Keyser

just wrapping up a 5 night stay at the towneplace suites times square....i had an arbitration at the intercontinental next door so could have stayed there instead but wanted to stay at a marriott property & this was the closest one....

the property is new....its been less than a year since they opened....the hotel was sold out the day i was checking in so no upgrade was available....i had a confirmed your24 for a 10am check-in & they had the room ready for me when i got to the hotel but not the room type i had reserved....i had booked a king studio with a sofa bed as that seemed to be one of the larger rooms they had but for the early check-in they only had a queen studio available....they told me i could either wait for a few hours & get the room i reserved or take the one that was available at that time....they also said that i could take the available room right now & move to the other room the next day....i took the available room since i had to change & be at work in an hour....

the queen studio was tiny....definitely one of the smaller rooms i have had in manhattan....for a single person it was ok but i would not want to stay here if i was traveling with my family....since i was going to spend all my time outside the hotel in any case, i decided to just stick with this room as i hate moving after i have unpacked....everything in the room looked new & worked well....i made good use of the kitchenette during my stay & they have a rooftop patio with grills which my team & i used one evening for a barbecue....the hotel only has one elevator but only 7 floors so i never had to wait more than a minute to use the elevator....

location is good for those who want to be in the times square area so its very popular from a tourist point of view....wifi was not the fastest but the speed was acceptable....breakfast was typical of what you would find in other towneplace suites....i'm back here again in november for the same arbitration at the intercontinental so will probably stay here again but will make sure to avoid the tiny rooms....

lsquare

I’m planning to go back to NY mid-January 2020. I noticed a lot of Marriott properties are priced much lower, but guess it’s not so surprising given that it’s winter and after Christmas. Anyways, I’ll have Platinum status by then. Which Marriott property offers the best value for the money with lounge access? Looking to experience Marriot with Platinum status for the first time. I want to make the most out of it. Btw, I’ll be flying in and out of JFK.

Duke787

Lower your expectations -- not sure any US lounge offers the lounge experience you are expecting and that one receives outside the US (free food, alcohol, etc.) -- as a Titanium when I travel to NYC, lounge is not something on the list of criteria, for NYC it's more location and getting a room that's bigger than a closet, and there's no value for money lounge I can think of in NYC (or really in the US) because most, if not all, have mediocre food and charge you for alcohol.

Not trying to be snarky but just advising you to temper expectations or you'll be severely disappointed.

Kacee

Yeah, I was just going to say "doesn't exist."

None of the major programs offer great NYC options. Hyatt is probably the best now that they've added the Thompson and Joie de Vivre properties.

I'm back to FHR for Manhattan.

andrewstahl

Are you coming to New York to experience the city or to experience Marriott? If you are coming to experience the city, pick a hotel that facilitates your goal. If you are coming to New York to experience Marriott, then you will probably be disappointed with the vast majority of hotels.

I have had some good experiences at the St. Regis and at the Essex House but I wouldn’t pick either hotel to stay at just to experience Marriott.

cfischer

value $$$ or points? Not many have a lounge in NYC, that seriously limits your options.

Ripley62

I haven’t been paying attention, did I miss Kimpton properties reflagging from IHG to Hyatt in NY?

Kacee

Sorry I misspoke. I meant Joie de Vivre. I've always got those confused.

Dublin_rfk

I will echo @Duke787 for effect. In NYC it's more about location, location, location than almost anything else.

lsquare

Which Hilton property do you recommend for value and location?

lsquare

Both. I recognize that Asia probably offers more. Given what you have said, I’ll just go with location then or maybe go with Hilton? What’s your recommendation for Marriott based on location?

I’ll be paying the cash rate.

lsquare

Thx for the info. Which Marriott property did you stayed at then?

flyingeph12

I'm going to disagree with many here and say that if I were going to NYC for leisure, I would probably not base my decision of hotel primarily on location. The subway makes getting around easy, and you may be interested in doing things in various parts of the city.

My favorite Marriott hotel in NYC is probably the Chatwal, but I wouldn't stay at the Chatwal unless someone else were paying or it's a special occasion (or the daily rate is below $500). On the weekend, hotels in FiDi are a great value in my opinion, as long as you're fine with things being closed and it generally being quieter. The hotels in Long Island City by the Queens Plaza subway station (Aloft and Courtyard) are also a good value in my opinion. The Sheraton Tribeca is fine, not great, but it sometimes is cheaper than other similar options, is well located, and it does have a lounge (rooms are quite small, though). There's also a Courtyard nearby that I've heard good things about but never have stayed at (Courtyard Soho I believe). I've also stayed at the W Hoboken on weekends, which is a great hotel, but it is a bit of a trek into the city via the PATH (and would be particularly inconvenient for you flying into/out of JFK).

Duke787

Given my earlier statement, I just choose what is most convenient for my meetings (usually somewhere in midtown or Union Square area) or for seeing family (UWS/Central Park West/Columbus Circle area). Off the top of my head I've stayed at the following over the last 2 years:

Ren 57
Ren Times Square
Westin Times Square
Courtyard Herald Square
Courtyard Central Park
RI Central Park
Fairfield Central Park
Sheraton Times Square
Marriott Marquis
W Union Square
Westin Grand Central

They are all fine -- but nothing special, my stay earlier this year at the Ren Times Square was great because the room is huge for NYC but you are stuck in Times Square.

That's not to say there aren't luxury hotels in NYC -- but if you criteria is "best value for money lounge" the answer is none and you are better off going for location (based on where you are visiting and what you want to see) and for luxury (e.g., St. Regis / Essex House / Edition -- though haven't stayed at any of those 3)

FWIW, my favorite NYC hotel stay was probably back in 2014 when I stayed at the Conrad downtown. Loved the hotel but location is tough to make it a regular in the rotation for my work or personal trips

lsquare

i think location is even more important because I want to minimize my time walking in the cold! It’s not my first time to NYC and I do kinda know my way around.