The Chatwal, New York

Compare these experiences. My daughter left a personal item in her room at Walt Disney World. She didn't even know until WDW contacted her, said they found the item, and was sending it to her. I left my sport coat in a closet at the Chatwell. I called the desk the next day and was told "You need to go to ileftmystuff.com because if we found it, we would notify them." No interest in checking with housekeeping. Also, when I booked a 3-bderoom suite for a special occasion, I was transferred to the Hyat call center. I asked if I had a balcony and the operator looked at the room descriptions and said that the suite came with a balcony. My son called the hotel directly, earlier in the week and asked if we had a balcony and could smoke a cigar outside, and was told by the hotel "Yes." But, although we could see the balconies on the floor below, ours had none. The housekeeper was amazingly friendly and helpful when we ran into her, as were the doormen. Front desk ... meh. The rooms have incredible finishes, great bathrooms (although at least one washlet did not work) and quite spacious.

Avoid this property at all costs. They have closed the bars, on-site restaurant, and gym. The property is leaving the Hyatt network in September and it needs considerable updating. They are charging prices from their prime for a very sub-par experience. You can find better for cheaper up and down Times Square.

I was disappointed with my stay at the Chatwal Hotel, especially given its reputation as a five-star property. From the moment I arrived, the experience fell short. The welcome at reception was very dry and lacked the warmth and hospitality I would expect from a luxury hotel. First impressions matter, and unfortunately this one was underwhelming. The common areas also did not reflect five-star standards. The lobby near the elevators was not clean, and the lobby leading to The Lambs Club appeared unkempt and poorly maintained. The guest room itself was clean, but it was much smaller and felt significantly more cramped than the photos and description suggested. It was not nearly as impressive as I had anticipated. One of the biggest disappointments was learning that the spa was closed for construction. Considering the premium price of the stay, this was a major amenity to lose and should have been communicated more clearly in advance. The one standout during my visit was the concierge, who was genuinely warm, welcoming, and helpful. They were the only part of the experience that made me feel excited about my stay and provided the level of service I expected from a luxury hotel. Overall, this experience did not live up to the expectations of a five-star hotel. While there were a few positives, they were outweighed by the lackluster service, poorly maintained common areas, misleading room presentation, and unavailable amenities. Given the price, I expected much more.

Felt like I was scammed. Nothing like the pictures. I had a king suite with a Terrace on the 7th floor (706-One of their nicest rooms). And it was absolutely disgusting and outdated. The carpet was stained everywhere. It also felt damp. Definitely seems like there is some sort of leak. Hallways stained and smelled a bit musty too. In the room, there were also stains on the ceiling, stains and scratches on the walls and Furniture was peeling. Our bathroom vanity had several large cracks and shattered areas. Sheets were literally the worst ones I have ever had even compared to budget hotels. They literally felt like sandpaper. They were so scratchy that my 14-year-old daughter and I both slept in our pants and socks. The photographs of the common areas are also very misleading. They make it seem like this hotel has a vibe that there are places to lounge, etc. But is actually a very small lobby with a few chairs in a hallway and in front of the elevators. If you were trying to find a swanky boutique hotel to elevate your stay in New York City, this is not it! If you were here on business, you would be very disappointed to discover there is no good area to sit and have a drink. There is a bar at the restaurant, but again the bar is in the waiting area of the hostess stand so it doesn’t really feel like a bar. WiFi was not working during our stay and neither was the in-room laptop for ordering, etc. button for blinds did not work, remote in bathroom did not work. Toilet bidet outdated and looked old. Elevator buttons were glitchy ( we were told that you just have to press it several times and it will eventually work. My reservation was for three nights. Unfortunately, we did not get to our room till 11 o’clock at night. If I had any energy at that time, we would’ve left immediately, but instead, we left the next day. I was shown another room the next day and given the option to switch. This second room was much smaller, but was in significantly better shape. Sheets felt nice and it didn’t have that overall icky feeling. But there was still large carpet staining near the window and a damp feel so we decided to switch hotels. The valet/bellhop and the front desk attendant Layla were highlights. They were very professional and accommodating, especially considering our circumstances. I was not offered a discount or a refund, but was grateful that they had a second room cleaned quickly for me to see and allowed me to cancel the next two days of our reservation without any protest. Unfortunately, we ended up wasting about six hours of one of our precious days in New York City dealing with this issue, moving hotels, etc. also frustrating, is that I ended up overpaying at the next hotel because of limited availability in short notice. For reference, I travel a lot all over the world and come to New York often, so I think I came in with appropriate expectations.

Beautiful, 5-star hotel. Would absolutely stay here again when I visit NYC. Such spacious rooms, clean and amazing food in the restaurant.