FlyerTalk Forums - Ritz Carlton Battery Park, NYC

Introduction Just completed a three night Valentine's day weekend stay. Some thoughts: Location The one major 'problem' with this hotel. I'm a resident New Yorker, know the city very well, and drive all over, and I still found it to be inconvenient. Without a car, you effectively need to take cabs back and forth to any area not on the 4/5 or 1 lines. Nevertheless, if you can stomach the 10-15 minute commute to any place of interest, then it's not really a big issue.   Room Quality A pretty solid point. The rooms are large by New York standards (450 square feet, or so) and the views are beautiful. It's pointless to stay here without booking a water view, as they run $50 more for the rooms and suites and are just breathtaking. We were in 1221, which was a top floor Statue of Liberty view room (no upgrade as it was a surprisingly busy Valentine's weekend), and were overall impressed. The glass desk and dual chairs functioned very well as a dining table, and the reading chair was very comfortable. The standard five-star comforts were all in place.  Some complaints include very, very poor interior soundproofing. We could clearly hear the baby in the room next to us, as well as a stereo in the room on the other wall. The bathroom door is also very light, meaning that a toilet flush or shower in the middle of the night will wake you up in bed. Another small point is that it took upwards of fifteen minutes to fill the bathtub, which shouldn't really be the case. Finally, the minibar selection was surprisingly poor--eight bags of M&Ms and nothing else of interest. Service I'm a little divided on how to assess the service at the hotel. The door staff were excellent--professional and informed regarding the area, particularly regarding parking. The front desk was helpful half of the time and a bit of a pain the rest. Little requests such as extra towels or getting my keycard to work for the seventh time were handled slowly, and while I received small apologies for what were really petty inconveniences, they weren't proactively resolved. Housekeeping was also a bit inept, and despite calling at 11am one day for our room to be cleaned, when we returned at 3pm it was untouched. Finally, and most annoyingly to me, the hotel has a couple of small policies that really stink of nickel-and-diming. A 'corkage fee' and charging for silverware, along with a $6 per person delivery charge for room service borders on egregious, even for New York. I'd much rather pay an extra $50 or so on my room rate than have to sign for a $50 breakfast with an extra $50 in on it. C'est la vie though, I suppose.    Overall All in all, the weekend rates are almost untouchable by New York standards. Coupled with FHR benefits and the 3rd night free promotion, I ended up paying about $700 for three nights with breakfast and a dinner included. For this, I can overlook the location and flaws in service, though if I were paying a midweek rate of $500 or so, I'd probably be less forgiving in my assessment.  Any questions, just ask.