Park Hyatt New York

PHNY remain the top hotel in NYC for our family. Not only is management always responsive and predictive of our needs but the rooms, the Living Room and the iconic Swimming Pool all are maintained with impeccable care and are world class.

My wife and I recently spent one night at the Park Hyatt New York when we were in New York City for dinner and a show to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This hotel ultimately wasn’t a bad choice, since it was convenient to where we needed to be, and the hotel is physically nice and has a luxurious feel. However, poor service (something I’ve seen echoed many times in other reviews), also left us with mixed feelings. The hotel was totally lacking the warmth and service level that you’d expect from a hotel that was charging close to $2,000 per night for an entry-level room when we visited. Pre-Arrival Experience: We booked this hotel using Hyatt points, which truly is a very reasonable redemption, so I can see why it’s a popular one. It was 40,000 points for one night in a standard king room, which feels like a great value when compared to the high cash rates that were being charged at the time. A couple days before our arrival, I received an email from the hotel’s Guest Experience Manager, providing a general welcome brochure and asking if we had any requests. I do find it helpful when a hotel does this and proactively reaches out to guests, so I was glad it occurred here. The information they provided was useful, and I did respond to let them know that we were celebrating our anniversary, as well as to share our expected arrival time (2:00 pm) and desire for a quiet room. The response was pleasant and professional, and they offered to immediately confirm an upgrade from a standard king room to a city view king room to celebrate our anniversary. They also specified that they were putting us in a room facing toward 58th Street and Central Park, since it’s the quieter side of the hotel. I really appreciated the prompt and professional responses, which were totally in line with what I’d expect from a hotel of this caliber. Being thoughtful about room location to satisfy our request for a quiet room was also something I definitely appreciate. The upgrade itself wasn’t really anything extra, since I was already entitled to the room type we were given by virtue of being a Hyatt Explorist member. Regardless, the gesture was nice, and it was nice to know in advance that we were being given the upgraded room, rather than having to see if it was available at check-in. Arrival Experience: We arrived on a Saturday at about 3:00 pm, and the arrival experience definitely left something to be desired. When we pulled up to valet our car, no one was visibly around to assist. The hotel entrance actually looked totally dead. In general, I found the hotel entrance to be set up oddly, as there are no staff members actually stationed right by the door or outside. There are some staff members who linger further inside, but it’s hard to tell who’s even working for the hotel, and it took more time than expected for someone to realize we had pulled up needing valet assistance and come out. Someone did finally come out though, and he was perfectly pleasant. As an FYI, valet parking is $90 per night, which is steep, but not shocking for New York City. Upon entering the building, we were directed to the elevators up to the main lobby a few floors up, as the ground level is really just a smaller entrance lobby and the area where luggage is stored. On the actual lobby level is the hotel restaurant called The Living Room, along with the front desk and lobby seating. It all looks physically lovely, with lots of marble everywhere and a sleek, upscale look. It’s physically very attractive. However, the actual check-in process left a lot to be desired. The clerk who checked us in had an attitude and simply wasn’t very nice. We had arrived about an hour before the official 4:00 pm check-in time, and I honestly expected that our room would probably be ready by that point. I had noted our arrival time with the Guest Experience team in advance via email, and they said they’d do their best to have our room ready. While things happen and I know there is no guarantee of checking in early, the front desk clerk was a bit nasty in communicating that our room wasn’t yet available, and I truly wasn’t sure he was telling the truth. What I found most odd was that he never actually said that the room wasn’t ready, but rather just kept harping on the idea that we were there before 4:00. I hadn’t even expressed disappointment about the room not being ready early, but there seemed to be this hostility to the idea that we were even there to check-in before 4:00, which was bizarre. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were just holding the room until closer to official check-in time of out of spite (maybe because we had booked with points?). It just wasn’t clear, and the arrival experience was not hospitable. What really bothered me though, was that the front desk clerk then went into a sales pitch to try to upsell us on a one-bedroom suite, promising that we could have it immediately without waiting. He offered the suite for an upgrade charge of $300 per night, which honestly isn’t too bad. However, we would barely be at the hotel, so we declined. He seemed irritated that we said no, which made it feel particularly salesy, and like he would be getting something out of it if we took the upgrade, which should not be the focus. We then heard all of the front desk clerks giving the exact same sales pitch to other guests, which just left a negative taste in my mouth. I don’t necessarily have a problem with offering a paid upgrade, but I don’t like it when it’s done in a slimy manner, which is how it felt here. I also noticed that there were a lot of guests just sitting in the lobby waiting for rooms, even as 4:00 approached. At first, we left and took a walk around the area to kill some time while waiting, but eventually came back and joined them. Having many guests waiting around for rooms isn’t something we usually see at luxury hotels, which usually do their best to get people into rooms as early as possible. I can’t tell if there were just housekeeping delays preventing more rooms from being ready before 4:00 on that particular day, or if there was a concerted decision made to deny early check-ins. The latter would be in line with the way things were being communicated and the attitude we received. I also didn’t like that there wasn’t a well-coordinated way to handle luggage while waiting for a room. We had brought our suitcases with us up to the front desk, and were told we had to take them back down to the ground floor lobby to store them while waiting for the room. Even if that is the place where luggage is kept, the front desk should absolutely be equipped to take the luggage from guests and then have a staff member take it downstairs to be stored. Requiring guests to schlepp their own luggage between multiple floors is not appropriate at a hotel of this caliber. Eventually, around 3:45 pm while we were waiting in the lobby, the front desk clerk yelled my name across the lobby (again, inappropriate poor service), and said our room was ready. Room: Our room was on the 21st floor (2101), and was quite nice. The hallways to get to the rooms are dark, with dark wood and carpets, and an overall feeling of quiet and calm amongst the chaos of the city. The rooms themselves carry out a similar feel, with very neutral tones and warm wood. I think we just got lucky with the specific room we were assigned, as example rooms on the website for the same room type looked smaller. Our room was really impressively spacious for a standard room in New York City. There was an entrance hallway that then led to the bathroom on the right and the bedroom on the left, all of which was open concept and flowed together nicely. I also really liked that there were windows in both the bedroom and the bathroom. Everything about the room felt upscale and restful, and the bathroom stood out for being particularly nice. The large standalone tub was positioned facing the window to take in a glimpse of Central Park that we could see between buildings, and the vanity with dual sinks was spacious, as was the huge walk-in shower. The shower also had the best water pressure we have truly ever experienced in a hotel, by far. The Le Labo Bergamote 22 bath products were also a treat. The bathroom experience felt luxurious. Other than being very spacious, the bedroom side of the room was less exciting. The bed was actually quite comfortable, but the room itself was very drab. There were large walls that were completely bare, and were basically calling out for some art. It also felt like it was lacking furniture, as there could easily have been a nice bench at the foot of the bed or a larger armchair to fill in some of the space. Our larger complaint with the bedroom was really that it felt dark. While the bathroom was light-filled, the bedroom had a smaller single window, which was partially covered by the automated drapes, even when on their most open setting. This was disappointing, since the room just always felt a bit depressing because of it. Something as simple as window coverings that don’t keep much of the single window covered would be a huge improvement. When looking for light, it didn’t help that the one floor lamp in the room wasn’t working. We assumed it was due to a burnt out bulb, and I called to see if someone could come to replace the bulb. I was really surprised at how quickly someone arrived (within 5 minutes), and they fixed it with no problem. Despite these little nitpicky things, I really had no strong complaints about the room itself, and liked it. It was also incredibly quiet at all times, and having a room that faced toward Central Park was nice, even if much of that view was blocked by buildings along Central Park South. Even just having glimpses of the park was a nice surprise. I really liked the view from this side of the hotel (i.e., facing 58th Street), as there aren’t any buildings that are as tall in the foreground. The other side facing 57th Street and the hotel entrance could include a glimpse of Carnegie Hall that’s across the street, but I imagine it could be louder on that side, and you’re more likely to just be looking directly out at another building in close proximity. Turndown was completed while were out at dinner, and we also appreciated that a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries was left for us to celebrate our anniversary, along with two bottles of Evian water (still and sparkling), and a handwritten note. This was a nice touch. Other Amenities: Since we weren’t at the hotel for long, we didn’t get to visit many of the hotel facilities, such as the indoor pool, gym, or spa, which are all together on the 25th floor. We did stop by to see them though, and were impressed. The indoor pool was really nice, with several comfortable lounge chairs and other couch seating areas, a large hot tub, and a sauna. A lot of families seemed to be enjoying it, and there was a lifeguard, which is helpful. The gym also looked great, with lots of light and a nice view on the Central Park side. In the pre-arrival amenity guide we received, there were a couple of activities/amenities outside the hotel that are included, which are not otherwise well-advertised. For one, you can get a complimentary two-hour bike rental to ride bikes in Central Park. Additionally, as part of its partnership with Le Labo, the hotel also offers a complimentary Discovery fragrance set that you can pick up at the Le Labo store on the Upper East Side. We actually really did want to stop at Le Labo for this, but the store’s operating hours and the times we would be available to go just didn’t quite line up. Dining: We didn’t dine at the hotel at all, but I would note that the dining options are a bit limited. The Living Room on the lobby level looks quite nice, but it serves as a dual lounge and restaurant, and the hotel doesn’t have any other real restaurant. This isn’t a big deal since it’s New York City and there are so many great options at your fingertips. However, I would expect better at a hotel of this caliber. It felt like it was missing a real restaurant. Other than the Living Room, in-room dining is the only option. Location: The location of the Park Hyatt New York is one of its great strengths. You’re only two short blocks from Central Park South, and it is easily accessible to many popular spots in Midtown. We were easily able to walk to and from a show in the Theatre District at night, and it feels relatively quiet on the block where the hotel is located, which is a nice retreat when coming from the Theatre District. We prefer other areas in the city, but if you’re doing traditional tourist things or seeing a show so that being in Midtown makes sense, it’s a strong location. We also liked that anywhere else in the city is also easily accessible by subway. The 57th St/7th Ave subway station is literally right on the corner by the hotel, so when we needed to travel a bit downtown for dinner and chose the subway, it was so easy to get right on. Departure Experience: When we were ready to leave the next day around noon, we made sure to call for our car well in advance, as we had been told at check-in that it can take up to 30 minutes to bring the car. It actually did take basically the entire 30 minutes. I appreciated that we had advance warning on lead time to get the car, but it also seemed a bit excessive to take that long, even in a city. When our car did arrive, the valet who brought it up didn’t even look at us before running off, and no one offered any assistance with luggage or even just a farewell as we departed. I don’t need fanfare, but there were just too many examples of this hotel not delivering on the service side in ways that are honestly standard for a hotel of its caliber. Overall: Our one night stay at the Park Hyatt New York was fine overall. We didn’t love it, and it certainly didn’t quite meet expectations, but we didn’t hate it either. We appreciated the nice, spacious room, which had a luxury feel, and the location worked well for what we needed. However, service just simply was not up to par for a hotel of this price point. Especially since city hotels don’t tend to have as many direct encounters between guests and staff as a resort property would, that just means that each interaction counts that much more, and it felt like this hotel wasn’t even trying. It shouldn’t be hard for the door staff at a Park Hyatt to be great, and the experience at the front desk should simply feel welcoming. These are basic things, but the Park Hyatt New York bizarrely couldn’t deliver. I suspect the service issues have something to do with this hotel being a popular hotel to visit using Hyatt points. It feels like there’s this general sense that because many guests aren’t paying cash, they don’t need to be treated well, which is very short-sighted. We do pay cash rates for hotels of this caliber, and we could easily have become repeat cash-paying guests. However, based on this experience, we probably wouldn’t give this hotel more business (at least not unless it was on points again). While in a different part of the city, the Four Seasons Downtown is an alternative hotel with a similar feel and similar amenities that we prefer and will probably choose next time.

Great location and nice rooms, but the customer service was extremely disappointing. When we arrived, the bathtub was dirty and there was even a leftover Skittle on the floor next to the bed, which immediately made housekeeping standards questionable. The phone in our room was also not functioning properly from day one. We reported it to the staff and were told IT would come fix it, but over the course of our 4 day stay, nobody ever followed up. We also ordered room service breakfast on our first morning, and only one of the two entrées we ordered was delivered. We brought the issue up with the front desk multiple times because we simply wanted someone to look into what happened, but instead we were met with rude and combative responses from one of the front desk staff members. What was most frustrating was the complete lack of ownership or concern. Every issue we raised was brushed off, and no one seemed interested in resolving anything. For four days, the hotel showed little care for the guest experience or addressing legitimate concerns. For a luxury property like Park Hyatt New York, the level of service and professionalism was far below expectation.

Always stay with Hyatt when available. Hotel and staff were exceptional. Food was comparable to a 5 star restaurant. We loved our stay. Room was spacious and the hotel itself was beautiful and quiet.

Very disappointing stay at the Park Hyatt New York (May 7–10) with multiple service and cleanliness issues that did not match a luxury hotel standard. On May 8, our room service order was incomplete. The steak and eggs were never delivered, and only the lobster omelet arrived. We reported this around 11 AM but were told nothing could be done until the charge posted to the folio. We also reported a possible room phone routing issue between Rooms 2005 and 2004, which IT was supposed to investigate but we never received follow up. On May 9, after extending our stay, we went to the front desk for new keys and followed up on the missing breakfast item and phone issue. The interaction was dismissive and unhelpful. We were told managers would contact us, but no one did and neither issue was resolved. In addition, room cleanliness was below expectations for a luxury property. The bathtub had visible residue from a previous guest, and there was a Skittle left by the bed. While some staff were professional, overall service was inconsistent with little ownership or follow through. This fell well short of expectations for a flagship luxury hotel. We will not be returning.