Eujeanie

I think that Foundry is what used to be Shula's, based on the layout of the room, although I don't know what meals they serve. You can look at old pictures on TA and see that the seating along the wall looks the same except for new upholstery. And of course no more football pictures.

I haven't been there in a few years, but Bar 10 was a bar at night and a breakfast place, too, in the morning. A magic wall transformed one to another.

I think they might have de-emphasized a sit down restaurant because so many people prefer to eat outside the hotel for dinner, and I don't think Shula's did that well with so many other steakhouses in town.

What's confusing me the most is when they say Foundry is on the "mezzanine" - I might be misremembering, but I thought Shula's was on the lower level (43rd St) and Bar 10/Breakfast bar was on the upper level (42nd Street/main lobby).

controller1

Shula's was in the "basement" below the lobby level. Perhaps that was the "mezzanine"? I don't remember Bar 10 offering breakfast. The three times I stayed there (2011-2014), breakfast was served in Shula's. It started out as anything on the menu but by 2014 they had adopted the strict Starwood "Continental" breakfast definition with no substitutions allowed.

I've got an upcoming reservation and we arrive late. Not really interested in sitting on a bed and having dinner through room service so wanted to just go downstairs and enjoy a quiet dinner. Looks like we'll be hitting the streets for that!

Eujeanie

I thought Shula's was on the first floor, 43rd St. entrance side. Same level as the bottom of the escalator. I don't recall it being lower than that, but my memory is foggy.

When we were there (I think it was 2014, it was right after they got rid of their Club Lounge), Bar 10 was the bar at night, and the bartender showed us that the wall of liquor bottles had a wall of breakfast stuff that was pulled across (like a pocket door) to change from one to the other. It was a quick place to grab a pastry and coffee, as opposed to Shula's which had the full service sit-down breakfast.

But if they have no place that serves dinner I wonder where they get the room service food from anyway now?

Wow, time flies! We were there September 2012.

controller1

We may be saying the same thing. To access Shula's you walked around the corner from Bar 10 and went down one level of stairs. After getting downstairs there was a bar which they referred to as "No Name Bar". It had a few seats but was primarily for serving Shula's. Shula's was right behind the "No Name Bar". You could also access Shula's through an elevator which served only Shula's and the Lobby Level.


I've also wondered about this. It leads me to believe room service is primarily provisioned by food that can be served fresh or microwave culinary treats!

Eujeanie

Yes, I think we are saying the same thing about the location. There was one sad sack man sitting at that tiny bar, but I thought you could also just walk in back of the escalator to get to it, as well as using the elevator (that escalator was so fast we used the elevator when we were leaving with luggage).

I call the "lobby" the big place at the TOP of the escalator where the check-in desks were, and the 42nd St. entrance. The bottom of the escalator to me was just the "43rd St. entrance", which we actually used 90% of the time. Even though they had bell and doormen down there to me it wasn't the "lobby" (although the 42nd Street entrance was more convoluted, having to navigate the movie theater area).

Good luck on dinner...

Moindardt

There is a fantastic Thai place they recommended across the road on 8th (they were all eating takeaway from there). Some awesome Japanese places on 9th and 10th. Bella Vita on 43rd for Italian. You also have Carlos Bakery on 42rd and 8th. There is pretty much every type of food with 4 blocks. Fantastic pubs and coffee shops and every fast food you could imagine. I am a sucker for Shake Shack. Its a long line (from when it opens until it closes) but moves pretty quick.

Meals are certainly not an issue.

travellingcari

Deleted by poster. Wrong thread.

controller1

Just double-checking that you posted in the correct thread? Sheraton amenities at a Westin?

travellingcari

Yeah, brain rot. Deleted. Thanks.

Out of my Element

This used to be our "go to" place in NYC, but this past weekend was our first stay in a couple years. Booked a King Corner as we like the extra space. Got a xx29 room, fairly high up -- those rooms have a LONG entrance hall and another hall leading to the bedroom (past the bath). Didn't hear housekeeping knocking one morning, almost led to an embarrassing moment!

Tried to check in at 11, room wasn't yet ready. They had read our notes and were "defeathering" the room (I'm allergic) and it would be ready in a couple hours. As we were checking bags downstairs our phone rang, room was ready. And not defeathered until the second day, but I'd rather have the room early so wasn't really a problem.

Staff still great, hotel well located. They just need to keep their rates competitive so we will continue to visit.

TravisMT81

Oy!
Standard room rates do not include the hotel’s mandatory Destination Feee of 25 USD per room per night, plus local and state taxes. This destination fee includes:
Premium High Speed Internet Access
Complimentary local, long-distance, and international calls
15 USD food and beverage credit per room per day
15 USD laundry credit per room per day
One yoga class at a local studio per room per day
Choice of Strayboots walking tour and scavenger hunt app download (two per room per day), or Citi Bike passes (two per room per day)

porciuscato

I boycott properties that charge "destination fees." What a tacky, classless way to upcharge (rip off) people.

OliverB

I would typically never choose to stay anywhere remotely near Times Square but my wife is booking for a board meeting and we're stuck here because it's a block from Microsoft where the meeting is being hosted. Our stay is comped so we booked into a corner grand deluxe room, for whatever that's worth... I'm only Gold status so I'm not expecting any upgrades. Can you please give me an idea of what to expect? Is street noise a problem here?

Out of my Element

Street noise is no worse there than anyplace else in NYC. If your room is more than 20 stories up (likely) you'll hardly hear it. But get a white noise app for your phone, just in case

christianj

Just completed a 2 night stay there this weekend and even though I’ve never particularly liked the hotel, this will definitely be my last stay there. As a Platinum we got no visible upgrade other than being one floor above the floor our booked class of room was supposed to be on. We booked a Traditional Corner which goes up to floor 23 and go a Corner room on the 24th floor which they say Is an upgrade. Yes...one floor makes a big difference! Same View and street noise! Room had pealing ceiling paint in the bathroom and the mirror film was also peeling off. Breakfast in the Foundry was a zoo and items on the buffet were not refreshed on a regular basis. If we had paid for the buffet I would have been very upset because at most it’s worth $10-15 and not the $34 they charge for it. They now charge a $25 destination fee and then have the nerve to charge tax of almost $4 on the fee! Valet was extremely slow.

One other thing to note, the double decker tour buses that used to sit near Times Square have been moved to the area just in front of the hotel on 8th. IMHO all the staff constantly asking you to buy a ticket and all the people standing around waiting for the buses cheapens the area even more. I realize NYC is probably making a fortune off the taxes on those tickets but the hard sell of the ticket sellers and the fact that they are everywhere and constantly approaching you got on my nerves. I guess it's just part of the TS area now but I don't think it is doing the area any good from an image perspective.