RafKa

I have stayed at the FP LIC a couple of times. It's new, rooms are small but pleasant, and there's a nice rooftop bar with great views of Manhattan. Subway is a couple of blocks away, and only two stops to Midtown. Not much they can do in terms of elite benefits, but staff is friendly, and I was once granted a 9am check-in, which would be unheard of in Manhattan...

Dieuwer

For my upcoming stay in NYC I am considering staying at a Starwood property near Times Square/8th Ave. The properties on my list are: Element ($179/night), Four Points ($203/night), and the Westin ($236/night).
I have stayed at the Element and Westin before. I found both acceptable, but the Westin is definitely nicer than Element. No idea about Four Points. Which one would you pick and why?

bgriff

Westin is definitely nicer ... if this is for a trip traveling with a partner or for a special occasion, for example, I'd go there (and that's a pretty good price for the Westin). The others are also in a slightly grittier part of greater Times Square and a bit more out of the way, so that's another benefit to the Westin. But if you don't care about those aspects I'd go with one of the cheaper properties. I see no particular reason to choose the Four Points over the Element, so Element it is.

Keyser

i stay at the four points & element a few times every year (depending on which one is cheaper on the given day)....both are acceptable but i prefer the element slightly....

i've stayed at the westin as well in the past & its considerably better than the other 2 properties, which is why the rate is higher....if i was paying out of my own pocket then i would pick the element, otherwise the westin trumps the other 2....

Antonio8069

The Westin is currently on offer at spghotescapes.com with limited dates. Its not often on offer so that is one time limited option.

Are you also looking at the W Hoboken? The views are fantastic, and the reviews (for Plats) pretty good.

lotrbfme

I am staying one night in new york on a stop over for a flight to UAE. We will arrive at 3pm and leave at 1pm. I dont have intentions of leaving the hotel since I already know new york.

This will be our fist stop in our honeymoon.

I already booked the W times square for $300 but then I saw reviews of the St regis and it looks like a good option...

St regis would be 15k points + $275

Is the St regis better in my case?

How are the platinum upgrades on both places?

Thanks!

bgriff

Up to you but with that much time in NY personally I would at least make the effort to go out for a nice dinner rather than committing to staying in the hotel the whole time ... understand you don't want to be busy and running around during such a short stay but IMO no hotel in NY is nice enough nor enough of a destination to want to stay in the whole time you're there.

As for the W vs. the St. Regis, they're very different styles of hotel and experiences so I guess it depends both whether you prefer the modern or traditional style, and whether you value the better service of the St. Regis enough to part with the points. If you want everything to be "just perfect" for your honeymoon it could be worth it. But the W should be nice too.

Could be worth considering the W Union Square as well -- better location if you already know NY (and would be, if you leave the hotel at all, planning on simply walking around neighborhoods moreso than going to the theater or anything like that) and probably a better chance of an upgrade, especially for just a one-night stay. Also a better in-house restaurant if you did want to stay at the hotel for dinner.

thaliajen

If $ isn't a problem- St. Regis. I love W TS but St. Regis is luxury. And I agree- at least get out and catch some culture. Even an hour for a nice dinner is worth it in NYC.

It's SO worth it to catch a show, as well. If I could afford it, I'd be there every weekend seeing shows. My husband pissed & moaned about going to see Wicked with me, but then he loved it so much he told his buddies about it.

Also, Sheraton TS is a nice place. I sat out the hurricane there and we never lost electricity or even cable tv! I'd even recommend Le Parker Meridien, but if it was ME and my hubby was offering, I'd go St. Regis all the way.

thaliajen

I did both Element and 4 Points last summer as I was on a strict budget. If Westin is in the running, it's nicer than both of those properties. One you might not have considered is Sheraton TS. I've stayed there more times than I can count and you can't beat it for good location, nice rooms, and a lounge. Just a suggestion.

Good Luck!

Eujeanie

thaliajen, we're staying at the Sheraton TS next week after staying at the Westin TS last time - this time we did not have enough points for the Westin, but we did have enough to book the Club Level at the Sheraton.

Am I going to be disappointed with the room sizes at the Sheraton? We stayed in one of the Atrium level rooms at the Westin (I think they are now called Grand Deluxe), loved how spacious they were and the huge bathrooms. How does the Sheraton compare?

And to the newlyweds...I'd pick the St. Regis, too.

lotrbfme

Thanks for your feedback guys! I will take it into consideration when I make my final decision!

Consultette

I stopped staying at the Sheraton Times Square because the room were so much smaller than other properties in the city and there is little elite recognition at this property. The only room I liked (space-wise) most people would hate because it has a Murphy bed. I, personally, wouldn't expect much at this property.

If your plans allow, I'm a fan of the Sheraton Tribeca. It's sort of like room roulette but if you get a nice one they are great, the location is convenient to many subway lines, and my favorite employee from a Westin in town works down there now. Downtown isn't for everyone though, so I'd consider the location vs. what you want to do. Price-wise this property is always great and more than makes up for the 15 minute subway ride to midtown.

Eujeanie

My very low expectations for the size of the Sheraton TS room has been further solidified. But we're seeing 5 plays in 5 days so it's the best location this trip. As I said, I'd rather stay at the Westin TS again but just didn't have enough points.

It will be fine.

But I do have a question about Murphy Bed rooms (in general, have never stayed in one) - who puts the bed up and down? Do you do it or does housekeeping? Is it heavy to maneuver?

Consultette

You can either put it down yourself or the staff can. It's a very nice set-up - the bed has some sort of mechanism that helps it to come down easily (think like doors which open effortlessly) and it goes up easily as well.

If you have mobility considerations the staff will also pull it up or down whenever you want - I just never took them up on it after the first time when I saw how easy it was.

thaliajen

[QUOTE=Eujeanie;24864307]thaliajen, we're staying at the Sheraton TS next week after staying at the Westin TS last time - this time we did not have enough points for the Westin, but we did have enough to book the Club Level at the Sheraton.

Am I going to be disappointed with the room sizes at the Sheraton? We stayed in one of the Atrium level rooms at the Westin (I think they are now called Grand Deluxe), loved how spacious they were and the huge bathrooms. How does the Sheraton compare?

I am ALWAYS disappointed in room sizes at NYC properties, but it's not a Starwood thing, it's a NYC thing. For NYC, I think Sheraton TS has average sized rooms. I remember feeling claustrophobic at Element, but my last night was at Sheraton TS & I was upgraded to a small type of suite. Prior to that it was the Parlor Suites. I've only once stayed in a regular room there but it wasn't any smaller to me than other TS hotels, and it was a LOT bigger than my Hilton room or even the Holiday Inn room I stayed in during my very 1st stay.

I am booked for a Superior room and that is 250sq ft. It's the same size of the Club rooms. I am hoping like Hell for a Suite Upgrade. It'll be my Lifetime Plat qualifying night so it'd be nice. But as I have no SNAs, I'm just hoping. I even paid a higher rate than I needed to, choosing the Superior over Traditional.

The only good thing about small rooms is that in NYC, I spend VERY little time in the room.