

Don't love Trump, but love the Trump Soho... location is great, and the pool deck bar is a lot of fun if you're there in the summer.

NYBanker

Within your set of four properties, I think you'll find the Trump hotel to be the most enjoyable.

The GPH is quite nice (my wife has stayed a number of times), but lacks some of the features a new hotel like the Trump property. I've stayed at the RC-battery park a number of times. I enjoy the Statue of Liberty views, but you're in a fairly remote corner of the city when you stay there...not in the action. (Same would be said of the Conrad.)

The London NYC is the old Rihga Royal hotel. The building was designed in the late 80s (perhaps early 90s) to be apartments, but part way through construction plans changed and it was developed as a hotel. As a result, it is missing some things you'd expect to find in a hotel. Moreover, it is in a spot that I'd describe as more corporate than local NYC.

Also note that the Conrad is sort of the Goldman dorms. It is adjacent to GS headquarters and is owned by Goldman. It was formerly an Embassy Suites hotel.

NYBanker

A final note. These are all nice properties, but none would be in the "Top NYC Luxury" category.

UAfan

A to the RC Battery Park. On two recent stays, indifferent staff, sterile rooms, and awful food in the hotel restaurant. I personally do not plan to return. OTOH, the RC Central Park is exceptional (at a significant cost premium).

Second the vote a couple posts up about the W Union Square for mid-range lux accommodations, if you don't need to be in mid-town.