SkiAdcock

Thanks for the heads up on the review - and I actually like all the photos. Lets one really know what it's like/to expect. I say that, given I take a bunch of photos myself when doing reviews of properties, even though I'm not a blogger.

Cheers.

abox03

Hello!

Does anyone still have any contact for the GM and/or Front office Manager. I am surprising my partner with a proposal and would like to see if they could assist with a certain request.

Thanks!

arlflyer

Had a one-night stay here recently. Coming over from being Hilton Diamond, I'm thus easily impressed by any decent elite treatment , but this property did a nice job. Upgrade, with notification via the app (you mean I don't have to grovel at the front desk?), to a junior suite which was more than large enough, huge by NYC standards. Pre-selected late checkout time was cheerily verified without prompting or resistance by front desk agent. Lounge was one of the better U.S. breakfasts I've had, even by hotel restaurant standards. A very nice stay and would be happy to come back.

anjeo

Essex house has significantly upgraded the breakfast in the last few years -

SkiAdcock

Renovation finished. Marriott press release:

http://news.marriott.com/2017/10/art...ed-re-defined/

"JW Marriott Essex House New York, the iconic hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan, announced the completion of a $38 million transformation of its 426 guest rooms, 101 suites, and corridors, dramatically redesigned to interpret a new and modern aesthetic."

swintec

Stayed there twice last year i didnt think it was THAT bad. There was some wear in the rooms but nothing you cant expect (or could have easily replaced). I thought worse case a little deep cleaning would have addressed any of the glaring issues. My girlfriend thought the colors made it look "old" but to me that was part of the charm of the place, especially trying to play up the historic nature of it.

hockeyinsider

The renovation looks good. I'm looking at the following properties for December:

Renaissance Midtown
The Lexington (unbelievably low paid rates)
Marriott Marquis
J.W. Marriott Essex House

Thoughts?

Kacee

The suite I had in February was oddly and shabbily furnished and in dire need of renovation.

Looks I'll be here briefly in a couple of weeks. Look forward to checking out the renovated rooms.

VisaW

I just moved to NYC six months ago but frequently traveled to the city in the years prior.

Am biased because I made friends with an associate at Essex House and always got upgraded to a full-front Central Park view on a high floor, so that was my go to. Every Marriott Marquis I've ever stayed at, including the NYC property, is cultureless and sterile. Good for some, not for me. Lexington is the kind of property where you could trip over your bed as you walk in the door. And the service was quite subpar on my one visit. Have never stayed at the Renaissance.

Kacee

Just spent one night here in a refurbished Manhattan Suite. It's definitely an improvement. I'd give them a B . . . carpet is a little garish and they didn't really make an effort to capture the period style, but the furnishings are reasonably stylish and comfortable. Here's a pic of the living room:



They've also redone all the light switches, which is a huge upgrade.

Front desk agent spent quite a while finding us a nice suite . . . wound up on the 24th floor with a terrace. A really great stay, especially after the sterility of New York Edition. Staff were uniformly awesome. Best domestic Marriott lounge breakfast, hands down.

SkiAdcock

Thanks for the update w/ pic. Much appreciated.

Cheers.

hockeyinsider

It looks really modern for a J.W.

captainbaker

I have stayed at all of them...many times over.
Renaissance Midtown.....fine hotel no issues.
The Lexington.......cool hotel, small rooms as they renovated the original floor plan. OK for a night or two but not a longer stay as you might feel claustrophobic. The Algonquin also has cool little rooms but a more historic feel. Both are usually in the same price range.
Essex House....Love it and its a a 'goto' property.
Marriott Marquis......We have banned this property for rude employees. Had it happen on multiple occasions to multiple coworkers. Stay at the Renaissance New York Times Square next door.

hockeyinsider

I just received this email from guest relations for an upcoming stay:

hockeyinsider

I stayed at the J.W. Marriott Essex House with colleagues. One is lifetime platinum and platinum-premier, one is platinum-premier, one has no status, and I'm platinum. For what it's worth, in a casual conversation with the guest relations desk I was told there are on average 80 guests every night with gold or platinum status.

I arrived maybe 25 minutes before they arrived at 12 p.m. The front desk told me they had no rooms available and they would call me as soon as one became available. They never did. One hour later my colleagues sent me a message saying they were relaxing in their rooms. I went back to the hotel and was assigned a 15th floor room overlooking Central Park. Excellent view, but no upgrade from what I booked. My lifetime platinum and platinum-premier colleague received an upgrade to a Manhattan suite on the 39th floor, which was spacious but had no view of Central Park. If I was him, I would have declined the upgrade or requested a suite overlooking Central Park. My other colleague with platinum-premier status was on the 6th floor. My colleague with no status received a Central Park view room on the 39th floor.

There was no doorman. I had to ask the front desk for the bellman. I wasn't wasn't thanked for my platinum status, but I was given a choice between the 500 points and $10 food-and-beverage voucher. Wireless internet, even the premium version, was slow for watching YouTube and listening to music via Spotify.

Rooms are renovated and are OK, but the furniture is kind of ugly. In the Manhattan suite, the sofa couch is black and the fabric is soft, almost like denim or something like that. It shows every piece of hair, dust and stain. Worst choice ever. Overall, the size of my room was respectable for New York, but the bathroom didn't have any storage or countertop space for toiletries. A towel rack was missing. All of the windows open about five inches, which is nice. Especially if you want a good picture of Central Park. None of my special requests (extra towels, extra pillows or extra toiletries) were fulfilled. I had one pair of slippers but no bathrobe.

This is the only Marriott brand hotel I have ever stayed at without coffeemakers. If you want coffee at 5 or 6 a.m. (the executive lounge doesn't open until 6:30 a.m., which, in my opinion, is late for a city hotel) you have to order room service. You can rent a coffeemaker. The front desk told me it was $10 per day. There also wasn't any complimentary bottled water in the room, though there was a fully stocked mini-bar.

Missing from the room was any guide to the hotel or a list of its services. I called guest services and was told they have shoeshine services. Turndown service is not provided UNLESS you request it. Newspapers are delivered to your room upon request.

The executive lounge is very small. Sadly, the property allows children at night, which means many families avoid paying for dinner at restaurants by having the kids eat for free in the executive lounge. There is a good selection of alcohol, including wine, at a self-serve honor bar. Wine, regardless of type, was $14 per glass. There is no champagne. The sparkling wine is Long Island sparkling wine. I tried it, but it wasn't drinkable. There is no espresso machine in the executive lounge. Food at night and in the morning was respectable for a domestic property, though the cheese was cubed cheddar cheese. Some brie would have been nice. Perhaps most bizarrely, the silverware is no where near the food and plates. There also aren't any coffee mugs. You have to drink coffee in thin paper cups without any cup wraps. I had use double cups to avoid burning my hands.