The Park Hyatt New York has been on my hotel bucket list since it opened back in August of 2014. Just this past weekend, Abbey and I were in New York City for a quick getaway and finally had the opportunity to stay at the incredibly swanky 5-star property.
The Park Hyatt New York is the flagship location of the Hyatt brand, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Both of us were completely blown away and agreed that it was the nicest property either of us had ever stayed in.
Location of the Park Hyatt New York
The Park Hyatt New York is located at 153 West 57th Street in midtown Manhattan between 6th and 7th Avenue and across the street from Carnegie Hall. The location is centrally located to almost anything in Manhattan. The Park Hyatt occupies the first 25 floors of the One57 building and has 210 guest rooms, including 92 suites.
Check-in
Upon arriving at the Park Hyatt New York via Uber from Laguardia airport, we were greeted by the incredible staff. From the moment we opened the door of the Uber ride, we were both blown away by the incredible service and hospitality. They immediately found our reservation, took our luggage and referred to us by name as they ushered us into the building.
Once inside the building, we were greeted by a receptionist in the ground floor lobby. She escorted us up to the main check-in desk on the 3rd floor. Because of my Hyatt Platinum status from holding the co-branded credit card, our room was upgraded from a Park King to a Park Deluxe King, which was a larger, and on a higher floor. The suite included a rainfall shower with a marble bath.
The Room
After we finished the check-in process, our receptionist from the ground floor lobby continued to escort us to our room while informing us of the history and the amenities of the property. The service and hospitality were honestly so good upon arrival and check-in that it almost made me feel uncomfortable. I wondered if they knew I hadn't paid a dime for our stay.
Our room was on the 16th floor. The wooden detail in the hallways was very chic and luxurious. I felt like I was walking through a residence and not a hotel.
Once in the room. There was a trendy leather chest to the right of the door. Inside the chest was the room safe, a host of magazines, and additional storage space. Definitely a unique piece.
Directly across from the door is the room's minibar. It is the biggest I have ever seen in a hotel room.
The mini bar featured a Nespresso machine, many snacks and alcoholic beverages, includes the delicious but expensive Krug champagne.
To the left of the minibar was the enormous bathroom. Including a luxurious bathtub, massive shower and double vanity with a TV in the mirror. Park Hyatt's love to feature large bathrooms in their suites.
On the other side of the bathroom was the toilet and shower.
The bathroom amenities were Tubereuse 40 from Le Labo. The scent of these was developed specifically for the Park Hyatt New York. If you know anything about Le Labo, you'll know this stuff doesn't come cheap. Definitely a nice touch.
We were both pleasantly surprised with the amount of space in the room. I have stayed at properties in Manhattan that could be confused for a shoebox. That was certainly not the case during this stay.
The room featured a desk with a very functional workspace including a plug panel with several plug-in adapters. There was also an iPad that contained all of the information you could possibly need to know about the hotel. You could also use it to order room service and make reservations at the hotel spa.
One of the only negative things I can say about the hotel is the view from the rooms. Being that the hotel is only the first 25 floors of the property, it's hard to see much other than buildings. Our room faced Central Park, however, our view consisted primarily of the JW Marriott Essex House hotel. On the other hand, something I really enjoyed was how quiet the rooms were. They were virtually soundproof to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.
Public Areas
Located on the 25th floor of the property is an incredible lap pool and hot tub with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline. This is the biggest pool I have ever seen in a New York City hotel.
Inside the pool area was a eucalyptus steam room, which I, unfortunately, did not get to enjoy.
Down the hall from the pool area was the hotel gym. This was one of the more impressive hotel gyms I have seen and is open 24 hours a day. There was a nice mix of cardio equipment, free weights, and machines.
There was even a station offering chilled towels. Chalk that up as something you don't see in most hotel gyms.
Also located on the 25th floor was the hotel spa, Spa Nalai. The spa offers 6 treatment suites offering massages, facials and body wraps. The services were not cheap so unfortunately, we passed.
Dining & Cocktails
During our stay, we were informed that the hotel's signature restaurant known as The Back Room was under construction and would be reopening in April with a newly renovated space and menu. The restaurant will also be rebranded as Bevy.
Because of this, dining was temporarily taking place in The Living Room lounge. As part of our Hyatt Discoverist perks, we were given two free drink certificates to be redeemed at The Living Room. The lounge had incredible cocktails and an extensive wine and beer list.
We enjoyed a drink here on both nights of our stay, and I was very impressed with the service. We had the same bartender on both Friday and Saturday night, and he remembered both of our orders from Friday when we came in on Saturday. Definitely top notch.
The Price
Like other 5 star hotels around the world, the paid cost per night of the Park Hyatt New York is not cheap. However, there are three methods of obtaining a room at the property which I will outline below.
Paid Rate – The most obvious way to secure a room at the property is to pay the standard rate. As mentioned, these are extremely pricey and typically run between $600 and $1,000 a night for a standard Park King room. I searched for the same weekend next year and got a rate of $927/night for advanced purchase.
Using Hyatt Points – The Park Hyatt New York is a category 7 property which means standard rooms can be redeemed for 30,000 Hyatt points per night. I think this rate is fair considering the paid rate and the overall quality of the property. World of Hyatt is a 1:1 transfer partner with the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is a great way to accumulate points for Hyatt stays.
Redeeming Free Night Awards from the Hyatt credit card sign up bonus – The Chase Hyatt credit card is a fantastic product and one that I hold just for the benefits. Upon opening the card, you will receive 40,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months of card membership. After the first year, you will receive an annual free night at any category 1-4 property in the Hyatt portfolio.
The card also earns 3 points for every $1 spent on purchases at Hyatt properties & 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants, airline ticket purchases, and car rental agencies. Another great benefit is automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist Status which entitles you to preferred rooms upon arrival, check-in/out benefits, premium Wi-Fi and a host of other perks.
Bottom Line
This was my first experience with the Park Hyatt brand, however, it certainly will not be my last. I was blown away by every aspect of our stay. The service was top-notch in every way. Whether it was the maids we encountered, the concierges or the doormen, every single employee greeted us with a smile and a friendly “hello.” I now see why the Park Hyatt New York has become Hyatt's flagship property. No expense was spared for this property and it shows.