ZBigFam

I felt compelled to write this as I sit here in the W New York. I am a Hyatt Diamond and SPG Plat and I came to this conclusion...There is NO mid/high level SPG property that stacks up with Hyatt in NYC.

Huge caveat, I haven't stayed at all of the Hyatt hotels in NYC (though most of them) nor all the SPG hotels. I do believe I have stayed at the highest trafficked ones though.

Hyatt Properties:
Hyatt Times Square
Hyatt Herald Square
Hyatt Union Square
Hyatt Jersey City
Andaz 5th Ave
Andaz Wallstreet
48 Lex (no longer Hyatt)
Grand Hyatt NYC

SPG Properties:
Sheraton Times Square
Westin Times Square
W Times Square

In all cases (save potentially the Hyatt Herald square gym) of the above hotels Hyatt trumps SPG in the following categories:

1. Breakfast - Andaz 5th ave breakfast is legendary, Herald square is very good. Hyatt Times Square breakfast is unlimited and very good as well. Westin and Sheraton offerings pale in comparison to Grand Hyatt club offerings
2. Elite recognition - have regularly (not all the time but regularly) been upgraded to suites without DSU at all the Hyatt properties above - SPG haven't seen a suite upgrade once. Actually not once in all my time as a plat.
3. Gym - the gym here at the W is ok and it's alright at the Westin as well. The best gym is the one in the Sheraton from an SPG perspective. Hyatt properties all have as good if not better gyms than SPG though. Grand Hyatt gym is great with lots of cardio and a heavy bag, Times Square Hyatt - very large gym, free weights, all very very good.
4. Hard product - I would say that the hard product of all Hyatt hotels listed above outpaces the hard product of all the SPG properties listed above. Rooms are not scuffed and worn with paint chipping (like here at the W times square) and bathrooms are clean without dust mites (like here at the W times square).

I guess what I am saying is without the SPG triple up promo and the fact that I can transfer my SPG points out to airlines, I would shift all my stays to Hyatt.

Would be curious to hear other POVs (note this is only regarding NYC props as I have found internationally the balance shifts quite a bit).

Score8

I have not sampled all the Hyatt NY properties, but I would agree that with the exception of the Chatwal and the STR (I have not stayed at any of the Tribute hotels, if that counts) and maybe the downtown W, the *wood hotels are often worn - the W Lex, in particular, is a mess in terms of the walls being stained and chipped.

craigthemif

W Union Square is pretty good. Room service breakfast for Platinums. W Hoboken was also decent enough, if you're bringing the HR Jersey City into the discussion...

But otherwise New York is one of those markets where the owner can get away with high prices even while skimping on refurbishment. Anecdotally, I bet there are a lot more de-flagged Hyatts worldwide than Sheratons and Westins, simply because Hyatt have higher standards. So that gets reflected in New York...

aCavalierInCoach

The StR is really very good post refurb, service and room maint. (though not size) are superb at the Chatwal, and GPH is a great addition, albeit it as a design hotel.

365RoadWarrior

I've (SPG Plat; Hyatt Diamond) been to all the properties zBigFam lists, except for Herald Square, adding the Sheraton Tribeca, and a couple of Four Points, plus the Ws New York and Union Square, Westin Grand Central (recent), the Aloft Harlem. On the Hyatt side, I've also been to the Place Times Square.

I agree, the SPG properties are a notch below the Hyatts, especially in the areas I care about (gym), availability of quiet rooms, general facilities not too run-down or dated.

zBigFam, what's the story with the Herald Square gym? I'm scheduled for a stay there next month.

ZBigFam

if you have been to the Hyatt place midtown then you will know. The gym is only about 4 treadmills wide with no weight machines and some free weights. The gym is the most rundown gym of the bunch I mention above. Offsetting that the breakfast at Herald square is actually very good just make sure you don't go down there during breakfast prime time as you might be left without a seat.

365RoadWarrior

Thanks ZBigFam. I appreciate the thoughts/comments from someone else who appreciates a good fitness center.

nsummy

Thanks for the post, I've only stayed at the Grand Station Hyatt (thought it was decent) but your post has convinced me to stay in more Hyatt properties in NYC. I've always thought the SPG properties in NYC sucked; None of them have seemed very impressive to me. I do like the W Downtown but not much going on in the area if you are in town for fun. I thought the W Times Square was alright but I can't bring myself to stay in Times Sqaure. The new Design properties look good but also very small and expensive. I guess its NYC though, what do you expect. Still though, for a city that large, you would think there would be a better selection.

hotelfanatic

The beds are the only thing I can think of that spg beats hyatt in NYC. I've stayed at every NYC Hyatt and you can end up with a decent bed or an old bed (GHNY). SPG's beds, for me, is a bit more comfortable - even 4 points.

wrt lounges, GHNY beats any spg lounge in the city. In fact, I think they beat any Marriott also. I regret staying at the Westin TS last week - I did not know their lounge is no more. For the same price, I could have stayed at the A5. Still kicking myself.

Epicura

If you really want to make a fair comparison and if you are taking Andaz into account, you should also include St Regis and the Chatwall.

Same for Park Hyatt.

Otherwise you should leave Andaz entirely out.

ZBigFam

I disagree, from what I understand W hotels are SPGs answer to the Andaz (I could be wrong). It actually proves my point that you would put the Andaz up against the St. Regis.

Bar none all Andaz hotels in NYC outperform the W hotels. Even though prices are comparable.

I don't have the PH or the St. Regis in the mix as I haven't stayed at either so I can't opine but if others want to am happy to listen.

Epicura

Afaik Andaz 5th has much higher rates than W. W's, apart from a few exceptions, are in general 4 star properties. Andaz is sold as 5 star afaik.

Of course St Regis is way beyond Andaz and can only be compared against Park Hyat.

OP indicated middle and high end properties which is why IMHO the high end properties from both chains should be included.

And from a price point of view, Andaz and Chatwall are definitely in the same 5 star league. IMHO Chatwall wins hands down.

hotelfanatic

So just base on the $270 and under rates I snag over the last few weeks for A5, the A5 is definitely not in the same league as Chatwall. I believe the Chatwall is a one of a kind vs the Andaz brand. I would equate the Andaz brand to Westin or Ws. Andaz comes out ahead in my book just base on the breakfast for their elite members.

ZBigFam

Just looking at rates for this Monday 7/18 checking out 7/19 (kayak)

Andaz 5th Ave: 451/night
W Times Square: 525/night
Westin Times Square: 554/night
W Lex: 410/night
Chatwall: 695/night

Now I concede that rates fluctuate but based on this (and this is consistent with what I have seen thus far) Andaz and W are much more comparable in terms of rate than the Chatwall is.

Your point saying that Andaz's are typically 5 star while W/Westin's are 4 star is moot, as a consumer if the rate was the same, wouldn't you pay for a 5 star hotel rather than a 4 star hotel (all things being equal or close to equal).

Rates at St. Regis and Park Hyatt are in the 850-900 range and again since I haven't stayed there I can't opine.

jaejaez

AFAIK it is the other way round - ANDAZ was the answer to the W Hotels of SPG (the Andaz as we know it today is only a few years old) .... even though they (IMHO) refined the product and made it "better", at least amongst those within the NYC area.