MaddyC

yes, thank you! That’s exactly what I (she) met.

lsquare

But that's only if there is a lower rate elsewhere right?

margarita girl

See the LM Central Park thread for free suite upgrade for the first 5 FTers who claim them!

Le Méridien New York, Central Park [Master Thread]

HHonors OUTSIDER

Yes you have to find a lower rate at a competing provider and submit the claim within 24 hours of booking with Marriott.

lasnowgirl

Any recent trip reports regarding Residence Inn Manhattan/Midtown East? Read some good reviews and will be traveling with the family, so thinking the kitchenette might be helpful. Is it a convenient location to all the usual tourist spots and subway? Thanks in advance!

MaddyC

Some really helpful replies - thank you!

flyingeph12

To be clear, I believe you mean the Renaissance near Penn Station, not the Ren 57.

I like the Element, even if it is starting to show its age. There is also an AC in the area, which is newer.

The RI is quite conveniently located, in my opinion. It is a few blocks from Grand Central and from the E at 53rd/Lex.

gruntermen

I am trying to book two nights in Feb (Friday 2/7 and Saturday 2/8) in NYC using Marriott Points. I have a little over 100,000 points available. I have friends who are staying at the Park Central Hotel (West 56th St and 7th Ave) so I would like to book a room near them. I have narrowed my choices down to three properties and was hoping to get some input on which may be the best choice:

The Courtyard Manhattan/Central Park - Total cost 80,000 points + $7.00 or $495.82 (Guest room, 1 King or 1 Queen, City view)
The Residence Inn Manhattan/Central Park - Total cost 80,000 points + $11.00 or $598.52 (Studio, 1 King, City View)
JW Marriott Essex House - Total Cost 100,000 points + $87.32 or $913.52 (Essex Room, Guest room, 1 King)

I included the cash rates for comparison purposes only. If I was going to pay cash I would probably pick a Hilton property. I only have gold status through Amex so I am not expecting much in the way of upgrades. Is the Essex House worth the extra 20,000 points and 80 bucks? I will be the only person in the room and I travel light so the quality of the room is more important to me then the size of the room. If I stayed at the Residence Inn I probably would not use the kitchenette.

shimps1

I would go with the JW, unless the appeal of free breakfast is important. You're using nearly all of your points anyway, and the 20k you would have left over would be very hard to use, barring a one night stay at a cat 1-2 somewhere.

Kacee

You'll probably get a better view at the RI; it's the tallest hotel in North America, and there's something cool about that. I found the room a bit claustrophobic and there was noise from the hallway. YMMV. Courtyard occupies lower floors in same building; I haven't stayed there. Essex House has a real lobby and cool art deco feel. Will you be able to use any of the destination fee credits at Essex House ($35/day food & beverage, $30/day laundry)?

LondonElite

Definitely Essex House.

gruntermen

In this case not having a free breakfast would a good thing. I will be in one of the greatest food cities on earth, eating breakfast outside the hotel should be mandatory. Unfortunately I am a cheapskate who can't turn down free food. If the hotel gave me a free breakfast I would wind up having breakfast twice. Nobody needs that much bacon.

That's pretty much what I was thinking. I hate having small point balances like that hanging around and I don't foresee earning future Marriott points that I could combine with the 20k for a night at something higher then Category 1 or 2.

Using up the $35 dollar food & beverage credit shouldn't be a problem. I am very fond of both food and beverages. Regarding the laundry credit, if Marriott is going to insist on making me pay for services I don't want, I will find a way to use them.

arlflyer

Ok, this made me chuckle.


Honestly this is actually a brilliant scheme. Almost no employer I am aware of will pay for hotel laundry on a standard-length stay (e.g. <7 days), but they won't bat an eyelash at fees - they're just part of the game since they are non-discretionary. And if you're like me, who works out a lot and otherwise produces dirty clothes, having access to laundry is nontrivial. So this is a way to split the incentive and win business while also monetizing through a previously-inaccessible channel. Real sneaky.

stimpy

You may want to visit the IC LA which is actually the tallest hotel in North America. At least I would guess that 73 floors is more than 68.

Kacee

I'm not sure what hotel you are referring to, but RI NYC is the tallest in NA. List of Tallest Hotels

Number of floors is not a measure of height. For example, the Freedom Tower (1776 feet) has 94 floors, whereas Empire State Building (1250 feet) has 102 floors, but is 526 feet shorter.