- Best Trip Ever: Introduction
- Review: Emirates First Class A380 Los Angeles To Dubai
- Review: Park Hyatt Dubai
- Review: Afternoon Tea At Skyview Bar Burj Al Arab
- Review: Lunch At At.mosphere Burj Khalifa Dubai
- Review: Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai DXB
- Review: Emirates First Class A380 Dubai To Singapore
- Review: St. Regis Singapore
- Review: Westin Singapore
- Review: Singapore Airlines Private Room Singapore SIN
- Review: Singapore Airlines First Class 777-300ER Singapore To Melbourne
- Review: Park Hyatt Melbourne
- Review: Qantas Club Melbourne MEL
- Review: Qantas Business Class 737 Melbourne To Sydney
- Park Hyatt Sydney Review
- Review: Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney SYD
- Review: Qantas First Class A380 Sydney To Los Angeles
- Review: SLS Hotel Beverly Hills
- Review: Oneworld Business Class Lounge Los Angeles LAX
- Review: Qantas Business Class 747 Los Angeles To New York
- Review: Park Hyatt New York
- Best Trip Ever: Dad’s Thoughts
Arguably the most anticipated hotel opening of 2014 is the brand new Park Hyatt New York, which occupies the lower 25 floors of the new One57 building. Even though it just opened, this is actually the flagship Park Hyatt property globally, taking over that title from the Park Hyatt Chicago.
The hotel just had its grand opening this past Tuesday, and I had the opportunity to stay that night after flying in from Frankfurt on Singapore Airlines. It’s worth noting that the hotel already had guests for about a week prior, though Tuesday, August 19, 2014, was technically their “grand opening” night.
This is a Category 7 Hyatt Gold Passport property, which makes a free night redemption 30,000 points for a standard room or 48,000 points per night for a suite (with a minimum of three nights). However, for the time being they don’t seem to be selling any standard rooms, so redeeming Gold Passport points for a standard room isn’t presently an option. I trust this will change when all of their rooms are for sale, as not all guest rooms are ready yet.
I wanted to write one of the first reviews, so ended up booking a AAA rate at the property, which was $660USD for one night. That’s way more than I’d ordinarily spend on a hotel, but I figured it was a decent investment to be able to review the property for you guys. Besides, at 30,000 Gold Passport points per night, the value differential between a paid stay and award stay isn’t huge.
The property is located on 57th Street between 6th & 7th Avenue, putting it just a block from Central Park. The hotel is in a stunning 75 story building (marketed as 90 stories), which really looks impressive even in the New York skyline.
Park Hyatt New York exterior
The exterior of the entrance has the signature Park Hyatt branding, and almost feels a bit like an entrance to a bank.
Park Hyatt New York entrance
Park Hyatt New York signage
The hotel has a welcome area on the first floor, where several associates were standing around with tablets to check guests in. The hotel’s lobby is actually on the third floor, so the idea is that you’ll be checked in upon arrival at the hotel and escorted to your room, completely bypassing the front desk. Then if you need anything during your stay, you can go to the front desk.
Park Hyatt New York entrance
Park Hyatt New York ground floor lobby
The ground floor of the hotel is beautiful and minimalistic, and very much fits in with the typical Park Hyatt decor. One thing I have to note upfront is that the attention to detail in this hotel was spectacular. That’s true not just in terms of the service, but also in terms of the attention to detail of design. Pictures will never do this hotel justice, because there are so many small touches in terms of the design that really impressed me.
Park Hyatt New York ground floor lobby
While I’ll cover more of the public areas later on, below is a picture of the front desk, along with the seating area by the reception desk, which feels very residential.
Park Hyatt New York third floor lobby
Park Hyatt New York third floor lobby
Park Hyatt New York third floor lobby
Park Hyatt New York third floor elevator
I was escorted up to my Park King room on the 14th floor. Again, the hallways feel residential. My room was located about halfway down the hallway on the right side.
Park Hyatt New York hallway
Park Hyatt New York room entrance
Park Hyatt New York floorplan
At ~500 square feet, the standard rooms in this hotel are rather large.
Park Hyatt New York Park King entrance
My room featured a long “L” shaped entryway
Park Hyatt New York Park King entryway
That’s where the safe and some storage were located, housed in a really cool “chest.”
Park Hyatt New York Park King safe
Next to that was a closet, which had a Park Hyatt New York garment bag (which I may or may not have permanently borrowed). 😉
Park Hyatt New York Park King closet
From the “L” shaped entrance, the bathroom was located to the left and bedroom to the right.
Park Hyatt New York Park King room
The bedroom featured a comfortable king size bed, desk, and chair by the window.
Park Hyatt New York Park King room
Park Hyatt New York Park King room
Park Hyatt New York Park King room
Next to the chair was a bottle of complimentary Evian water.
Park Hyatt New York Park King chair by window
The desk was located immediately below the flat screen TV.
Park Hyatt New York Park King desk
To the left of it was the phone, a tablet with all kinds of information about the hotel, and several types of outlets and adapters.
Park Hyatt New York Park King desk
Park Hyatt New York Park King desk
There was also a welcome gift consisting of a blueberry tart and some pears waiting on the desk.
Park Hyatt New York Park King welcome gift
Between the bedroom and bathroom was the minibar, which was in a massive armoire of sorts. It featured a Nespresso machine, along with a rather impressive minibar.
Park Hyatt New York Park King minibar
Park Hyatt New York Park King minibar
Not only was it extensive, but it was fancy as well. Like I-G-G-Y level fancy, given that it had half a bottle of Krug.
Park Hyatt New York Park King minibar
For a minibar, the price for the Krug actually wasn’t horrible. It was $180, which is lower than I would expect for a minibar at five star hotel (not that I’m a buyer at that price, given that you can buy a full bottle for as little as $125, but I suppose this is worth noting for the price conscious hundred millionaires among us). 😉
Park Hyatt New York Park King minibar prices
In terms of square footage, the bathroom probably took up as much space as the bedroom. There were sliding doors between the bedroom and bathroom, and it was pretty cool that when you slid one side closed, the other closed at the same time.
Inside the bathroom there were two double sinks to the left and a soaking tub to the right.
Park Hyatt New York Park King bathroom
Park Hyatt New York Park King bathroom
Park Hyatt New York Park King bathtub
Then to the left was a separate bathroom with a toilet.
Park Hyatt New York Park King toilet
And to the right was an absolutely gorgeous shower. Park Hyatts universally do a damn good job with showers, which is an area where a lot of other hotel chains fail, in my experience. There were two shower heads (a “rainforest” shower one as well as a handheld one), and both the water pressure and temperature control were excellent.
Park Hyatt New York Park King shower
Not only does the Park Hyatt have Le Labo toiletries (which are probably my favorite), but they actually have their own signature scent, available exclusively at the hotels. As you’ll see, the bottles specifically say “PARK HYATT NYC” on them. And if you’ve never read the back side of a Le Labo toiletry bottle, you really should… you’re in for a good laugh.
Park Hyatt New York Park King toiletries
The room was just gorgeous in every way. It was well designed, a great size for a standard room, and there was so much attention to detail in the finishes which pictures could never do justice to. Internet is also complimentary for all guests, and worked perfectly.
I’d say the one downside (or perhaps just not upside) is that views are lacking from the hotel. The hotel is in a tall building, and most of the residences feature amazing views of Central Park. The disadvantage of being on the first 25 floors is that the views are lacking. This was especially true on the 14th floor, though I think starting around the 20th floor or so, there should be at least some views.
Park Hyatt New York Park King view
During my stay I also had the opportunity to tour a Park Suite.
The suite was gorgeous as well, with a large living room, featuring a couch, several chairs, and a desk. There was also a half bathroom by the living room.
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King living room
Then there was a separate bedroom — there are two doors to the living room, and you can choose whether to keep them open or closed.
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King bedroom
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King bedroom
The bathroom was actually quite similar to the one in my room, which is a testament to how nice all the guest room bathrooms are (given that I thought the bathroom was even nice for a suite).
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King bathroom
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King shower
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King bathtub
The only difference was that the suites at this hotel have bidet-style toilets, while the non-suites don’t.
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King toilet
Park Hyatt New York Park Suite King sink
In terms of the hotel’s other facilities, The Living Room is located on the third floor, just across from the reception. This is the name for the lounge/bar/communal area that is used at all Park Hyatt properties, though this is an especially stunning one.
Park Hyatt New York Living Room
Park Hyatt New York Living Room
The lounge area is on a slightly higher level, while the there are stairs that lead down to the bar.
Park Hyatt New York Living Room
Park Hyatt New York Living Room
The lounge is actually a champagne bar as well, so there are several varieties on display (though no Krug!).
Park Hyatt New York Living Room
I met my brother for drinks in the evening, and I have to say the prices were quite reasonably by New York City standards. For example, his wine was $15 per glass, while my G&T was also $15. That’s obviously much more than you’d pay in Florida or at TGI Friday’s, but for a five star hotel in NYC that’s extremely reasonable. I know I’ve paid $20+ for a G&T at some other hotels in the city.
Park Hyatt New York Living Room drinks
There’s also a menu with bar snacks, and I ended up ordering a caesar salad with sirloin, which was excellent.
Park Hyatt New York Living Room snack
Just past The Living Room is The Back Room at One57, which is the hotel’s restaurant. Again, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I especially loved the chairs, which sort of felt like “board room” chairs.
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant
This is also where I had my complimentary Gold Passport Diamond breakfast. The breakfast menu read as follows:
Now, I didn’t actually know what the breakfast benefit was (they don’t seem to have a stated limit), though I’m guessing it doesn’t include “The Backroom Breakfast For Two.” 😉
Instead I had the poached vanilla apricot with granola to start, which was spectacular.
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant breakfast
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant breakfast
Then for the main course I had “The 57th Street Breakfast,” which included a pastry basket, toast, eggs cooked to order, and coffee, tea, or juice.
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant breakfast
I had a veggie egg white scramble, which was excellent as well.
Park Hyatt New York Back Room at One57 Restaurant breakfast
In terms of the hotel’s other facilities, there’s a gorgeous lap pool and hot tub on the 25th floor. I don’t think there are many hotels in New York with pools of this caliber.
Park Hyatt New York pool
Park Hyatt New York pool
Park Hyatt New York pool
There were also several lounge chairs, and there’s a lifeguard on duty for all hours the pool is open.
Park Hyatt New York pool
The locker room across from the pool is also beautiful, and even has Vaughn hair products. Back when I used to live in Bellevue, the place where I gotst my hairs did had Vaughn products, and I’m pretty sure they’re more expensive per ounce than gold.
Park Hyatt New York pool locker room
The gym was located one level up from the pool.
Park Hyatt New York walkway to gym
The gym was nice, and I liked how it wasn’t just a square room, so even if it were full, it would feel pretty private.
Park Hyatt New York gym
Park Hyatt New York gym
Park Hyatt New York gym
Park Hyatt New York gym
The views from the gym were great, and really reminded you of the proximity of the hotel to Central Park.
Park Hyatt New York gym view
The Park Hyatt also has the Naila Spa, located across from the pool. I had the chance to tour it. I don’t think I’ve ever walked through a spa where I let out as many “wows” as this place. The reception area featured super-high ceilings and had gorgeous views of the skyline.
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai view
But the treatment rooms were the real highlight. Each featured a shower and steam room, and most even had outdoor balconies — that’s not something you see very often in New York.
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai treatment room
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai treatment room
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai treatment room
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai treatment room balcony
Park Hyatt New York Spa Nalai treatment room balcony view
Beyond the “hard product” of the hotel, the service was fantastic across the board. Now, I have high expectations of Park Hyatt properties, and especially of new hotels, so I was sort of expecting the level of enthusiasm and service I received. But the service was just absolutely perfect across the board, and then some.
I can provide a million examples of the level of “polished” service you’d expect, though what struck me the most was the doorman, Christopher. He was just the friendliest, awesomest, most excited person I’ve come across in a long time. And perhaps what impressed me most was when I was leaving the hotel in the evening, he stopped me and asked if he could fix my collar. As I explained in my post a few days back about how hospitality happens at the margins, that stayed with me more than anything else. Because there’s no training manual or course in the world that tells you to stop someone and fix their collar. That’s something that happens because of a true passion for being hospitable and going above and beyond (and in case anyone happens to stay here and wants to say hi to Christopher, he’s all the way on the right in this picture, so tell him I said hi and that’s he’s awesome).
Park Hyatt New York bottom line
Park Hyatt is one of my favorite hotel brands in the world, and rarely do I have anything but praise for them. The same is true for the new Park Hyatt New York. It’s a beautiful property with great service. While I can’t afford to stay here regularly, I do think the hotel is actually a good value within the market it’s competing. There are tons of “mediocre” five star hotels that go for $800+ per night in New York, and I think this hotel can compete with the best of them.
Here’s to hoping they start selling more standard rooms, so that we can redeem points for them!
I know this is from a few years ago, but I came across this review while researching for a trip for next year and I'm thinking this is where we'll stay. I've got some Hyatt points to burn (sadly I don't think I'll be chasing status with them as they just don't have enough of a footprint where my wife and I tend to travel) and was looking for a convenient location in Midtown for...
I know this is from a few years ago, but I came across this review while researching for a trip for next year and I'm thinking this is where we'll stay. I've got some Hyatt points to burn (sadly I don't think I'll be chasing status with them as they just don't have enough of a footprint where my wife and I tend to travel) and was looking for a convenient location in Midtown for 3 nights. I considered the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station since it's soon to be demolished, but they charge a "Destination Fee" even to points bookings, which is a dealbreaker for me.
Specifically I wanted to see if the 25th-floor pool/gym had a decent view of Central Park considering the buildings on 58th/59th street in between, and I'm glad to see from the pictures here that it does!
Monday I was checking out of the PH Sydney - today I will be checking into PH NYC!
Hotel is good but I dont think its worth the steep price. I've stayed in many Park Hyatts before some of them including the Park Hyatt Paris, Park Hyatt Vienna , Park Hyatt Hyderabad etc. At least from the first impression, the PHN doesnt look on par with the ones I've mentioned. As a Park Hyatt loyalist, I think the grand Hyatt is a better option and worth your money especially if you are paying for it.
It's an absolute SIN that this hotel isn't located on higher floors. HALF the experience of staying in a hotel in NYC are the views. PH NYC seriously screwed this one up. I'd rather fly to HKG and stay at the Hyatt Regency than waste $$ or points at this property.
@ Gabriel -- Agree the lack of views is disappointing, but I can only imagine what a night here would cost if it were on the higher floors of the building.
Hi Ben,
I'm 100% agree, its an amazing hotel. Stay here since yesterday and moved to one of the Junior Suites with these amazing curved windows.
Some more pictures (at this time only in german) in my post http://www.wp.me/pLedN-2xk
Looks very nice! Hope some of the issues Jason C. had mentioned will be rectified as they settle into regular operations mode.
Ben,
Thanks for including the minibar price sheet and your cocktail expenses. That's very helpful for folks who want to compare and contrast the cost of using the hotel as more than just a bed. Like you Park Hyatt hotels are generally out of my price range and my two experiences so far (Tokyo and Paris) were both very nice but didn't always feel like a good value for the money. Unfortunately the next step...
Ben,
Thanks for including the minibar price sheet and your cocktail expenses. That's very helpful for folks who want to compare and contrast the cost of using the hotel as more than just a bed. Like you Park Hyatt hotels are generally out of my price range and my two experiences so far (Tokyo and Paris) were both very nice but didn't always feel like a good value for the money. Unfortunately the next step down would either be a Grand or a Regency and neither of those brands has ever struck me as especially impressive. In the Marriott world I tend to gravitate toward the JW brand when splurging and it would seem that the Hyatt ecosystem could use a brand that filled a similar role as a JW but with better attention to detail and more polished service that the Hyatt name implies.
"the place where I gotst my hairs"
Come again?
My wife and I stayed at the Park Hyatt last weekend. We used our two free nights. (Thank you Chase!) You didn't mention the glorious steam room where the steam smells like mint.
Amazing trip report. Thanks.
Park Hyatt NYC looks amazing, thanks for this review.
@Jason C - you shouldn't be copying and pasting you Trip Advisor here. Sounds overly dramatic.
I really hope that the menu is an error- beluga sturgeon is critically endangered and importation of the Black Sea and Caspian varieties are banned in the US.
Has a Vendome feel to it.....better than DC PH? Have to think so but the service doesn't appear so......I guess to get friendly service you have to leave NY and go to Paris...........
@ JustSaying -- They're both fantastic hotels. It's like asking someone to pick their favorite child!
Did they provide unlimited bottled water to the rooms like other Park Hyatts?
@ Louis -- Sorry, I'm not sure. I only had the bottle I was given and didn't ask for more.
@Jason C - I'm confused, your honeymoon was only one night long and it was "ruined" because the shower didn't have soap, they woke you up late and the room service messed up? Seems a bit dramatic.
Lucky, My question about "My Elite Rates" is more of a general one and not a PHNY specific one. I don't see any Hyatt properties (albeit in a limited search) that have these rates loaded for 2015. It seems like it could be a corporate decision that has not been made yet. I wonder if there is any precedent from past years from when these rates become available for the following year.
@ Tom -- That's a great question. Let me do some research and see if I can figure out anything. You're right, don't see them loaded.
Just to bring in another perspective.... We checked in the same day you did and only stayed one night:
We went to stay there for our honeymoon after they have officially opened. Our expectations were heightened when the assistant guest relations manager emailed us prior to our arrival to assure us that they would make our trip "memorable" since we would be celebrating our honeymoon there. But after the fancy and nice welcome we have...
Just to bring in another perspective.... We checked in the same day you did and only stayed one night:
We went to stay there for our honeymoon after they have officially opened. Our expectations were heightened when the assistant guest relations manager emailed us prior to our arrival to assure us that they would make our trip "memorable" since we would be celebrating our honeymoon there. But after the fancy and nice welcome we have received from the moment we checked in to the moment we settled in our room, everything else went downhill from there. Overall, we did not have a good honeymoon. Our sleep was ruined, our romantic plans in the rooms were ruined, and the management was sarcastic about ruining everything. I hope this is only a glitch stay because they just opened, because this was not what I've expected after all that I've heard about Park Hyatt New York.
PROS: Nice Hotel. Everything from the designs to the lighting created a really elegant feel to the hotel. The Check-In process was flawless. From the dramatically grand front doors to the personalized escort all the way to your room, it was amazing. The staff remembered our names and continued to address us by our name throughout the entire stay.
CONS: There were tons of construction going on. When we first arrived, there weren't any soap in the room, so we requested some soap through the room ipad. No soap was delivered after an hour, so we requested for it again through the phone. We still did not receive any soap after one hour, so we left the room (because we didn't need a shower at that time, and we had other plans for the day). We got back from our whole day of events around 11pm, and we expected that turn down service would have been done and they would have noticed the lack of soaps and restocked it for us. Well, guess what... our room was still a mess and no turn down service was provided (and no soap too!). We saw their kind "honeymoon gift" on the table though (it was a small blueberry tart) --- indicating that someone did come into our room, but they did not tidy up. We kindly requested for a housekeeping refresh through the ipad (and finally this time they showed up). We had to leave the room for 15 mins so that they could do their thing (At this point it was midnight and we were SO exhausted already!) Before we left, we also requested an HDMI cable so that we could stream something on our laptop to the TV. After we came back, the HDMI cable was still not delivered, so we went ahead to head to bed. At 3am in the morning, our doorbell rang --- it was a lady delivering our HDMI cable. Instead of being polite and asking, she rushed into our room and tried to install it (before I stopped her ---- I was in my PJs and my wife was sound asleep). I tried to explain how late it was but she still rushed in the room to try to install the HDMI cable! The next morning, we ordered room service for breakfast, but half of our order was incorrect and was not on the cart. At this point, we were tired of calling so we decided to leave it alone. I did try to approach the hotel manager to address these issues privately and kindly, but instead of sympathizing with our ruined honeymoon, he jeered at the issues that I brought up, as if it's not a big deal to him. I also told him about their broken pool. One of the things that was highly advertised was that their pool would play carnegie hall music inside the pool. Our lifeguard friend advised us that many guests have complained about the non-working pool speakers but management have been dismissing it. When I brought it up to the manager, he said that "we have crews that have been working on it since yesterday and they are working on it right now" --- but when we went up to the pool, we saw no one fixing it (neither did the lifeguard saw anyone), and the speakers were still broken.
Do you know when Hyatt will load "My Elite Rates" for 2015 bookings?
@ Tom -- It's anyone's guess when this hotel does, as it's all up to the revenue manager at the hotel. I'm guessing they're still testing the waters at this property.
Great review--thanks! I've been to the PH Shangai, PH Paris Vendome, PH Buenos Aires, PH Moscow Ararat, PH Siem Reap, PH Sydney, and PH Melbourne...and will be at the PH Paris Vendome and PH Istanbul in October. (And I'm SPG Plat but LOVE PH!) I can't wait for my next chance to stay at the PH New York based on this.
Ben, I am going to NYC with my wife for our 50th birthday and 20 years married. What would be your top 5 hotel recommendations? I am SPG Platinum so that's something to consider too. Can I apply for the Diamond Challenge upfront and for example use it in this property? Hotel Budget is around $600 per night. My apologies for so many questions but this great post just opened the creativity!
@ Ricard -- Congrats on your upcoming birthday/anniversary! Yes, you can apply for a Diamond challenge and would get the status upfront. More on that here:
https://onemileatatime.com/hyatt-globalist-benefits/
In terms of hotels, for a really special occasion I think the St. Regis or Park Hyatt would be great options. I don't have much experience with non-chain hotels in NYC, unfortunately.
Ben: Thank you for the review. Well done. Chef Sebastien Archambault is in charge of the kitchen and since I had the luxury of eating a few times at the Andaz West Hollywood when he was the head chef there I believe the food at the Park Hyatt New York will be "tops".
I called Hyatt Diamond line about using Diamond Certificate in PHNY and the answer I got is that it will put you in a Park Junior Suite instead of a Park Suite. Given that Park Junior Suite is just marginally more expensive than a Deluxe Room (a few sample dates all show $100 difference, which is really small compare to the baseline rate), I wouldn't consider it a good value.
Plus, it seems really...
I called Hyatt Diamond line about using Diamond Certificate in PHNY and the answer I got is that it will put you in a Park Junior Suite instead of a Park Suite. Given that Park Junior Suite is just marginally more expensive than a Deluxe Room (a few sample dates all show $100 difference, which is really small compare to the baseline rate), I wouldn't consider it a good value.
Plus, it seems really difficult to find a date with Park Junior Suite availability. I picked about 15 random dates this year and only 3 shows Park Junior Suite availability. Maybe they only have very few of them to cater to the need of Diamond Suite Upgrades...
@ Claude -- Not all rooms are open yet, so I'd give it a bit of time, and I'm sure more will be available.
I hate the Le Labo products. Surprised they didn't pony up for Aesop here. Even PH Seoul has Aesop.
Only high rollers like you would pay $15.00/$20.00 for a G&T.
@Sunrise089 - Two counterpoints:
First, Ben spending $650 for a room here to review it is a business expense. His job. That isn't praiseworthy; however, this review is very detailed and useful. Generally speaking, Ben's reviews are more reliable than a lot of the other stuff you'll find out there. That, I think, is the worthy praise.
Second, the day that "I'm a blogger" should impress anyone, go ahead and let me know :)...
@Sunrise089 - Two counterpoints:
First, Ben spending $650 for a room here to review it is a business expense. His job. That isn't praiseworthy; however, this review is very detailed and useful. Generally speaking, Ben's reviews are more reliable than a lot of the other stuff you'll find out there. That, I think, is the worthy praise.
Second, the day that "I'm a blogger" should impress anyone, go ahead and let me know :) Everyone is a blogger. There's no barrier to entry. Heck, I'm a blogger. Letting someone see a bigger room and the spa is hardly preferential treatment. Not paying for your stay would be preferential treatment. Given that this hotel isn't booking to capacity yet, I'm willing to bet they'd let you see a suite if you asked nicely.
That said, if I ever stay here, I'm going to tell them I'm a blogger so that I can get that backroom breakfast as my diamond breakfast. Slam dunk, right? :)
Largely amazing and super useful review, but a tiny bit frustrating too.
You deserve real praise for forking over $650 to review the hotel quickly for us, that's classy. But I wonder about the multiple tours of hotel spaces. Were those 'I'm a blogger' related? If so I think that really calls in to question the customer service section's validity. If they were NOT (and therefore anyone can request suite tours) that's awesome, but...
Largely amazing and super useful review, but a tiny bit frustrating too.
You deserve real praise for forking over $650 to review the hotel quickly for us, that's classy. But I wonder about the multiple tours of hotel spaces. Were those 'I'm a blogger' related? If so I think that really calls in to question the customer service section's validity. If they were NOT (and therefore anyone can request suite tours) that's awesome, but might be worth mentioning in the review then to avoid the appearance of preferential treatment.
The review I have been waiting for all week! Staying there this labor day weekend!
Great review Ben! the hotel looks fantastic and the standard room size is very generous compared to other hotels in NYC.
As usual another superb review.....very concise, great pics and expert insight!
Fantastic review, thanks! I am glad to hear that their is a new flagship PH in the US. The Chicago PH was not up to par in many ways.
Are you deducting this as a business expense? Seems unjustifiable otherwise
@ Stvr -- As I said at the beginning, I stayed here to review the property. This hotel isn't otherwise in my price range, aside from using points for a special occasion.
Guest Bloggers? We've heard your dad and mother's perspective. How about your brother? :)
The Plaza is a notoriously difficult hotel to use Fairmont certificates. I would imagine that the PHNY will be equally or more stingy - one or two rooms at most available on points, need to grab them months and months in advance.
We'll see.
@ Lark -- Well, except that's not actually within the terms of the Gold Passport program. Fairmont doesn't advertise no blackout dates/no capacity restrictions. So as long as a standard room is for sale at the Park Hyatt, they'll have to make it available on points. Long term I really don't see it being an issue.
[I CAN'T BELIEVE I MIS-USED AN APOSTROPHE. Obviously it's "Park Hyatts," not "Park Hyatt's," and I'm MORTIFIED.]
Not to diminish from the PHNY's uniqueness, but the Le Labo products are branded/stamped with the specific hotel name whenever they're used at Park Hyatt's. The Le Labo Bergamote amenities at the Park Hyatt in Washington are claimed to be made "exclusively for" the PHDC right on the bottle.
Again, that tells me that (most) Park Hyatts have an attention to detail that is worlds above your cookie cutter Ritz-Carlton.
"Back when I used to live in Bellevue, the place where I gotst my hairs did had Vaughn products..." Say what?
Interesting/informative review of a beautiful place! Wait, you're in AAA? :)
Most of of your reviews are good anyway, but looks like you were genuienly excited for this review and it showed. Well Done
Looks really great.
Except for the checking in on the ground floor, with no chairs or anything. So, we walk in with all our bags, and stand around to be checked in via iPad? What if a few people walk in at the same time?
Just seems odd that you don't go to the gorgeous third floor.
I get the speed aspect of going straight to the room, but just seems a bit off to me.
@ Neil S. -- The idea is that the second you walk in the bellman takes your bags and an associate walks you straight to your room. There are several associates positioned downstairs, so I can't imagine there will ever be a wait. I'm sure you could still go to the front desk if you prefer, but here there's no need to stand around. You literally go straight to your room.
It does seem very expensive though, even by Park Hyatt standards.
Looking at my stay, rooms start at $848/night at the Hyatt vs. $982/night at the St. Regis and $995/night at the Peninsula. So, it seems reasonable for 5 stars in NYC.
@ John -- Agreed. Ultimately hotel rates are based on the brand and the city. It's more expensive than most other Park Hyatts simply because New York is also a MUCH more expensive market than most other cities. I do think this hotel represents a substantially better value than most other five star hotels in New York.
I was under the impression that the dsu here was to a jr. Suite. Is it actually to a park suite? If so that might sway me to book the PH.
Fdw
@ FlyingDoctorWu -- I think you're right, I might be mistaken. My apologies!
And Singapore A380 review? Anxious
@ Denis -- Already shared a somewhat detailed review of that flight here:
https://onemileatatime.com/singapore-airlines-a380-business-class-frankfurt-new-york/
Will have a more detailed review in a couple of weeks.
I too am a huge Park Hyatt fan and love their understated "less is more" elegance.
Based on the pictures, the new NYC Park Hyatt looks spectacular. It does seem very expensive though, even by Park Hyatt standards.
Talking of Park Hyatts, has anyone stayed at the Magnificent Mile Hyatt in Chicago? It's a very nice midway point between the Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt (both literally and in price range and quality)....
I too am a huge Park Hyatt fan and love their understated "less is more" elegance.
Based on the pictures, the new NYC Park Hyatt looks spectacular. It does seem very expensive though, even by Park Hyatt standards.
Talking of Park Hyatts, has anyone stayed at the Magnificent Mile Hyatt in Chicago? It's a very nice midway point between the Hyatt Regency and Park Hyatt (both literally and in price range and quality). I have not stayed there but I checked it out on my last trip in Chicago, and would definitely stay there next time. Much cheaper than the Park Hyatt (which is gorgeous), and much nicer than the Hyatt Regency Chicago, which is mammoth and unpleasant.
awesome review, thanks again!
That is awesome you were there for opening night last week! I'm surprised though you didn't do a "first impressions" blog post (or did you?) ;) Anyway, did the suite that you toured have a better view? For the bidet-style toilet in the suite, is it similar to the Japanese toilets I saw at Park Hyatt Tokyo? Was there a grand party on opening night? I think it's just so cool that you were probably...
That is awesome you were there for opening night last week! I'm surprised though you didn't do a "first impressions" blog post (or did you?) ;) Anyway, did the suite that you toured have a better view? For the bidet-style toilet in the suite, is it similar to the Japanese toilets I saw at Park Hyatt Tokyo? Was there a grand party on opening night? I think it's just so cool that you were probably one of the first people (if not the first person) to sleep on that bed! Thx for the report!
@ Joey -- I actually had aspirations of publishing the review the day after I checked out, though unfortunately had a crazy week, then ended up at Disney, and then caught a cold, which is why I didn't have a "first impressions" post. There are suites on every floor, so views do vary depending on how high up you are. Yep, the toilet is a Japanese one. There wasn't a party, but certainly they were fully staffed and everyone was on their best behavior. :D
I think I just came a little.
Only 15 more days until I do a graceful cannon ball into the pool.
The hotel looks stunning. I have stayed at PHPV, PH Tokyo, PH Shanghai and PH Siem Reap, I hope to stay at PH NY soon.
Thanks for your review.