Hotel Review: Andaz 5th Avenue

After spending a night at the Hyatt Centric Wall Street New York (a review of a past stay can be found here), we went North to the Andaz 5th Avenue. I’ve stayed at this hotel at least a dozen times, but for some reason never reviewed it. In the past, I loved this hotel. Upgrades were easy, breakfast was great, and the location can’t be beat. It did not start out in a good way and a very rude check-in agent soured the start of our stay. But, in the end it was another solid stay.

Anthony’s Take: The suite we were given was lovely and the hotel is still one of my favorites in NYC. That said, the agent that checked us in was rude, condescending, and for some reason tried to sell us an upgrade, deny late checkout (even though I did not need it or ask for it). He made me really angry and I asked for a manager immediately. The manager seemed horrified when I described the interaction and immediately upgraded us. I was not expecting an upgrade as I never do, but appreciate them when given. I was not paying for an upgrade and the agent that “assisted” us will hopefully get some retraining.

Booking

I booked directly on Hyatt.com on an award redemption for a 1 King Bed room. The hotel charges a $40 Destination Fee plus taxes. This was waived for me as a Globalist and removed from the folio without me having to ask. World of Hyatt® points can be redeemed here for 25,000 to 35,000 points as it falls into Hyatt’s Category 7.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

We took an Uber Comfort from the Hyatt Centric Wall Street New York to the hotel. It took around 16 minutes for the 5.4-mile drive and cost $34. We rented a car to drive to New Jersey the next morning and walked the few blocks to pick that up.

Location

The hotel is directly across the street from Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. There is tons of shopping, restaurants, theater, and lots of attractions nearby. The hotel is centrally located for taking the subway and getting around Manhattan.

The lobby has lots of wasted space in the middle and a living room setup on the right side.

There is a good amount of seating there.

A table with multiple chairs is across the lobby.

Check-In

I arrived around 4:30 PM and the agent was combative from the beginning. He asked for my ID and credit card, printed a key, and said “the elevators are behind us.” I asked about a potential upgrade and he told me: “there is nothing for free. If you want one, you pay.” His tone was condescending and rude. I asked about a late checkout (even though I did not need it to see what he’d say). He denied it outright. He did not explain the breakfast benefit or offer us anything to drink. This all did not sit well and I asked for a manager. He came over moments later and I explained the situation. He was apologetic, said the agent checking me in was new, and said that he would speak with him. He stepped away for a moment and said that he had upgraded us to a Wellness Suite upon his return. This was a good service recovery and made up for the agent’s unfriendly greeting. The manager handed me two keys and we were on our way to the suite moments later.

The Destination Fee includes everything above. It’s not really much of anything that I would use and I’m glad it was waived for me.

The elevators are across from the reception area on the back wall.

The elevator lobby and hallways on my floor were clean and well maintained.

Wellness Suite (804)

There are 184 rooms including 54 suites at the hotel.

The suite opened with a glass wardrobe on the right.

A mini bar was on the left side. Snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are free at Andaz hotels.

The refrigerator was full, but we found some room for our beverages.

The safe was also here.

Just past this were some free weights and yoga mats.

A huge desk and two chairs filled the rest of the wall.

A tea kettle, tea bags, and honey were on the desk.

A  Nespresso machine, coffee pods, condiments, and glasses were here.

The living area was to the right. It included a couch and some tables.

I loved the living moss art.

A TV and chair were across from the couch.

A Smart Fitness Mirror was mounted to the wall.

The bathroom was past the living area. It was also quite large with a dual-sink vanity, shower, and toilet.

The vanity offered tons of counter space.

Fellow Barber brand toiletries were on the counter.

Bar soap and lotion were also found here.

The shower is quite large. Both water pressure and temperature were good.

Another bar of soap was in the shower.

The toilet was Toto brand with all of the bells and whistles. It was in its own room, which I always appreciate.

A bathtub was located outside of the rest of the bathroom.

There were two wardrobes near the tub. These contained robes and slippers on one side.

The other side held an iron and ironing board.

The bedroom was just past this area. It held a king-sized bed, two nightstands, a TV, and a large round chair.

The large round chair was across from the bed.

A Marshall speaker was on one of the nightstands.

The TV was mounted to the wall across from the bed.

I loved that we had views of both the New York Public Library and the Empire State Building.

Public Areas & Amenities

The hotel has a fitness center, The Bar Downstairs & Kitchen restaurant, a small business center, meeting facilities, water dispensers, and complimentary beverages in the lobby.

A computer and printer are available for guest use in the lobby.

Soft drinks and water are available in refrigerators in the lobby.

I liked the art on display.

Water dispensers were on every floor.

The fitness center offers a good amount of equipment and weights.

I liked that they offered a Peloton Bike.

Towels and water were on offer.

Overall Impression:

One bad agent is not going to turn me off of one of my favorite NYC hotels. Our stay was pleasant and I love the suites at this hotel. I wish I had time for breakfast as the restaurant is quite good.

(Fitness Center Image Credits: Hyatt.)