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Subject: New York City Hotels

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JimmyV

Central Connecticut

Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5107

12/19/2005 4:04 PM
Thanks. I only tried Platinum services once, and got a $495 rate quote at the Phoenecian minutes after seeing a $295 rate on the Starwood website. I had given up on PTS, but perhaps that was just an anomaly. I'll give it another shot.

Beta testing a new signature.

David Walker User is Offline

Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284

12/19/2005 4:41 PM
Jimmy - The rates that AmEx quoted me have been the same as those available through other means.

Winetex

Austin, Texas

Master of Wine
Posts:10777

12/19/2005 5:35 PM
Jimmyv - Quote: When you book through Amex Platinum, do you usually pay the same rate that the hotels list on their own website? Starwood has a guarantee that their published rates are the lowest available, and experience shows that sites like Expedia and Travelocity match but don't beat those rates. Does Amex get the same rates, or are you paying a "premium" for your "free" upgrade? Over time I've found the rates to be about the same. If AMEX platinum it is usually negligable and the benefits usually overcome any differences in price. I always check various websites and Expedia to make sure that the rates are in-line. As noted above sometimes an individual property will run a special and AMEX won't match the rates. For instance with the hotels we've stayed at through AMEX we have always received the upgrade, plus breakfast either at the hotel or room service plus a credit towards another meal and/or drinks and sometimes even a credit towards the spa (Bacara in Santa Barbara). Plus late check-out. Sometimes they will send a gift basket with food and wine. And there is pretty nice treatment because the hotels have your "history". We also started receiving coupons from the properties for freebies on future stays. It's a good program. Now buying airlines tickets through them is another story entirely.

rjs3

Barrel Filler
Posts:1124

12/19/2005 5:42 PM
The Palace is beautiful. They have great corporate rates, and the corner rooms are quite large.

David Walker User is Offline

Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284

12/19/2005 6:34 PM
Well, I narrowed it down to the Ritz or the Four Seasons. Rate is comparable at either property, but I get a park view at the Ritz. A bonus, since this is more of a romantic getaway. Room is a little larger (600 sq ft) at the FS, however. AmEx dropped The Four Seasons from their program, for some reason.

Jack Brewer User is Offline

Grape Stomper
Posts:169

12/20/2005 10:20 PM
Probably a moot point by this time but I think you will find that the Essex House is dropping out of the Starwood family as of Feb.

cmsyrah

Grape Picker
Posts:0

12/30/2005 3:21 AM
I don't know if this is across the board for upgrades but Santa gave my daughter and I tickets to a couple of Broadway Shows for an upcoming weekend. Santa, with my daughter as his helper, made the reservations using a AmEx gold card. I called the travel agent this week requesting an upgrade with my platinum and found out that our agent uses an upgrade system via "Virtuoso". My upgrades for Broadway tickets and the St. Regis were immediate (and fabulous) and better than I would get thru the consierge service at AmEx plat. $100 bucks extra for the TA getting last minute 1st class tickets all the way around including airline tickets/hotel and front and center for the shows. I consider that a great deal! Because of timing the only dinner reservation we have is at Daniels the night we get in. Anyone know about this restaurant and any suggestions for two females, alone (one being very huge with child-.NO, not me!!) can walk in off the street and really enjoy?

Stephen D. User is Offline

Grape Fermenter
Posts:678

12/30/2005 3:51 PM
cmsyrah- here are 2 restaurants within walking distance of the St.Regis. All are high end, but since you mentioned Daniel, I figured you were shooting the works. Being that you are from Texas, I didn't bother with any steakhouses. Manhattan Ocean club: 212 371-7777 Zagat ratings: F24/D21/S22. $64 58th bet 5th and 6th Avenue. Year in year out one of the most impressive seafood houses in NYC. beautifully decorated with artwork by Picasso, and high quality seafood to match. The one place my brother invariably takes out of town clients when they fly in. Highly recommended. (57 W 58th) La Grenouille: 212 752-1495 F26/D27/S26 $87 3 East52nd Street between 5th and Madison. Some quotes from Zagat: "Timeless Legend, Stellar cuisine, exquisite service,floral paradise." One of the last of the French Grande Dames. Everything it should be. a few quick pointers re: NYC addresses, 5th avenue divides Manhattan east and west. The lower the first number of the address the closer it is to 5th avenue. Odd number addresses are on the North side of the street, even number addresses are on the south side of the street. i.e. MOC is on the North side of the street. Also even numbered streets run East odd numbered streets run West. With the exception of the major crosstown streets of 14, 23rd 34th, 42nd and 59th streets which run both ways. Park Avenue runs both North and South, Madison runs north, 5th runs south, 6th runs North. Enjoy your stay.

whiner

Second star to the right, and straight on till morning

Wine Thief
Posts:2875

12/30/2005 4:29 PM
Quote: Because of timing the only dinner reservation we have is at Daniels the night we get in. Anyone know about this restaurant and any suggestions for two females, alone (one being very huge with child-.NO, not me!!) can walk in off the street and really enjoy? Wait, by "Daniels" do you mean, "Daniel"? The restaurant that everyone expected to get 3 stars in the Michelin but instead only got 2? The restaurant that was the most famous restaurant in NYC before Per Se opened? If that is the restaurant you mean, you're in for a serious treat. Walk-ins? Luxia on 47th (or 49th, not 100% certain) between 8th and 9th has been great twice and good once as an after Broadway show place. Northern Italian food, martini bar, short wine list but well thought out and well priced by NYC standards. Esca is also good if you want only fish and seafod. ario Batali is the executive chef. Also near Broadway. You may need a reservaion, but shouldn't be too difficult. Dirvish Turkish is also near Broadway and you can probably just walk in there. Another good place. Picholine is truly outstanding but you need a reservation -- upside is that you probably don't need to book too far in advance. I guess the natives can advise better than I can. If, for some reason, you are in Chelsea and want an inexpensive tapas place, check out Tia Pol. They only have one real table but tons of bar space and a few elevated tables. Great Italian tapas in the Lower East Side can be found at Inoteca, which also has a rediculously well priced Italian wine list. (eg. 2000 La Spinetta Barbarescos -- take your pick -- for $140!!!) and good wines by the glass at reasonable prices (I was drinking '03 Spinetta Barbera at $10/glass). Again the natives will know better than I, just some thoughts... a

I can't listen to that much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland. -- Woody Allen

cmsyrah

Grape Picker
Posts:0

12/31/2005 2:14 AM
10 Buckkid and Whiner- Many thanks for your terrific info. 10- MOC and La Grenouille being in walking distance of the St. R. is a huge plus. I "googled" them along with Whiner's suggestions and they all have me salivating. I really appreciate your directional pointers especially since I am navigationally challenged!! Whiner- , yes. 'Daniel' without the " 's" When I googled the one with the apostrophe, I found a place in the Bronx that sells Hamburgers. However....I had forgotten about all the posts about Per Se/ French Laundry. On such short notice that will probably be an impossibility, but hopefully-La Grenouille will satisfy my need for true French. Ah, so little time. Many many thanks for your replies, and obvious thought, to my questions. It's the last time my daughter and I will be traveling together for a while so your help is most appreciated.

cmsyrah

Grape Picker
Posts:0

01/10/2006 3:53 AM
Quote: cmsyrah- here are 2 restaurants within walking distance of the St.Regis. All are high end, but since you mentioned Daniel, I figured you were shooting the works. Being that you are from Texas, I didn't bother with any steakhouses. Manhattan Ocean club: 212 371-7777 Zagat ratings: F24/D21/S22. $64 58th bet 5th and 6th Avenue. Year in year out one of the most impressive seafood houses in NYC. beautifully decorated with artwork by Picasso, and high quality seafood to match. The one place my brother invariably takes out of town clients when they fly in. Highly recommended. (57 W 58th) La Grenouille: 212 752-1495 F26/D27/S26 $87 3 East52nd Street between 5th and Madison. Some quotes from Zagat: "Timeless Legend, Stellar cuisine, exquisite service,floral paradise." One of the last of the French Grande Dames. Everything it should be. a few quick pointers re: NYC addresses, 5th avenue divides Manhattan east and west. The lower the first number of the address the closer it is to 5th avenue. Odd number addresses are on the North side of the street, even number addresses are on the south side of the street. i.e. MOC is on the North side of the street. Also even numbered streets run East odd numbered streets run West. With the exception of the major crosstown streets of 14, 23rd 34th, 42nd and 59th streets which run both ways. Park Avenue runs both North and South, Madison runs north, 5th runs south, 6th runs North. Enjoy your stay. Yep. Shot the works but unfortunatley MOC is no longer there. Sadly, many places are closing down including Manhatten Ocean Club, La Cote Basque and even Carnegie Deli. They are either changing management or selling to others. La Cote is now Brassiere LC...now known as "BLC ". edited to correct: 'Brassiere LCB'- Manhatten Ocean Club is now Park City from what I understand.While I was there there was a huge news ed op about a new property owner upping the the rent from $22, 000 a month to $33,000 a month for a well known deli. The deli owner/leasee gave up the fight and is retiring because he can no longer afford the rent. On another note: We stayed at the St. Regis. Give me a break. Someone tell me what the sheet situation is that we only had a bottom sheet and a duvet cover. Granted ithey were silk and freshly pressed daily, but if I am spending a quadrillion dollars every day for a room, I want some kind of litttle top sheet to cover me and protect me from the boogey man; not a mass silk downy infusion where I can hardly breathe through it. I've been to France. Even there they have full bedding....... Anyway, I (heart) New York and absolutely recommend "Wicked' for the outstanding set and G'lenda experience, but for the most profound Broadway experience in decades; one that will knock your socks off and leave you begging for more: " The Color Purple". Magic.

cmsyrah

Grape Picker
Posts:0

01/10/2006 4:11 AM
Quote: Quote: Because of timing the only dinner reservation we have is at Daniels the night we get in. Anyone know about this restaurant and any suggestions for two females, alone (one being very huge with child-.NO, not me!!) can walk in off the street and really enjoy? Wait, by "Daniels" do you mean, "Daniel"? The restaurant that everyone expected to get 3 stars in the Michelin but instead only got 2? The restaurant that was the most famous restaurant in NYC before Per Se opened? If that is the restaurant you mean, you're in for a serious treat. Walk-ins? Luxia on 47th (or 49th, not 100% certain) between 8th and 9th has been great twice and good once as an after Broadway show place. Northern Italian food, martini bar, short wine list but well thought out and well priced by NYC standards. Esca is also good if you want only fish and seafod. ario Batali is the executive chef. Also near Broadway. You may need a reservaion, but shouldn't be too difficult. Dirvish Turkish is also near Broadway and you can probably just walk in there. Another good place. Picholine is truly outstanding but you need a reservation -- upside is that you probably don't need to book too far in advance. I guess the natives can advise better than I can. If, for some reason, you are in Chelsea and want an inexpensive tapas place, check out Tia Pol. They only have one real table but tons of bar space and a few elevated tables. Great Italian tapas in the Lower East Side can be found at Inoteca, which also has a rediculously well priced Italian wine list. (eg. 2000 La Spinetta Barbarescos -- take your pick -- for $140!!!) and good wines by the glass at reasonable prices (I was drinking '03 Spinetta Barbera at $10/glass). Again the natives will know better than I, just some thoughts... a Again, many thanks for all suggestions! We went to Daniels and perhaps they had pickles up their a**es that night, but we were treated a little less than "well". Once they realized we were friends of 'friends' (I'll never tell), it was if they could not do enough for us. Too late. Damage was done. So, my take on Daniel is it is way too "high fa'lootin" for it's own good and I will never go back even with all the rah-rah they tried to do after initially dissing us. Luxia was full pre theatre. We reallly wanted to try this. Next time! Whiner, Buckkid. Thanks!

David Walker User is Offline

Barrel Sampler
Posts:2284

02/08/2006 6:07 PM
We ended-up at the Ritz on Central Park south. Park view room was just as I remembered, although the in-room ammenities seem to have been reduced a bit. Everything was perfect aside from a glass of our bubbly (just a VC yellow-label) disappeared during the turn-down service. At least, I'm assuming that's when it happened. Front desk was most apologetic - comp'd the bottle and allowed us to use the club lounge for the rest of our stay. The show was great and dinner at Park Bistro (thanks, Board-O) was great. City wasn't very crowded at all.

ChangeMe

Master of Wine
Posts:11169

02/08/2006 7:09 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed Park Bistro, especially in the Winter when cassoulet is on the menu.

Winetex

Austin, Texas

Master of Wine
Posts:10777

04/02/2008 3:25 PM
It looks like no Europe for the Winetexs this year as the $$ were amazing. Mr. Winetex wants to go to NYC so we will probably be up there the last weekend of April. Questions for the always smart folks around here: 1. Is anyone going to be in NYC that weekend for a possible offline? 2. Has anyone recently stayed at: the Gramercy Park, the Plaza Athenee, the Ritz-Carlton Central Park. We've stayed at a lot of NYC hotels so we are always looking to try new ones. TIA for your feedback.

J cocktosten User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:249

04/02/2008 5:43 PM
I have stayed at the Ritz Carlton a few times over the last 2 years or so - It is not good a business hotel but as you are going for pleasure that does not apply. Obviously good location (although tough from a traffic perspective) - I had a nice sweet with a park view last time - Nothing particularly remarkable about my stays there, but it is a nice hotel. I personally prefer the Four Seasons on 57th Street - There is also a Mandarin Oriental located near the Ritz Carlton - right in or next to the Time Warner building

Winetex

Austin, Texas

Master of Wine
Posts:10777

04/02/2008 5:53 PM
Thanks J - I have to say I also liked the Four Seasons (a LOT!). Such a great location.

J cocktosten User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:249

04/02/2008 6:20 PM
Agreed - I like the Four Season's location better. - I would add that I only stay in these kind of hotels if a client or someone else is paying. Otherwise, I think they are a massive rip off - room rate, room service costs etc. ($50 for coffee and toast, puhlease) - I usually stay with friends if traveling for fun and not business. Doesn't sound like an issue, but I often stay at the Benjamin on 50th and Lex when traveling for business - large rooms, suites, very comfortable beds, much less expensive usually than the other hotels listed. Do not stay at the W on Lex at all costs, had the single worst hotel experience of my life there.

JimmyV

Central Connecticut

Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5107

04/03/2008 2:29 PM
Posted By J cocktosten on 04/02/2008 6:20 PM Do not stay at the W on Lex at all costs, had the single worst hotel experience of my life there. I've stayed there at least a dozen times with no complaints whatsoever. It's not the Four Seasons, and the clientele is over-the-top trendy. But the hotel itself has never been an issue for me.

Beta testing a new signature.

jaimetown

DC area

Wine Bottler
Posts:3488

04/03/2008 3:18 PM
Which W was it? We stayed at the Court in March and enjoyed our stay.

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