Hotel Review: Hyatt Regency Times Square

I had high hopes for the Hyatt Regency Times Square, but these were quickly dashed by multiple service fails, a broken air conditioner, and the property just not ready to be open to the public post renovation. The bones of the old Crowne Plaza are leading to issues with cooling and water temperature. The hotel looks good, but it’s just not a spot that should be accepting guests.

Anthony’s Take: From the moment I arrived until now where I’m still waiting for promised points to post, the Hyatt Regency Times Square was a big disappointment. I labeled the hotel one of my new, least favorite Manhattan hotels and that is not just hyperbole. The staff needs training and an attitude adjustment. The hotel needs its amenities open and construction complete. With those elements, it will be a nice property. But, that means a lot needs to change.

Booking

I booked my stay on Hyatt.com on a “Member Rate” rate for a 1 King Bed Times Square View room. The rate was $328 plus taxes and fees. The hotel charges a $45.90 Destination Fee including taxes. This was waived for me as a Globalist, but I had to fight to have this done. The check-in agent did not even mention the fee or what it included. It’s one of the worst fees I have seen in terms of inclusions and it really offers garbage for the money spent. If you’re not paying cash, World of Hyatt® points can be redeemed here for 21,000 to 29,000 points as it falls into Hyatt’s Category 6.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

I took an Uber Comfort from New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to the hotel. It took around 29 minutes for the 9.6-mile drive and cost $94. I returned the next day and it took around the same time (the cost was a bit higher).

Location

The hotel is located in the middle of Times Square and around tons of stores, restaurants, Broadway shows, and more. It’s easy to get around the city from this location.

A homeless man with only one leg was on the ground in front of the entrance when I arrived. I shuffled past him and into the rather austere hallway.

From there, you take an escalator to the third-floor lobby.

The lobby is modern with plenty of seating. The hotel did a good job of making the space feel modern and comfortable.

Check-In

The app would not work for this hotel and I could not do an online check-in. Reception was to the left when exiting from the escalators. I arrived around 3:30 PM and my room was ready. The agent checking me in told me I had been upgraded to a 1 King Bed Times Square View. I booked that room and told him same. He replied “oh, but it’s on a higher floor.” He did not mention the Destination Fee’s inclusions or that it existed (I guess because I’m a Globalist). I did not need a late checkout, but was not asked either. Breakfast was also not offered. The restaurant is closed and Globalists are given 3,000 points in lieu of the meal. It has been days since I checked out and these points have not posted. The stay did a few days ago. The agent was pretty clueless and printed my keys without being able to answer simple questions like “where is the fitness center?” I was off a moment later as I needed to change and get to an event.

The elevators are around the corner from reception.

The elevator lobby and hallways on my floor were in good repair and clean as they should be since the hotel was less than 30 days old. My first room (more to come on that) was located across from the elevators (which I hate for the noise that comes with being near them).

1 King Bed Times Square View (4013)

There are 795 rooms and suites at the hotel.

The room opened with a king-sized bed, two nightstands, a table, chair, and TV mounted on a stand.

A table and chair were near the window.

A TV was mounted to a stand.

A cabinet was across from the bed.

It held an empty refrigerator for guest use.

Bottled water and an ice bucket were above the refrigerator.

A safe was inside of a drawer.

A full-length mirror was on the wall near the entrance.

The closet did not have a door. A blanket was inside. I was surprised to not see an iron and ironing board.

The bathroom was fairly spacious with a vanity that held a single sink, a toilet, and a glassed-in shower.

A bottle of  Pharmacopia brand body lotion and a bar of BEEKMAN 1802 brand soap were near the sink.

The toilet was spaced pretty well between the vanity and shower.

The shower was a good size. I did not use it since I ended up switching rooms.

Bottles of Pharmacopia shampoo and conditioner were mounted to the wall. A bottle of body wash was missing.

1 King Bed City View (4009)

My initial room would not drop below 82 degrees no matter how much I lowered the air conditioning. I was out of the room for around six hours and the room remained hot. I went downstairs and was met by a rude agent (and an equally inconsiderate manager) who made me feel like I was inconveniencing them. They found me another room and I moved there. This room would not get cooler than 75 degrees, but I sucked it up after how badly I was treated at reception.

The second room had a chaise lounge and a table with chair.

It also held a king-sized bed, two nightstands, and a cabinet with a refrigerator.

The cabinet across from the bed had a TV mounted above it and also held a refrigerator. Two bottles of water and an ice bucket were also here.

This refrigerator was also empty for guest use.

The bathroom was similar to the other with a vanity with a single sink, toilet, and shower/tub combo (instead of a shower like the other room). I hate shower/tub combos.

A bottle of  Pharmacopia brand body lotion and a bar of BEEKMAN 1802 brand soap were also near this sink.

The toilet was also well spaced.

The shower/tub combo had water that was only one temperature: boiling hot. This made for an uncomfortable shower.

For a hotel that is basically brand new (and has a lovely new smell), there is a good amount of damage to the rooms already.

Public Areas & Amenities

The hotel has limited amenities as not much is open. There is a fitness center and that’s it. The restaurant is not open, there is no lounge, and the meeting and event space is under construction.

Since I could not get an answer as to where the fitness center was the first time I asked, I guessed and went to the fourth floor. This is the meeting space and it’s not ready for guests.

I attempted to take the elevator down, but it would not work. I ended up walking down the also non-functional escalator.

The fitness center is located on the 15th floor behind these rather unassuming doors.

It was a good sized facility. Towels and water bottles were on offer near the entrance.

There was a good amount of equipment.

I liked that there were two Peloton Bikes.

The restaurant is not yet open.

A large open space is behind reception.

Overall Impression:

I did not have a good stay from start to finish. The hotel is really not ready for guests, the staff is rude, and the amenities are limited. I did get a nice call from a manager who heard me out, offered to make my next stay much nicer, and provided me with 20,000 bonus points (these have not yet posted along with the 3,000 for breakfast). This was a nice gesture and he seemed genuine. It’s a shame the rest of the visit left such a bad taste. He promised that staff would be retrained and I hope that they are for the benefit of other guests coming to this property.