Update: Currently the Park Hyatt New York seems to have no free night awards available (also no liquor license). The lack of standard rooms available for free night awards is likely a glitch, so we'll see when this gets resolved (along with the liquor license).
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The Park Hyatt New York is now accepting reservations for stays starting August 28, 2014, for Virtuoso bookings and Hyatt Gold Passport award bookings (including Cash & Points bookings).
If booking a paid rate, it makes sense to book as a TravelSort Client to receive Virtuoso benefits (you would still earn Hyatt Gold Passport points and elite credit) since Virtuoso amenities include:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Continental breakfast for two daily
- $100 hotel credit for use during stay
- Early check-in and late check-out subject to availability
The Park Hyatt New York is of course a Hyatt Category 7 hotel (recall that Category 7 was created as part of the Hyatt Award Chart Devaluation) so a free award night in either a Park King Room or ADA Park Double is 30,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points, and a Cash & Points rate is 15,000 Hyatt points + $300 (and tax).
Since I know the luxury hotel market well, a few observations on the pros and cons of the Park Hyatt New York relative to the market:
Pros of the Park Hyatt New York
Large Rooms: As I mentioned in Park Hyatt New York Photos, entry level Park Hyatt King rooms are large by NYC standards, at 475 square feet. These are larger than the entry level rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park, The Mandarin Oriental New York, The Trump Central Park and The Langham Fifth Avenue (all of which are at least 400 square feet, however) but smaller than The Four Seasons New York, where even the smallest rooms start at 500 square feet.
New and Modern Aesthetic: As a completely new hotel of a brand that prides itself on a sleek, modern aesthetic, the Park Hyatt New York already enjoys a loyal following, who have been highly anticipating its NYC arrival. I'd say the most similar hotel of this type already present on the market is The Langham Place Fifth Avenue, which also has a modern, sleek look and open plan studios.
Complimentary WiFi: WiFi is complimentary for all guests, which is a wise move given that expensive WiFi is often one of the biggest pet peeves of travelers.
Ability to Book with Points: For anyone rich in Hyatt Gold Passport points or Ultimate Rewards points but cash poor, the Park Hyatt New York is the perfect choice, since you can reserve a free night with 30,000 Hyatt Gold Passport points or at a Cash & Points rate of 15,000 points + $300 (and tax). You can use a Diamond Confirmed Suite Upgrade with a Cash & Points award to book a Park Junior Suite King. Just keep in mind this is not a 1 bedroom suite, so still not ideal if you're hoping to put the kids to bed and watch a movie.
Cons of the Park Hyatt New York
No Great Views of Central Park: One of the biggest drawbacks of the Park Hyatt New York, in my view, is the lack of great views. This is a bit inevitable, since the hotel occupies the lower floors of 153 West 57th Street, with luxury condominiums (some with spectacular views) on the upper floors. But I do think that this will result in a permament discount of room and suite rates relative to hotels such as The Mandarin Oriental New York, Trump Central Park, Four Seasons New York, and Ritz-Carlton New York at Central Park, all of which boast a number of rooms and suites with Central Park views.
No House Car: The top luxury hotels offer complimentary house car service, which is a much nicer alternative to a regular yellow cab. We loved the convenience and style of the Maserati house car service at The Langham Place Fifth Avenue (formerly The Setai Fifth Avenue), which even extends throughout Manhattan up to 86th Street. And my TravelSort clients have raved about even short rides in the house car services at The Mandarin Oriental New York and The Four Seasons New York. As far as I know (and Park Hyatt New York insiders, feel free to correct me in the comments) the Park Hyatt New York won't offer such a service.
Not as Kid Friendly: This is not a knock against Park Hyatt staff, who can be very kid friendly, as we experienced first hand at the Park Hyatt Maldives, but in general Park Hyatt properties don't offer any special welcome amenities for kids, much less kids programs even at resort properties.
This proved a very stark contrast indeed in Paris, where my son doesn't even remember the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome (and I have rather negative memories of our stay there) vs. The Four Seasons Paris George V, where the munchkin was welcomed with a kid's treasure hunt, ate one of the best hamburgers ever from the kids' menu at Le Cinq, got his own child size bathrobe and Bulgari bath soaps, and even enjoyed a special kids' pastry lesson and a back of the house tour featuring hidden doors and passageways. More recently, my son loved sleeping in his own tent at the Four Seasons Denver, and seeing his name written in a welcome note on the bathroom mirror.
I just don't see the Park Hyatt doing any of these things for kids, and that inherently makes family stays much less memorable than at other luxury hotel properties, particularly the Four Seasons.
Do you plan to book a stay at the new Park Hyatt New York?
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