Radisson Martinique New York City
May 2, 2016, 7:18 pm
#196
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 20
Do you happen to recall her email address?
May 3, 2016, 7:18 pm
#197
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
May 4, 2016, 7:32 am
#198
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Just completed a free three-night "Gold" reservation. I love the location. Right on Broadway, just off of Herald Square, a block from Macy's, a block from the Empire State Building, subway literally right outside the door. The hotel itself exudes old, but still on the good side of the "charming" line, IMO. The hotel is very heavily patronized by international flight crews. At several times, there were dozens in the lobby, arriving or awaiting their transportation, and they were lively conversing in the breakfast buffet room. I thought the breakfast buffet was fine, ample and kept replenished. The waitstaff really hustled to keep everyone in coffee, tea and juice.
I was not recognized as Gold at check-in, so I politely inquired about it: "Is this in as a Gold reservation?" The FD person seemed mildly surprised when she looked more closely at the screen. "Oh! Welcome! Here, I'll give you a nice room with a view on the 11th floor." (It looked across 32nd Street.) (I don't hope for a view in New York.) After waiting to see if it were offered, I asked if there were a breakfast privilege. She said she had to ask, and went in the back. "My manager gives permission." I received a voucher for the breakfast buffet on the mezzanine for one morning. I asked about two more. "Oh, of course!" Then, "Oh, here!" And she brought up a box of four chocolate truffles from under the counter. We were both genuinely pleasant the whole encounter.
The room was fine, modern, plump mattress, newish sheets, pillows, duvet cover, updated small bathroom with old tile and tub, very nice towels.
One huge problem: The central spiral staircase right across from the elevators is NOT a fire escape. At every level, the "fire exit" door from the elevator lobby opens all the way across the "escape". In the event, it will be awful. Fortunately, the hotel is fully fire sprinklered. I rarely talk about this here, but it matters absolutely in this case.
I definitely will go back. But I ask again: Should Radisson have a Gold Standard?
A tip, if you want to eat inexpensively: The Martinique is at the edge of a thriving, modern, young Korea Town on 32nd St. Many restaurants within steps. A variety of types, ranging from full service pricey to food court. A very nice dessert patisserie and cafe that's worth walking through just to look. An Asian grocery. In the food court: Several Asian traditions (sushi, ramen, Phở, rotisserie chicken, potstickers, kimchi, bobo tea, a specialty dessert place where everyone gets desserts which they put in the middle of their table and share). FWIW, I was the only grey head that I saw on the whole block...
I was not recognized as Gold at check-in, so I politely inquired about it: "Is this in as a Gold reservation?" The FD person seemed mildly surprised when she looked more closely at the screen. "Oh! Welcome! Here, I'll give you a nice room with a view on the 11th floor." (It looked across 32nd Street.) (I don't hope for a view in New York.) After waiting to see if it were offered, I asked if there were a breakfast privilege. She said she had to ask, and went in the back. "My manager gives permission." I received a voucher for the breakfast buffet on the mezzanine for one morning. I asked about two more. "Oh, of course!" Then, "Oh, here!" And she brought up a box of four chocolate truffles from under the counter. We were both genuinely pleasant the whole encounter.
The room was fine, modern, plump mattress, newish sheets, pillows, duvet cover, updated small bathroom with old tile and tub, very nice towels.
One huge problem: The central spiral staircase right across from the elevators is NOT a fire escape. At every level, the "fire exit" door from the elevator lobby opens all the way across the "escape". In the event, it will be awful. Fortunately, the hotel is fully fire sprinklered. I rarely talk about this here, but it matters absolutely in this case.
I definitely will go back. But I ask again: Should Radisson have a Gold Standard?
A tip, if you want to eat inexpensively: The Martinique is at the edge of a thriving, modern, young Korea Town on 32nd St. Many restaurants within steps. A variety of types, ranging from full service pricey to food court. A very nice dessert patisserie and cafe that's worth walking through just to look. An Asian grocery. In the food court: Several Asian traditions (sushi, ramen, Phở, rotisserie chicken, potstickers, kimchi, bobo tea, a specialty dessert place where everyone gets desserts which they put in the middle of their table and share). FWIW, I was the only grey head that I saw on the whole block...
Golds don't get breakfast at this property, unless they ask. And then breakfast still works as above.
If you check-in later in the day as a Gold, your odds of getting a PH1 floor room increases. Then there is the lounge access there which is bare minimum unless wanting some kind of packaged snack bars, some fruit, and/or some coffee/tea/non-alcoholic drinks -- but that lounge doesn't have breakfast but is a decent place for a quiet break.
The hotel is good with Gold late check-out IME, something that becomes rather useful since the hotel's check-out time is ordinarily 11 a.m., which is earlier than most hotels in Manhattan.
The only thing I found sort of inconvenient about this hotel is that they always seem to ask for a hotel room key upon entering unless you claim to be going to check-in.
Last edited by GUWonder; May 4, 2016 at 8:03 am
May 22, 2016, 11:14 am
#200
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: On the underground
Programs: BMI Dimond club, BA Executive Club
Posts: 462
Ive just noticed on booking.com they have added the resort fee which was not there when I booked a few months ago.
Nothing in the emails when I booked regarding a resort fee. What is our rights here? I booked this with no mention of the resort fee.
Nothing in the emails when I booked regarding a resort fee. What is our rights here? I booked this with no mention of the resort fee.
May 23, 2016, 6:00 am
#201
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CVG or DAY
Posts: 159
I checked around 4 PM in with my free night reservation for 1 night, Saturday night after the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I expected nothing, but was upgraded to PH2 room, given a breakfast voucher then left alone since I had been there before.
They asked me about late checkout but since 1 PM was no help vs. 11 AM, I just checked out and had them hold my bag right after breakfast, but it was offered.
All the notes and reviews of other posters above still apply, but I wanted to add that for reference, an Uber to LGA at 4PM on Sunday afternoon was $32.30 total through the Mid-Town Tunnel. It took 24 minutes. That was unexpectedly fast and inexpensive-ish.
They asked me about late checkout but since 1 PM was no help vs. 11 AM, I just checked out and had them hold my bag right after breakfast, but it was offered.
All the notes and reviews of other posters above still apply, but I wanted to add that for reference, an Uber to LGA at 4PM on Sunday afternoon was $32.30 total through the Mid-Town Tunnel. It took 24 minutes. That was unexpectedly fast and inexpensive-ish.
May 23, 2016, 11:23 pm
#202
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 118
Booked this hotel a year ago using CC points before the termination of the last free night award redemption. Cost 50,000 CC points for two nights.
Got upgraded to PH2 and a Suite along with two Breakfast vouchers (I asked for them). Great hotel, great stay. Its NYC, so things are a bit different. The buffet breakfast was excellent. Elevators worked fine. Yes, the concierge room on the 17th floor, could have some more food and drink options, but I give this hotel an A+ rating.
Got upgraded to PH2 and a Suite along with two Breakfast vouchers (I asked for them). Great hotel, great stay. Its NYC, so things are a bit different. The buffet breakfast was excellent. Elevators worked fine. Yes, the concierge room on the 17th floor, could have some more food and drink options, but I give this hotel an A+ rating.
May 25, 2016, 10:50 am
#203
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: On the underground
Programs: BMI Dimond club, BA Executive Club
Posts: 462
Just had an email back from the hotel they say that because I booked before the resort fee being brought in I won't be charged. Which is good to hear.
Jul 4, 2016, 4:22 am
#204
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
Any recent experiences about the resort fee? I just booked 4 nights on points and I don't get any indication there is a resort fee:
4x70.000 is kind of steep for that hotel, which is nothing specil, but as the nights are around $300+taxes for the time I've selected, still good value.
Any recent experiences from Concierge members?
Code:
Room 1 Points Redeemed Room 1 Cost 280,000 Points $0.00USD Estimated Taxes $0.00USD Estimated Additional Fees $0.00USD Total Estimated Cost for 1 Room 280,000 Points $0.00USD
Any recent experiences from Concierge members?
Jul 5, 2016, 4:43 am
#205
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Any recent experiences about the resort fee? I just booked 4 nights on points and I don't get any indication there is a resort fee:
4x70.000 is kind of steep for that hotel, which is nothing specil, but as the nights are around $300+taxes for the time I've selected, still good value.
Any recent experiences from Concierge members?
Code:
Room 1 Points Redeemed Room 1 Cost 280,000 Points $0.00USD Estimated Taxes $0.00USD Estimated Additional Fees $0.00USD Total Estimated Cost for 1 Room 280,000 Points $0.00USD
Any recent experiences from Concierge members?
If you have screenshots showing that the total cost doesn't include an"resort fee" (or whatever), then they shouldn't charge it and are able to remove/not apply the charge. Total additional fees of $0 is $0, so you should be good. Just check your folios before you check out.
Jul 6, 2016, 5:14 pm
#207
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
The only things I don't really like about the hotel:
that they keep asking for me to show my room key to enter the hotel -- even when I'm just checking in;
that the finishing touches seem a little rough around the edges in the rooms; and
that the elevators can take a long time to board/use.
But I'm generally happy enough with the hotel that I'd use my points there -- perhaps that is because I found it better than I expected it to be when I was effectively staying there for just 25k points/night.
Jul 10, 2016, 11:31 am
#208
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVP Gold and hotel status through their credit cards as needed :)
Posts: 268
We stayed for 3 nights over 4th of July weekend. The first two nights were free with the free night certificates given to us last year when the credit card rewards program was downgraded. No fees were charged. I was going to use my points for the 3rd night, but the daily AAA rate dropped so low a few weeks prior to our arrival that I changed to a paid night (rate was $116, but by the time they added all the taxes and fees it jumped up to over $150!!). The good news is that we received a really nice upgraded room on the 18th floor. Access to the club room only really gives you a large space with free coffee and soft drinks (never drink them anymore) and granola bars/apples. They did provide us with free breakfast coupons daily and when we asked, a free drink in the bar coupon (house wine, beer or bottles on the lower shelf drinks). Our room was comfortable and quiet for NYC. The subway is a few steps away. You can walk to Penn station, Madison Square Gardens etc. Finally, I checked my account on line this weekend and noted they gave us both points for our coupon stay nights!! This combined with the paid night netted me the 5000 bonus points for the current stay promotion. YPMV.
Jul 13, 2016, 10:08 am
#209
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
We stayed for 3 nights over 4th of July weekend. The first two nights were free with the free night certificates given to us last year when the credit card rewards program was downgraded. No fees were charged. I was going to use my points for the 3rd night, but the daily AAA rate dropped so low a few weeks prior to our arrival that I changed to a paid night (rate was $116, but by the time they added all the taxes and fees it jumped up to over $150!!). The good news is that we received a really nice upgraded room on the 18th floor. Access to the club room only really gives you a large space with free coffee and soft drinks (never drink them anymore) and granola bars/apples. They did provide us with free breakfast coupons daily and when we asked, a free drink in the bar coupon (house wine, beer or bottles on the lower shelf drinks). Our room was comfortable and quiet for NYC. The subway is a few steps away. You can walk to Penn station, Madison Square Gardens etc. Finally, I checked my account on line this weekend and noted they gave us both points for our coupon stay nights!! This combined with the paid night netted me the 5000 bonus points for the current stay promotion. YPMV.
The annual free night cert from $10K spend we used at Aqua on July 5th. That night did not generate any points fwiw.
Glad to know this hotel is decent, as we are debating whether we would spend $10K on our cards to earn the annual free night cert good only in US. Looks like we could use the certs for a quick visit to NYC provided the availability is not too hard to come by.
Jul 18, 2016, 10:27 am
#210
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: AGH
Posts: 5,961
Since we arrived late at night in EWR I booked the first night in the Hilton EWR and we took the train the next morning down to Pen Station and walked to the hotel to drop our bags. When I asked if the room might be ready (at 11am
) they told me, it is not since they have been fully booked and did not yet had the chance to prepare my room (which I saw as a indication I will receive a decent room). They took our bags and promised to call in an under 2 hours. As I didn't get a call by 2:30pm and we were in the area anyway, I checked back with the front desk and they were very apologetic the room still wasn't ready, gave me two bar vouchers and told us to wait as they will prepare the room right away. 15 minutes later I was up on the top floor in a nice and spacious club level King room on the top floor.
They also comped full breakfast for all 5 days (the paid night as well as the award nights) for my girl-friend (as Concierge it should be free for me anyway) and gave 2 bar vouchers for every night.
Of course the rooms, the bar, breakfast and the hotel in general are not a high-end place but very well located in the heart of midtown making exploring the city easy (don't know how many miles I walked last week... must have been more than all of last year combined
), clean and in general enjoyable.Definitely would come back for a decent rate (<$180), if they charge more I would probably look for another place a bit more upscale for the money.