Best Things Nearby:
Central Park, Broadway, Times Square, grocery store (1 block), on Subway and bus routes.
Best Things About the Resort:
Location could not be better. What a treat to stay in NYC through a vacation exchange in a unit which would have cost $500/night if we had a suite in a hotel!
Resort Experience:
Our friends said we were crazy to do this with kids, but we did and would do it again! What a trip!
The rooms were very roomy for a one-bedroom unit. We had one king bed and a hide-a-bed couch. Kitchenette has microwave, bar fridge, sink, and dishwasher. Two bathrooms--one with a tub and one with a shower. They provided a crib at no additional cost, but did not have a high chair when we requested one (boo!). They would have provided a cot if requested for $5/night. I'm not sure we'll take the whole family of five the next time, when the kids are older. It might be too cramped. They have no two-bedroom units.
Continental breakfast is served daily on the 26th floor for $10 adult/$5 kids (everything in NYC is pricey--just try eating out at a restaurant for breakfast).
We took the ownership tour and received two Broadway tickets and a $100 dining gift certificate. Concierge was very helpful in giving us the number for a babysitting service ($30/hour--ouch--but it was worth it, considering where we were!). Ticket selection left a little to be desired. We saw "Sweet Charity", which was very good. Tickets were balcony, back row. Fortunately, it was only half full, and we moved up.
Tipping is something you ought to brace yourself for before going to NYC. There are some good writeups if you Google "Gratuities New York City." We forgot to tip the chambermaid the first day. The room was about 80% done (sheets on the hide-a-bed were not touched, sparse soap/shampoo in bathrooms). We left $5 on day two, and everything was 100%, with a "thank you - housekeeping" note. Day 3, I was low on small bills and left $2 in a rush on my way out the door. Not enough to get above 80% again, only the next morning, my alarm clock went off at 5am. Needless to say, the manager was called in the morning, and we got a complimentary breakfast offered to us. Also needless to say, I stopped tipping the maids.
Would I stay there again? Absolutely. The location is prime. Next time, the kids stay home so my wife and I can do a little more. That being said, we did the USS Intrepid, Grey Line Double-Decker bus tours (two days), Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Liberty Island, Empire State Building, Macy's, lunch in Little Italy, Hard Rock Cafe, Brooklyn Diner, Stage Deli, Hartland Brewery, Subways (even once with a stroller), buses, and taxis. An awesome time!
- Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
- Activities: Not Available
- Amenities: Very Good
- Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Good