Review: Grand Hyatt New York

I had another one night stay in NYC this past week, so I decided to try the Grand Hyatt New York.  This property has gotten some bad reviews over the last few years but it had recently completed a renovation so I wanted to see how it turned out.

I had been in the lobby recently, but had forgotten about the somewhat bizarre head statues.

It was after midnight when I checked in, so I didn’t want to hang around the lobby too long.  There was actually a line to check-in and the hotel was oversold.  There were a few people standing at the desk that couldn’t get a room.  Diamond status does have it’s privileges and I was soon on my way upstairs.  No idea if what I got was a standard room.  I assume so.  The bedroom area was nice enough, newly renovated.  Complete blackout shades on the windows were nice and some soft seating as well as a good desk for working.

The bathroom was bright and clean, had a large shower and very nice double sink.

One feature of the room that I really enjoyed was a bedside panel that controlled both the lighting and temperature in the room.  The plugs bedside were a plus, but the ability to kill all the lights and turn the temperature down from the bed was a kickass unexpected perk.  I see this feature at a lot of the Vegas casino hotels, but most overcomplicate the matter.  This was simple, very easy to use.

The club lounge was definitely one of the better lounges I’ve experienced across the Hyatt system.  For starters, there was a very peaceful outside dining area.

As opposed to large pitchers of lukewarm juice there was wall-to-wall refrigerators with juice, bottled water, etc.

Fresh muffins, perfect looking fresh fruit, smoked salmon and some cheeses covered one of the two large buffet tables.

The other contained fresh bagels and breads along with some tasty mini quiche/souffle creations and fresh oatmeal. A third table had cereal with a bunch of toppings.

The club overall was very roomy and bright.  I didn’t get a chance to use the health club, so no info on that.

In summary, a short pleasant stay.  Both the bedroom and bathroom were big by NYC standards.  It’s so hard to overcome a really tiny room even with nice finishes.

Hyatt has a number of properties in Manhattan and I’ve experienced most of them.

I reviewed Hyatt 48 Lex recently and I’d put it near the top of my list for NYC Hyatts.

I enjoyed the Grand Hyatt, but I wouldn’t rank it as my favorite NYC Hyatt.  Can’t put my finger on why.  The room was perfectly fine.

I’ve stayed at Andaz Wall Street a few times and have enjoyed it, although the transparent shower and bathroom doors don’t make it family friendly.

Gary Leff loves Andaz Fifth Avenue, which I haven’t experienced yet.  Guess I’ll have to go for the poppy seed pancakes next.  🙂