The Grand Hyatt is Hyatt’s biggest property in New York City. While it’s not the most exciting property they have in the city, it’s typically among the most reasonably priced, and I’ve always found the Grand Club to be great. So I’ve stayed there a fair number of times, and have always had pleasant stays.
Well, it has just been announced that the Grand Hyatt New York will soon be torn down.
What’s going on? The hotel will be purchased by TF Cornerstone, which plans to tear down the hotel and replace it with a two million square foot tower that will include office and retail space, as well as a new, but much smaller, Grand Hyatt.
The plan is that the current ~1,300 room hotel will instead have ~500 rooms. We’ll also see the amount of meeting space reduced from 60,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet.
The current hotel will remain open until at least the end of 2020, and at that point it will likely be torn down, and I imagine it will be a few years before it reopens.
The reason for this change is that in 2017 rezoning of the Midtown East area meant that taller buildings could be built, so clearly developers saw some potential with the land that the Grand Hyatt is on, as it’s right by Grand Central.
Hyatt is actually leasing the hotel for 100 years (through 2077), so the developers will need to transfer the lease before any work can be performed.
Coincidentally this was also Donald Trump’s first big real estate deal in New York. This was initially developed by Trump and Hyatt in the late 1970s, before Trump sold his stake in the project in the 1990s.
As much as Hyatt’s footprint in NYC has grown massively, it’s unfortunate to see them lose this many rooms. On the plus side, I look forward to seeing what the redesigned Grand Hyatt looks like. Sadly it’ll probably be at least five years until it opens.
Are you sad to see the current Grand Hyatt NYC close?
(Tip of the hat to @2GaysAndAPuppy)
My multiple experiences at this grand hotel, were wonderful. This place is ten times bigger than most large hotels and more complex to run than imaginable. The Club is exceptional and the personnel bend over backwards. Elsewhere in this town pay 500 to 700 and not have the convenience. Sorry this icon will be lost to more glass cubicles. A dent here or dust bunnies there did not detract enough, all else considered!
I worked there when it first opened in the earl '80's, it was a beauty then. Sorry to hear the news.
As for Hyatt keys, they recently added The Parker NY (about 600 rooms with rooftop pool overlooking the Park) and Thompson (Gild Hall and Beekman) to their roster.
Good riddance. Had a “suite” there a few months ago. Bathroom had an industrial toilet and I had to turn sideways in the shower. I checked out and went to the London NYC.
"Are you sad to see the current Grand Hyatt NYC close?"
No it was always hideous
The Grand Hyatt is really an old building with a new façade and interior remodeling. The rooms can be small and odd, with small windows looking into facing rooms.
Makes sense to rebuild it.
@DB "Urban destination fee"??? I can imagine the people who came up with that idea grappling with what to name this obnoxious obscene profit grab. Hey, let's not disclose it as part of the rate, but quietly slip it in and say it's a charge for things that we normally provide our guests anyway. We'll call it an "urban destination fee!" Laughter erupts and continues for days. Meanwhile, unsuspecting guests get clobbered at checkout time....
@DB "Urban destination fee"??? I can imagine the people who came up with that idea grappling with what to name this obnoxious obscene profit grab. Hey, let's not disclose it as part of the rate, but quietly slip it in and say it's a charge for things that we normally provide our guests anyway. We'll call it an "urban destination fee!" Laughter erupts and continues for days. Meanwhile, unsuspecting guests get clobbered at checkout time.
These fees are weasely and despicable.
As an Explorist, can I veto this? There's enough construction going on in Midtown right now...
@ Lucky: Another drunk pilot at MAN !!
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/pilot-62-arrested-manchester-airport-15798175
Kind of sad to see another piece of history bite the dust. That building is almost 100 years old -- read up on the history of The Commodore. The guest rooms could easily have been updated/upgraded to current luxury standards.
Will be sorry to see the Grand Hyatt NYC go. The management is smart and responsive, and as others have commented, the location can't be beat. The first time we stayed in ~February 2018 was a bit of a letdown: we had a variety of issues on check-in and check-out, including being assigned a room and a key that opened a door with people in it. (!!!) But on our last trip, they had quite...
Will be sorry to see the Grand Hyatt NYC go. The management is smart and responsive, and as others have commented, the location can't be beat. The first time we stayed in ~February 2018 was a bit of a letdown: we had a variety of issues on check-in and check-out, including being assigned a room and a key that opened a door with people in it. (!!!) But on our last trip, they had quite obviously worked hard to improve everything: the check in process, the line experience for Globalists, the attitude of the unionized bell staff, and the crowding in the club. We had a great time and vowed to return.
The Grand Hyatt NYC is a gigantic hotel, and this change is going to have the effect of removing a lot of the room inventory in this part of Manhattan. After the Grand Hyatt closes, we'll all be fighting for space in the 5th Avenue Andaz if we want to stay in this part of town.
So sorry to hear the bad news. Does this mean W Hotels is setting up shop in the same location? Oh wait. I just saw TF Cornerstone. Sounds like Westin ain't got a chance @ homing in. Regardless, Hyatt will still get that long $ gUaP $!
There are 3 tall buildings being built next to this hotel. I assume it's the same reason why.
@DB - Totally agree! I wish all those scam hotels that introduce nonsense "destination fees", "resort fees", and the like would go bankrupt.
Not sorry to see this go. Stayed in December, tempted by the location, and the room was in shockingly poor condition. The automatic window shades were broken. The dresser had multiple gashes in it, the floor was scratched in several spots, the couch was covered in stains and had cushions that were worn well-past an acceptable point, the alarm clock showed the wrong time, and the artwork in the bathroom was literally peeling off of...
Not sorry to see this go. Stayed in December, tempted by the location, and the room was in shockingly poor condition. The automatic window shades were broken. The dresser had multiple gashes in it, the floor was scratched in several spots, the couch was covered in stains and had cushions that were worn well-past an acceptable point, the alarm clock showed the wrong time, and the artwork in the bathroom was literally peeling off of its cheap frame.
In addition to the multitude of maintenance issues, the room also had cleanliness issues: hair in the shower, dust in corners, etc.; when I wore my socks on the room's wooden floor, the bottoms were dusty and brown.
Condition definitely did not befit a Grand Hyatt. I left with the impression that the hotel was in such poor condition that it would be best just to start over. Glad to see that's what they're doing.
This is our go-to hotel in NYC because of its great location. Easy to get both uptown and downtown. And yes, the Grand Club is a pretty cool feature.
This is my go-to public restroom before getting on the train at Grand Central. Always clean and uncrowded, unlike the disgusting GCT ones. It will be missed! Hopefully I won't ever have to make a #2 while on the run in the future...
Good riddance. The lobby wasn't too bad to look at, but the rooms were kinda of sorry - especially the bathrooms. It's always inconvenient to endure big changes and upgrades like this (hotels, airports, city centers, etc...) but more often than not the end result is an improvement.
I am sad... for now. I live 10 mins walk from Grand Central and I love seeing the Chrysler Building behind Grand Central whenever I walk down 42nd st to go to work. This hotel is right next to it and given how there's another skyscraper being built on the other side of Grand Central, it seems like there will be a lot of new buildings in this area by 2022.
I believe the city has to approve this though so it's not over yet.
Good riddance to this hotel and all the other hotels in NYC that see fit to charge a BS "urban destination fee".
It’s a ghastly mega-Hotel (I was there yesterday), all 80s style shiny black marble and reflective surfaces, cold, poorly designed.
The reception desk even has a tensile barrier “rat run”, just like the worst airport arrivals immigration concourse, so customers can trudge up and down the empty lines before waiting, waiting, waiting until a staffer finally deigns to talk to them.
Good riddance to it.