Thompson Central Park New York, by Hyatt

I have mixed feelings about my stay at this property. It is well located, within walking distance of Central Park, MOMA, Carnegie Hall, Times Square and other popular attractions. However, the service levels varied widely from one staff member to the next. A few staff members provided exceptional service and greatly enhanced my experience as a guest. Ricardo at the front desk took care and effort to ensure that I received a nice upgrade as a Globalist. Chris, also at the front desk, provided very nice Globalist recognition, and handled the various mishaps I experienced with a high level of skill and professionalism. Stanley the concierge went above and beyond in his helpfulness. His knowledge of the city, including how to navigate and where to find things, was incredible. Stanley gave us tips and took time and effort to call places to check on things, then provided updates to via text. His service was such a stark contrast to the other concierge we encountered, who was far less helpful and professional. We were assigned to a nice suite in Upper Stories, and enjoyed it very much. The suite was not a true suite, but was roughly the size of two regular rooms, and quite spacious. It was clean, with comfortable bed and pillows. I am picky about cleanliness, and am happy to report that the room was clean. However, the shower pressure was terrible, and the shower apparatus was not user friendly. I don’t understand the hype about Upper Stories. It is a nice space, but I found it pretty limited in terms of food and beverage offering. I would much prefer something akin to Regency or Grand Club lounge. Breakfast at Parker’s was interesting. The food at Parker’s was excellent. We enjoyed both breakfast and dinner selections. My favorites were the avocado toast and the kale salad. However, this was a true lounge set up, and therefore not the most comfortable tables and chairs to enjoy a meal at. Also, service was extremely slow. If you are willing to wait for high quality food, you will be fine… but if time is critical, skip this dining option. I felt the Globalist breakfast offered by this property was very generous, nice variety, and of high quality. Room service breakfast option was available for Globalists, which is nice, but we did not try this option. We had an unpleasant service mishap during our first breakfast, where the server (did not get his name) was quite rude and unfriendly, did not make eye contact, and handled requests inappropriately. Our order for gluten free bread on my daughter’s breakfast was not followed, and luckily I was suspicious of the bread that arrived, and took initiative to inquire. It was not gluten free bread… and our server had a weird, uncaring attitude about the error. The other servers we encountered at Parker’s were competent and professional. I had another mishap on the second morning, where I was awakened after trying to sleep off jet lag. I received a wake up call that obnoxiously rang me a second time after I ignored the first… and I did not even order that call. I was unable to fall back asleep, and had a difficult day. I spoke w/ front desk manager regarding the mishap, and she agreed to stop all calls from ringing through to my phone. However, as I was trying to nap that same afternoon, I received another loud, jarring ring on my phone! I was in a bad mood after being awakened twice in the same day. The staff member who was the most apologetic, understood most what I needed to feel better about everything, and helped to get proper resolution, was Chris. If it weren’t for Chris and his willingness to make things right, this review would be 2 stars instead of 4. This was my first stay at a Thompson property, and although it is difficult to judge based on only one stay, I think I prefer other Hyatt brands, especially if all Thompson lounges are as restricted and limited as this one was. As a Globalist, I don’t care for the Upper Stories concept. Read less

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent 3 nights stay at the Thompson Hotel Central Park. The location was excellent, situated a few blocks north of Times Square and just a few blocks south of Central Park. It is just around the corner from Carnegie Hall. There are plenty of places to eat that are within steps of the hotel. We did not eat at either of the hotel’s 2 restaurants, so I can’t comment on them. The staff at check-in was friendly and courteous. It was a very quick process getting to our room. Our room was more spacious than expected, very clean and exceptionally comfortable, especially the bed and the pillows. The bathroom was clean and there were plenty of towels. The amenities were very nice. In addition, there was a Nespresso machine in our room and a small refrigerator which we really appreciated. You can request a microwave if needed. Next time I come to New York, I will definitely return to the Thompson Hotel Central Park. Read less