This is from another thread. I thought it should also belong here.

Another great stay at LPM
 

Just returned from a two day stay in 2 rooms with the family, and apart from looong waits for an elevator in the tower bank, we loved the Parker!

The rooms were clean, mold-free and very comfortable.

This hotel has a perfect location for enjoying XMAS in NY. ^

I'm looking at staying at the Parker mid-February. Can anyone please enlighten me on the difference between Standard Rooms, Superior Rooms, and Tower Rooms (the guy I called from SPG on the phone couldn't really help me and neither does their site)? Is there really a big difference between City View and Park View rooms that it's worth paying more for Park View rooms?

TIA :)!

I am at this property ~3 nights per week. I can choose just about any property (St. Regis would raise eyebrows), but have chosen this one for convenient location and consistent service.

Upgrade is to Junior Suite every time. Never anything better, so you miss out on the absurd upgrades you sometimes get elsewhere. But never worse either. And it is always confirmed in the res about a day before. My suite is always city view. I am seeing a Rooms Manager for coffee this week, will ask if there is ever a chance of park view.

Newspapers are left at the elevator area on each floor, or you can get from desk.

Bellstaff is reliable. I store luggage with them for the 4 nights per week I am not there.

Burger Joint is good and you can call ahead and charge to your room, and then go straight to the front of the queue. I do this once per week. On one occasion my burger (ordered medium rare) was raw. Order Medium instead. I haven't hit Norma's in years but will go this week.

I don't go to the gym (naughty me) but colleagues rate it well.

Location is fantastic for me based on proximity to my office, client office and subway. I think the location would satisfy many.

One complaint: I wish the power outlets by the desk were above the desk so I didn't have to crawl under each time. Ok, two complaints: I wish the keys were standard size.

Thanks, andymo99 for your detailed review. Sounds like the hotel performs really well for you if you choose to "live" there ~3 days a week...

I don't think I stand a chance at an upgrade to a higher level room being only an SPG Gold - Gold only upgrades to "enhanced" rooms subject to availability at time of check-in, so whatever enhanced means...

The downside, January 26-28
 

It was my fifth stay there since LPM joined SPG.

As with Andymo99 above, I'm batting a thousand with junior suite upgrades. I have requested Park view Kings for a change-up, since the junior suites I get always seem to face 56th street. My NY office is across the street so there truthfully isn't anywhere more convenient for me.

Those things being said, I saw another side of the hotel with some less-than-great service; and it brought to light some things that annoy me.

I called about overnight dry cleaning on a suit. There were no forms or bags in the room, but when I called the valet, they gave me pricing, etc., and offered to come by and pick everything up. I was assured that my suit would be back by 7AM. They came and picked it up quickly and again assured me a 7AM delivery time. At 7:30 the next morning, no suit. A very, very rude valet told me that delivery time is between 9 and 10AM, then hung up on me. Fortunately, I wrote down the name of the valet from the evening before so I could tell the hotel who gave me the information.

Dry cleaning on a suit with express service is over $70, but it was urgent. However, since it didn't arrive in time, I plant to contest the charges. Additionally, I had to press another suit on my own, with a 1990's iron which was attached to an ironing board. Really? In the Parker? They have to attach the iron? It didn't really matter anyway - because the iron didn't work!

That afternoon, I did a quick view of my account and noticed $180 in dry cleaning charges. It turns out that, in addition to my own bill, they added the charges of another guest on to my bill. I spoke to the front desk and the agent was of no help, and showed no interest in helping. I was disgusted.

I called the GM and got his voice mail Turns out my complaint was forwarded to their director of customer service, a lady named Lisa. She's the type of person that every hotel wants in that position. Lisa was a great communicator and was certainly customer-focused. My request for a reversal of the cleaning charges was accepted, and she apologized profusely for the other problems.

As I spent a bit of time figuring out the issues, I noticed some things that bother me about the hotel. Since I wasn't in a good mood, they seemed to stand out and bother me more than they normally would have. First, they try too hard to be hip and really over-do it. The cutesy little signs in the room; the fact that dry cleaning slips (which I finally did see) are called "fashion citations"; The decor in the room is dated and the beds are not really comfortable. A simple, non-alcoholic breakfast for two was $100. $14 for a glass of orange juice? I had just enough time before my problems were resolved to stew on these things and re-think my new loyalty to the property.

I thought the hotel might offer some SPG points for the inconvenience. Sheraton occasionally does that as does Westin (Service Promise). I didn't ask and nothing was offered.

My experience took a little bit of the shine off this property for me.

Bathtubs
 

Hey, just a quick question. I have a stay booked for Valentine's DAy weekend... on the website the floorplan lists the jr suites with showers only... do any of them have tubs (I know that the Central Park JR. Suites do...)...

Just wondering.. seems as if there is good liuck with Jr suite upgrades at this hotel for plats..

FDW

I've had one jr suite with a tub, but the fast majority of times there was only a shower. The showers are very nice though.

Some answers
 

I also stay 2 to 3 nights a week. My main draw is the pool and gym.

Jr Suites: I do not believe there are ANY Jr Suites on the Park View side. All Jr Suites face the city based on (1) experience and (2) the floor plan on the door. There are corner rooms (xx01) to which as a Plat I am told you could be upgraded only if you book a Jr Suite. I spent a year booking Jr Suites and that never happened. :(

Tower vs non Tower: non Tower are up to floor 22 in the elevators opposite the Front Desk. The Towers, 23 to 42 elevators around the corner. I always stay in the Towers, though when the hotel is full, elevators can be slow since there are only 3.

Bathtubs: There are a couple of Jr Suites with bathtubs but I dont know which ones. The park view rooms (Kings) have bathtubs.

ParkView: I think if you're going to be doing a lot of work in the room, the park view King with the desk at the window makes for a pleasant working day. However, if you're not going to be in your hotel room much, just go up to the PH Pool and have your gander at Central Park there. There was one Park View night that stands out in my mind where I saw some lightning

Norma's: $75 is normal for a 2 person, 2 entree, coffee, no juice meal. It's NYC and unfortunately my European friends find great value in it. I've found the service to be really off lately (based on 3 breakfast visits). 15 min wait to order, wrong entrees, 10 min wait for the bill, even though when I ordered I asked the waiter for the bill and indicated that I had to be out the door at 8:45. You'd think that service would be immaculate given the price. Almost left and thought to settle up later.

Yes, Lisa T is extremely helpful.

Shinbal
I know you needed your dry cleaning overnight, but for future reference there is a really good cleaners just around the corner on 7th avenue between 56 and 57th. IIRC they will deliver to the hotel.

Regards

Next time you are in NY and find yourself in that situation, just walk a few blocks and find a dry cleaner. $70 is obscene

My preferred cleaner is J's on 6th Ave b/w 56th and 57th, west side of the street. I've had them do laundry, dry cleaning and alterations. Reasonable prices, good performance (they removed a stain that others had missed) and they deliver to the concierge, who in turn has the clothes waiting for you in your room by end of day.

I have always had good experiences at Norma's.

Heading to NYC at the end of the month with Mrs. Meineke & Tim Jr for a business/pleasure stay. This place is $97 per night cheaper than the SNYHT, which completely caught me off guard. With a 5 yr old, the SNYHT works out well because we almost always get a suite with an extra room, and the Plat lounge is great. A couple of questions before I opt for LPM (and I'm going under the assumption that I'd be upgraded to a Junior Suite):

- how much separation does the swivel TV provide, i.e. enough so that adults can sleep in the bedroom while a 5 yr old plays in the other room?
- is the couch a pull-out? The website seems to indicate that it is, but several posts seem to just refer to it as a couch
- is there somewhere decent nearby to eat breakfast - not Normas but a bagel place or good diner? I used to live in Manhattan and never thought of this area as a good place to have weekend breakfast (and I'll probably switch to SNYHT on Sunday night, since the lounge is open on Monday and it's closer to my office)

Tim -

I'm in a Junior Suite now (upgraded from a standard room as a PLT).

1) This is Manhattan, so there isn't a ton of space. It's big for Manhattan, but your kids playing video games will probably keep you awake because there is no actual door separating the two areas.

2) There is a pull out couch.

3) I always have a hard time finding good spots in this area, but if you want a really short cab ride, ESS-a-Bagel is at like 53rd and 3rd and it is rockin' and cheap.

Do they have a good upgrade policy for Plats? I see junior suite upgrades, but I'm curious if more than the 1 poster I saw got a full suite, living room and separate bedroom. Thanks!

I stayed there last week, only made the booking 10 minutes before arriving and received a Junior Suite without asking. This is certainly the better SPG property in New York for recognition.

I just found this review of ours for Le Parker Meridien. It's based on a stay while I was SPG Gold at the very end of August 2009, so my apologies for the exceptionally late posting...

Got back from a weekend at Le Parker Meridien in NYC. Have to preface this review by pointing out that I chose LPM because we used to stay there occasionally and it was a big fave with my better half.

Our check in went smoothly. Sasha was certainly gregarious and engaging, though maybe playing on her sincerity a little. Not a problem for the uninitiated. She gave us our room immediately (we arrived around noon) and advised that we were placed in a Park View room. (FYI, I'm only gold so far...) We arrived to our room and I must concede that it was a little worn and dated, but nothing that would necessarily exclude it from a return. Our room was also next to the ice machine...and the employee/emergency stairwell...and an employee storage area. :( Thankfully, there wasn't too much noise. The Central Park view was nice, but just so you know, NYC being what it is, the view was really 55% buildings, windows and rooftops and 45% Central Park. (Also, the Mrs. mixed up hotel locations, since she thought the LPM was on 59th, thus was expecting an unobstructed view of the park.)

Everyone at the hotel was very friendly. I mean everyone! And that's a feat! Especially in NYC! :D Even though you could tell from some that it was hotel policy to engage all guests, not one staff member we met throughout the hotel seemed insincere or phony or "over" the company policy.

We used 2 of our FWN's to stay here, but if I could do it over again, I'd've forgone the sentimentality and chosen the Times Square W, since that property was also eligible for FWN. (We tried to get a look at some TS W rooms while there, but they were sold out and didn't get to see any...never made time to check out the Westin for future stays...)

Would I stay at LPM again? Sure, as long as the price point wasn't very close to the W Times Square or, as another unknown, the Westin.

As for restaurants:

Burger Joint - really good burgers, average fries and a good NYC price.
You can also pre-order from your room and pick it up quickly!
Wish I'd known we could charge it to the room... I have to disagree with earlier reviews who compare the burgers to Five guys or In n' Out, they are definitely much better. And I'm always pleased when they can cook a burger rare, a task that must be daunting for the 90% of places that can't or won't do it. :rolleyes: The fries on the other hand, were only average, but at least they were hot and fresh.

Norma's - seriously overpriced and overrated
On our last morning we ate breakfast at Norma's, an event we were really looking forward to. Unfortunately, we were both rather disappointed. Our service was a little inattentive and unimpressive. It's super busy, noisy and our table was quite literally two inches from the table next to us, so it has all the ambiance of a well decorated diner. I had to struggle to hear or own conversation over the table's next to us. And, thank goodness I can eat ambidextrously, otherwise I'd have to time cutting lumberjack style with my neighbor. The French press coffee was good, not great and the OJ was fresh squeezed. They also provided little shots of fruit smoothie. I had the chocolate French toast and she had a chocolate crepe, both adorned with sauces and some fruit. Mine was okay, and I expected decadence, but it was basically a (flourless?) cake with chocolate sauce poured over it. Her crepes were really quite bland. Not exactly the "indulgence" I'd hoped for. It's also exceedingly pricey, too. Two coffees, one OJ, the crepes and chocolate "French toast" (no sides) came to $84.00 with tip. Even by NYC standards, rather dear for an early dessert. Would definitely discourage anyone from choosing this place for breakfast, even for a "splurge". There are a tonne of better breakfast values, from Ess-A/H&H bagels on the very low end to countless great brunches on the high end, to spend your money and experience.

Pros: Friendly hotel staff, great location, great burgers
Cons: fairly worn & in need of update/refurbishment, Norma's very overrated & over priced

A question about the junior suites- are there 2 tvs or 1? I'm considering the junior suite for a stay with a friend who would sleep on the sofa bed, but if there's only 1 tv, I guess it wouldn't work. If only 1 tv, is it in the living room or bedroom? How far is it from Times Square- within walking distance? Is it worth it to stay here if you're going to be seeing shows every day and night?Thanks, any info on this junior suite would be greatly appreciated!

In the junior suites I've had, there is only 1 TV. It is an old CRT, and it is in a half round cabinet that swivels to be seen from either side. It's about half a dozen blocks from Times Square, a pretty easy walk.

Just wanted to report that I stayed here the last 2 nights. There was no platinum upgrade before arrival on sunday. Most hotels I have stayed at, at least do some kind of pre-upgrade.
When I arrived, the hotel offered me a standard room. Huh?
They then said, oh sorry, we didn't see you were platinum. (huh? It's in the record....)
I asked what kind of room they had put me in.
They said, tower, central park view.
Is that the nicest room?
Yes.
What about a suite I said?
They said, hang on, let me check.
They then said they had a junior suite, not in the tower.
What about a junior suite in the tower, I inquired?
Hang on. Goes to get manager. Yes, sir, we have a junior suite in the tower....

Yay, platinum benefits! They're so easy to get! I feel SO valued!

Best FT advice I've gotten in a long time! THANKS!

The more I stay here, the more I'm convinced that this hotel really doesn't want to be a part of SPG. I don't know what spurred them on to join the program, but there is a "you're lucky to be here" air about the place.

That being said, I have received a room upgrade on every stay. I have not been put in a junior suite in the tower, but have always had the option of a junior suite in the main building, or a King room overlooking the Park in the tower. I get my amenity without asking. As far as the basics of SPG, I can't complain.

I don't know why people think this is such an extraordinary hotel. The rooms are not pretty and are a little bit cheesy. I find the service to be pleasant, but just a shade snooty, and the prices ridiculous.

I have a difficult time NOT staying here, because I can roll out of bed and into my office. It's really convenient, and my corporate rate is excellent. I just wish I liked it more.

Anything more desirable for tower room vs non-tower room?

Just had my first stay here last night. Was upgraded to a Junior Suite without much fuss. I'm not really clear as to if I was in the tower or not, but I was on the 27th floor facing the city.

The rooms do have a 'trendy but dated' feel to them, as though they were really cool in the mid-90s. Overall though, the property is great. The Junior Suite has nice separation between the bedroom and living room, including the swivel TV unit. The desk is good and ample for working.

I was wondering if anyone else thought that the bed was really firm? It reminded me of staying in the far east where I've encountered a lot of firm mattresses.

Overall, the property is just fine, but not so great that I'll be heading back unless there are sellouts across the W / Westin properties available in NYC.

If he is playing games, he'll disturb you. And v.v.:eek:

Yes, pullout.

Try Sarabeth's. Or BLT Market.

Had a two night stay over the weekend. Was put in a junior suite on the 7th floor - didnt think to ask for a nicer room since it was 3:30 am (thanks AA:mad:). I thought the room was very well laid out, except for the curtain covering the little closet by the door - it kept getting stuck in the door. While I wasnt here for business, I could envision the desk/workspace being a very good place to get things done. Also, my 5 year old had a ball locking himself in the little area where the luggage racks are stored

The pluses: accessible to many great NYC attractions. 3 starbucks (the one across the street has the worst service of any sbux I've ever seen), a Duane Reade (drug store), and a servicable deli all within a 4 minute walk, AND a Dean & Deluca (a little pricey but blows away Sbux in every aspect) on the same block. Nice indoor rooftop pool - with the caveat that at 5:30 pm saturday it was packed with kids so dont count on doing laps in primetime. The roof deck also seemed like it would be nice in summer, although I cannot recommend it with a wet bathing suit and tshirt. The pullout couch bed was fairly comfortable, and the bedroom bed was also quick comfortable. The bath products were good

The minuses: I agree with others that the decor could use a step up - not that it's bad, but it could be taken to a higher level. There were also a lot of people milling about in the lobby, I guess waiting for Norma's and the Bruger Bar (which according to my NYC friends was long ago eclipsed by other NYC burger places, although it saddens me to think that Manhattan has been so homogenized that people even talk about the best burger)

I am booked to stay here in a couple of weeks. Any update on the air-conditioning situation? Or is it still a case of "crack open the window if you want to cool your room"?

This sort of relates to your question....

http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/20...Meridien_Again

Received an upgrade
 

I stayed there recently for 3 nights, using points. Was upgraded to a Junior Suite on 31st floor. I actually reserved a room with 2 beds, and this one came with one queen, but it turned out to be okay. Had I insisted on two beds, I would have not gotten the junior suite. Funniest part was when the front desk clerk tried to tell me that my room had two beds because the couch folded out into a second bed. At that point I decided not to fight it any more.

I thought the work area was especially comfortable. Nice big desk and ergonomic chair.

I like Norma's for breakfast, but it's a once-a-year thing. Only ate there once. It's pricey, obviously.

Agree that the decor is "dated hip", but that doesn't really bother me.

The front desk seemed very understaffed and there were lines every time I passed it.

They charge $10 to use the health club, which is unusual, but it's a very nice club -- much better than most hotel fitness centers.

The "free Plat wifi" requires a code, and the code kept expiring so I had to call every day to get a new one. A minor annoyance, but not a big deal.

The weather was mild, so the room was very hot. No A/C. But by opening all three windows, the room cooled to a reasonable temp. Had the windows not opened, the room would have been intolerable.

All in all I liked it and would probably stay there again. Better than other *wood NY hotels in my opinion.

Air Conditioning Update
 

I recently commented in an online survey about the air conditioning. I received an email from the property's Guest Relations department. An excerpt of the email:
Opening the window will work for me as the location, Platinum room upgrade, and the attitude of the staff will keep me coming back to the Le Parker Meridien New York.

You are a Plat, right? Is this a new policy? Every time I've been there as a Plat the health club access is complimentary.

I was there last night (upgraded to a junior suite, low floor) with my girlfriend. They offered me 1 free pass to the gym. I imagine they would have given me a 2nd one for the GF if I pushed.

Not sure if they'd give you a pass per day - I got the feeling that they would not though.

The pass is valid for the duration of your stay. They write your departure date on the pass, giving you access to the gym until your day of departure.

Just a note on a current promotion at this property -- they are running a "Summer Vaca in NYC" special through 4/10, offering prepaid Fri/Sat/Sun nights from 6/4-8/13, excluding the weekend of 7/4. Rates range from $225 for a standard room to $325 for a junior suite. (Link)

HOWEVER -- buyer beware -- the fine print on the rates read as follows:

Limited Time Offer. Rate is pre-paid, non-cancelable, non-refundable.**Rate is non pointable**.

I can only assume that means it is an ineligible rate.

Disappointed, to say the least, that an SPG property is sending a promotion to my SPG email address offering an ineligible rate. Poor form. William, is this even kosher?

Thanks for the tip!
 

Wow -- didn't even think to ask. Maybe I should ask for a refund of my $10. :) I just went down to the club and charged to the room, and of course in the club, they didn't know I was Plat.

Disappointing Stay Easter weekend
 

I've stayed in NYC Starwood hotels many times and during crowded peak seasons, but I've never had such disappointing service -- reservation mix-up, room not ready at 5pm, someone walking into our room (while we were in it) with a key thinking thinking they were checking into THEIR room, and frustrating long waits for check-in, elevators, getting someone on the phone, waiting for the car. Beds were not as comfortable as the Westin and W hotels.

On a more positive note, as a platinum member we got a 4pm check out and free wireless internet. Our junior suite was nice, and our daughter said the fold-out couch was comfortable. Location is nice, too, near Central Park and 5th Ave shopping.

Burgers at the Burger Joint were great, too.

Had another great stay at this property last Monday.

Check-in: swift and efficient. I was automatically recognized as Platinum and an upgrade was promptly offered. They don't have a separate queue for Gold/Plats but at the time I checked-in, it wasn't an issue as there were only 2 other guests checking-in and there were 3 agents. All in all, I was treated very well -- "welcome back".

Room: spacious and large. A nice sitting area separated from the bedroom. A nice park view as well.

Check-out: again no issues -- quick and efficient. There was a little bit of a line-up but it did not last long.

My only complaint would be that my 500-Platinum Thank You amenity points did not post so I had to follow-up. They still haven't posted but perhaps they will do so after the Saturday sweep.

Conclusion: the Parker Meridien NYC is quickly becoming my favorite Starwood property in NY. I'm torn between the Parker Meridien and the Westin NYC but prefer the Parker Meridien's location as I'm not in NYC for Broadway. The W Times Square is also a great property but I sometimes find it too trendy.

Another try
 

I'm checking in tomorrow for a week-long stay. Still a Plat, and am using a premium (14500 vs 12000) award that books into an upgraded room. The big question is, will I get upgraded beyond the type I already bought up into, or not? I'm of course hoping I will, but wondered if anyone had any ideas.

I've stayed here twice in the past week and once before that. Each time I've been upgraded to a junior suite. They've all been great stays.

Had some difficulties getting the wired connection working as the promo code they give you that's printed on the hotel room key sleeve is for wireless only. A quick call to the tech support fixed that.

Love Norma's. Also Burger Joint is great.

Protip: as gleff said earlier, definitely call ahead and skip the Burger Joint line. You might get some nasty stares, but it's worth it! The first time I called an order in I waited in line with everyone else. The cashier told me that next time all I have to do is just walk in and stand to the side of the cashier (where the beer is). Rather than calling the concierge, I just call the place directly. 212-708-7414