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St Regis New York City NYC [Master Thread]

Old Nov 5, 2018, 1:41 pm
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Expert Review (posted to Luxury Forum) from March 2018 including description of Table 55 at the King Cole Bar:

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St Regis New York City NYC [Master Thread]

Old Jan 10, 2019, 8:13 am
  #286  
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There is never going to be consensus on the St Regis New York, not least because of expectations one might have of THE St Regis which immediately risk being unreasonable. Bear in mind also that a lot of money in the Upper East Side doesn't necessarily get you that much hotel or service. I rarely spend over $1,000 for a room and it has always felt relatively special, except that in the St Regis New York it's just not that special.

I saw how the hotel can really turn on the charm for repeat or high spend visitors (for them), but as an SPG Platinum member spending more than I had on any hotel all year (in 200+ nights) after 10min waiting at check in while known guests were moved in front of me in the queue, I ended up in a room without proper windows and under some kind of aircon duct meaning it was super loud. I had to wait 15min just for a seat at the King Cole bar which was like going back to the 1980s. In comparison to something like the Nomad Library bar 25 blocks down the road, the drinks were more expensive, but both the quality of the drinks and the service levels were several levels below. For a similar price I could have gone on holiday to Bermuda.

If you're going to spend a lot of money on a trip (by St Regis standards), if you've secured a way of getting special recognition or if you're a repeat visitor then the place is genuinely special and you will receive a warm and elite reception, but be wary if you're marking a special occasion by saving up for a base level room and hoping for magic. New York in general and the St Regis in particular is not a place I'd recommend for that.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 8:52 am
  #287  
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Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
There is never going to be consensus on the St Regis New York, not least because of expectations one might have of THE St Regis which immediately risk being unreasonable.
That's my conclusion from the thread. There are too many unhappy reports to brush them off as outliers.

Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
be wary if you're marking a special occasion by saving up for a base level room and hoping for magic. New York in general and the St Regis in particular is not a place I'd recommend for that.
Great advice. There are so many elites either burning points or hoping for an upgrade on the cheapest rate in NYC (much like Hawaii), the risk of disappointment is significant.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 12:21 pm
  #288  
 
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Even with the recent issues, is there a luxury Marriott/SPG property in Manhattan that you would put above the StR, like the RC or Chatwal?
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 12:31 pm
  #289  
 
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Originally Posted by bhrubin

With apologies to the 2 recent negative posts, I dont think there is anything to be concerned about.
...
The StR NY is awesome.
With apologies to bhrubin, I respectfully disagree. I had a terrible stay there, with service lapses left and right, given the expectations of a luxury property in NYC. Others staying in the same period report similar experiences both here and on TripAdvisor. I am sure that in the past there have been periods (maybe most of the time) when the hotel was better managed and didn't have these lapses, but recently there have been many more complaints online than one would expect for a top tier luxury property. Check out the recent TripAdvisor reviews (say from November forward) and you will see the pattern I am describing.

Personally I would stay in the W Times Square (which is not great either) before I'd stay in the St. Regis again, assuming both were the same price, as they currently are in SPG/MR points.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 12:54 pm
  #290  
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Originally Posted by MikeBOS
With apologies to bhrubin, I respectfully disagree. I had a terrible stay there, with service lapses left and right, given the expectations of a luxury property in NYC. Others staying in the same period report similar experiences both here and on TripAdvisor. I am sure that in the past there have been periods (maybe most of the time) when the hotel was better managed and didn't have these lapses, but recently there have been many more complaints online than one would expect for a top tier luxury property. Check out the recent TripAdvisor reviews (say from November forward) and you will see the pattern I am describing.
The summary of negative TripAdvisor reviews pretty much goes like this:

(1) I'm a Platinum and I didn't get a suite upgrade—over the Christmas-New Year's busiest time of year.
(2) I'm a Platinum and I booked on points, and the food at Astor Court was outrageously expensive—as you'd expect for any 5 star hotel in NYC.
(3) I'm a Platinum and I booked on points, and we only had 1 king bed for us and our 2 small children--even though that's what we booked.
(4) I'm a Platinum and wasn't given early check in—even though it's the busiest time of year.
(5) I'm a Platinum who was confirmed for my SNA suite upgrade but it wasn't honored--even though that was an IT issue for Marriott overall and had nothing to do with the StR NYC as already described.
(6) There was a service issue, and that shouldn't ever happen at a 5 star hotel--always from someone with 6 total posts and who clearly has little experience with 5 star hotels, especially during the busiest time of year.
(7) There was dirt in my room or I had a dirty glass at Astor Court--always from someone with less than 10 total posts.
(8) I was there at the busiest time of year and I had to wait several hours past official 4 pm check in time to get my room—then they had the audacity to offer me 12K points to forego 4 pm late checkout on our last day.
(9) (MY FAVORITE) There is no Nespresso coffee maker in the room--even though the StR butler service and daily free morning beverage service is available to every room at the hotel.

Of course, there really were reservation and SNA snafus caused in mid December by the switchover from the SPG to Marriott reservations systems. That did mess with people and with the hotel and did cause back-ups at the front desk of this StR and many other StR...just as had happened with many properties when Luxury Collection made the switchover about the same time.

Personally I would stay in the W Times Square (which is not great either) before I'd stay in the St. Regis again, assuming both were the same price, as they currently are in SPG/MR points.
I'm most delighted that other options can suit you. The less demand from other Marriott elites for the St Regis, the easier my stays will be in the future.

For the record, the StR New York rank on TripAdvisor is now a still lofty #91 out of 492. The Peninsula, which presumably had no reservation switchover issues, is at #93 . Perspective is important, I think.

Last edited by bhrubin; Jan 10, 2019 at 3:04 pm
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 2:53 pm
  #291  
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Originally Posted by bhrubin



Im booked to return in June. The StR NY is awesome.

We have a long-standing reservation for May.

Weve got to stop (not) meeting like this!
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 3:21 pm
  #292  
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Originally Posted by EuropeanPete
There is never going to be consensus on the St Regis New York, not least because of expectations one might have of THE St Regis which immediately risk being unreasonable. Bear in mind also that a lot of money in the Upper East Side doesn't necessarily get you that much hotel or service. I rarely spend over $1,000 for a room and it has always felt relatively special, except that in the St Regis New York it's just not that special.

I saw how the hotel can really turn on the charm for repeat or high spend visitors (for them), but as an SPG Platinum member spending more than I had on any hotel all year (in 200+ nights) after 10min waiting at check in while known guests were moved in front of me in the queue, I ended up in a room without proper windows and under some kind of aircon duct meaning it was super loud. I had to wait 15min just for a seat at the King Cole bar which was like going back to the 1980s. In comparison to something like the Nomad Library bar 25 blocks down the road, the drinks were more expensive, but both the quality of the drinks and the service levels were several levels below. For a similar price I could have gone on holiday to Bermuda.

If you're going to spend a lot of money on a trip (by St Regis standards), if you've secured a way of getting special recognition or if you're a repeat visitor then the place is genuinely special and you will receive a warm and elite reception, but be wary if you're marking a special occasion by saving up for a base level room and hoping for magic. New York in general and the St Regis in particular is not a place I'd recommend for that.

As I read your post I thought back to one of my rare disappointing SPG stays. Nothing at our Imperial (Vienna) stay lived up to my (admittedly high) expectations. The FDC was snippy to the verge of rudeness- we were given a small, tired room in the back where we could hear every note the musicians at the Musikverein were practicing (fortunately that wasnt a detriment for us), and were overall made to feel unwelcome. This was so contrary to my other SPG experiences at Luxury Collection Hotels that I was at a loss and didnt escalate as I should have. For years I blamed the Imperial its an overrated property- Ill definitely avoid when Im in Vienna. (And sure enough, on our last visit we stayed at LMV)

But over the years I have come to realize that even 2 guests with similar tastes and requirements can have widely divergent experiences at the same hotel. And sometimes its just due to crummy luck.

The Imperial continues to draw rave reviews including reviews from people I trust. It forced me to wonder- was my experience typical, or did I simply have bad luck? [Spoiler Alert ] I have determined the latter, and I plan to give the Imperial a second chance.

So much affects our impression of a stay- the FDC who greets us, the room we are assigned, how crowded (or un crowded) the hotel is at that time.

We are fortunate enough to stay at some pretty nice properties and St Regis NYC made my top 9 list of 2018 (along with Mystique, Domes of Elounda, Grande Bretagne, Prince de Galles, Schloss Fuschl and others). It is especially appealing on the current points redemption which is why we decided to return there again this Spring.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 3:43 pm
  #293  
 
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We love StR NYC and I understand people being disappointed, but it just seems like people's expectations are out of whack with reality here.

People are buying suites left and right here and also many at the last minute. If you get an upgrade, feel grateful otherwise be happy with a really nicely fitted and big (by NYC standards) room.

Yes, things do get a little crazy on the weekends with check In/Out, but it is peak time.

The decor is well StR NYC decor. They do it like no other and many including other StRs attempt to copy and fail miserably. Only a few other city hotels in the Old World match the decor and ambiance at StR NYC. I will say this style does not really match our normal preferences, but it is done so well here that we truly enjoy it every time we go.

On a slight side note, I wish they would open up Lespinasse Part 2. The food was ok, the wine list was amazing, but that room for whatever reason seemed otherworldly to me. Maybe it had something to do with it being round, so you could sit on the back wall and gawk at all the fuddy-duddies.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 3:53 pm
  #294  
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Originally Posted by YouGeeElWhy
We love StR NYC and I understand people being disappointed, but it just seems like people's expectations are out of whack with reality here.

People are buying suites left and right here and also many at the last minute. If you get an upgrade, feel grateful otherwise be happy with a really nicely fitted and big (by NYC standards) room.

Yes, things do get a little crazy on the weekends with check In/Out, but it is peak time.

The decor is well StR NYC decor. They do it like no other and many including other StRs attempt to copy and fail miserably. Only a few other city hotels in the Old World match the decor and ambiance at StR NYC. I will say this style does not really match our normal preferences, but it is done so well here that we truly enjoy it every time we go.
^^^

Perspective is a valuable commodity. Those who frequent luxury hotels in NYC and elsewhere know the "complaints" so often filed here and on TripAdvisor can be true at almost every luxury hotel anywhere. Staying at a luxury hotel during its highest seasons doesn't always come with perfect service; in fact, it rarely does.

Entitlement is a big danger. It too often seems the loudest complaints about the most expensive hotels most often come from those spending the least. "I am a Platinum guest and therefore deserve an upgrade to a suite even when the hotel is at high occupancy" is a common refrain of absurdity.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 3:55 pm
  #295  
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We're arriving for a 5-night stay in May. Hopefully, what some posters are calling service lapses are just outliers somewhat related to the mid-December IT switchover and the Christmas rush.

We also had a 5-night stay this past August and the service levels were flawless.

@bhrubin, you're going to have to add "and St. Regis NYC" after "Ambassador Program" in your signature!
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Last edited by controller1; Jan 10, 2019 at 4:01 pm
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 6:20 pm
  #296  
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Originally Posted by controller1
We're arriving for a 5-night stay in May. Hopefully, what some posters are calling service lapses are just outliers somewhat related to the mid-December IT switchover and the Christmas rush.

We also had a 5-night stay this past August and the service levels were flawless.

@bhrubin, you're going to have to add "and St. Regis NYC" after "Ambassador Program" in your signature!
Haha, I don’t believe the StR New York is perfect. But I also can’t stomach the pedantic criticism that is barely if at all realistic. We had a few minor service issues there on our last visit, too. But it also was a spectacular stay overall. And we are people who have stayed at many luxury hotels around the world and know better.

The StR is top drawer and world class, but it—like every luxury hotel at the holidays and super high season—isn’t perfect or always top drawer. For the unaware or oblivious who go to any luxury hotel during the holidays or super high occupancy periods and expect perfection, I laugh. Those guests most often have very little perspective and don’t seem to be aware that the exact same thing happens at the Pen, the FS, the MO, the Baccarat, the PH, the Carlyle, etc. Those are often the same guests who think that a hotel costing $900-1000/night in NYC or SF is outrageous without realizing how many even less than luxurious hotels in those cities charge almost those rates.

I will bet now that you’ll have a fabulous stay in May. Enjoy!
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:00 pm
  #297  
 
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
(9) (MY FAVORITE) There is no Nespresso coffee maker in the room--even though the StR butler service and daily free morning beverage service is available to every room at the hotel.

The butler service took 1/2 hour when I was there for simple requests like coffee or an iron. I don't see why anyone would be willing to wait 1/2 hour for a cup of coffee.

For what it is worth I have seen your posts on the St. Regis SF, and agree with you there. There is no comparison between the service I've experienced at the two properties; SF beats NY by a very wide margin in my experience.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:03 pm
  #298  
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Originally Posted by MikeBOS
The butler service took 1/2 hour when I was there for simple requests like coffee or an iron. I don't see why anyone would be willing to wait 1/2 hour for a cup of coffee.
I don’t disagree with that. Actually, one of the few service misses for us was when the butler operator told us we couldn’t get hot milk with our coffee. Ridiculous. I spoke to a manager and it was handled...with a free round of drinks at the bar for the miss. Excellent service recovery.
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Old Jan 10, 2019, 7:18 pm
  #299  
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Perhaps it is because I celebrated making Lifetime Platinum there that I had such wonderful service- or maybe March is just a slow time?

I cant remember my Butlers name but she was excellent.

Everyone really from FDC to butler to bar manager to bellmen were great.
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Old Jan 12, 2019, 2:53 pm
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I redeemed 60k Marriott points for a Friday night stay in early December. After much effort I was able to apply a SNA to the reservation which was ultimately denied the day before arrival. On the way to hotel I checked both the app and online and the hotel showed sold out for the night so I wasn't expecting much. Upon arrival around 2 I was Pre-checked in and told they'd call when room was ready. I claimed my MOMA tickets provided as part of destination fee and went to the museum for a while and a little after 4pm I received the call that my room was ready. My butler met me at the elevators and escorted me up to the 16th floor where I was shown to a St. Regis Suite, a wonderful surprise given the circumstances.

Off the entry foyer to the left was a luxurious bathroom with jetted tub, large shower with body jets, double sink with tv in mirror and heated floors. The small hallway between this bathroom and the bedroom also had heated marble floors. The bedroom had a king size bed and a small couch - the room had remote controlled blackout curtains, and drapes.


To the other side of the entry foyer was another full bathroom (shower only), connecting door to an adjoining room (which you could easily hear through) and a spacious living room with couch, 2 chairs, desk and dining table for 2. All the furnishings were in good shape and the room was immaculately clean.



Room service was tasty and delivered on time. I also took advantage of laundry credit but was disappointed I had to call twice to get my items back in the morning despite being assured they would deliver at 9am, my only complaint. For plat breakfast I choose the room service American Breakfast for 2 which retailed for $47 per person and it too was tasty and delivered on time.

Overall I enjoyed my time at the St Regis. Its located close to many holiday destinations in NYC which obviously come with intense crowds but the hotel and in particular the beautiful St. Regis suite provided a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of city. Hope to book another visit before the price skyrockets next year!
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