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I have stayed at this property dozens of times through the years when it was known as the Grand Hyatt New York. It was rebranded as the Hyatt Grand Central New York in November 2021 after it shut down for the pandemic. Not much has changed with the hotel including the rooms and public spaces. It’s a massive hotel with 1,298 rooms and suites and is one of the last remaining hotels under the Hyatt Hotels brand.
Anthony’s Take: I have had good stays, bad stays, and those where I was indifferent at this hotel. My last stay fell into the last category. I arrived late and nothing really stood out as being good or bad. The employees I encountered were efficient and friendly. The facilities were fine. I like that the lounge survived the rebrand even though I did not have the chance to visit it on this trip.
Booking
I booked my stay on Hyatt.com on a “Members Save More” rate for a 1 King Bed room. The rate was surprisingly inexpensive at $217 plus tax. The hotel charges a $39.99 Destination Fee plus taxes. This was waived for me as a Globalist and removed from the folio without me having to ask. The check-in agent did not even mention the fee or what it included. If you’re not paying cash, World of Hyatt® points can be redeemed here for 17,000 to 23,000 points as it falls into Hyatt’s Category 5.
Transportation to/from the Hotel
We took an Uber Comfort from New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to the hotel. It took around 16 minutes for the 8.8-mile drive and cost $64. I returned the next day and it took almost an hour and cost $96.
Location
The hotel is located next to Grand Central Station. There are tons of stores, restaurants, and just about anything else you could want or need just outside the door. It’s also convenient for taking the subway or walking around Times Square, Fifth Avenue shopping, and more.
An escalator leads to check-in and the lobby.
The lobby is massive with tons of seating and just lots of open space.
I have always liked the heads that adorn the lobby and the entire room was decked out for Pride Month when I visited.
Check-In
I arrived around 9:30 PM and found the check-in area empty. The agent checking me in was nice enough, but he did not ask about a late check-out, did not tell me about the Commodore Lounge, and did not mention the Destination Fee’s inclusions. I asked about an upgrade and even though I saw suites for sale, he said that there were none available. He found me a 1 King Bed Deluxe room and printed my keys.
The Destination Fee is $39.99 plus tax for all guests with the exception of Globalists. It includes:
- Macy’s Herald Square: 20% off personal stylist, appointments (personal shopping service, 1st time shopping with Stylist only* (*exclusions apply), by appointment only, please call 212-494-7270 or email personalstylist@macys.com. Complimentary small group guided tours, must be scheduled in advance, for more information please email visitorcenter@macys.com
- Exclusive perks at Grand Central Terminal shops: https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/hyatt
- Hi-speed Wi-Fi
- 10% off the Sightseeing Flex 3 Attraction Package
- 25% off One World Observatory Tickets with code HYATTGC
- $15 Daily Market Beverage Credit
- Long Distance and international calls
- 10% off City Sightseeing Bus Tours and Packages
- 20% off Grand Central Tour with code HYATTGCT21
- 20% off New York Botanic Garden Tickets with code HYATT21
- 20% off The Edge Tickets with code HYATT20
There are lots of elevators in this hotel and they all require keycards. The hallways and elevator lobby on my floor were clean and in good repair. It had been around four years since I last stayed here and the hallways were exactly the same.
1 King Bed Deluxe (1721)
There are 1,298 rooms including 44 suites at the hotel.
The room opened with a small foyer.
A large walk-in closet was located here. It held a luggage rack, extra pillow, extra blanket, iron, and ironing board.
The living area was straight ahead with a couch and coffee table.
The king-sized bed was across from the couch along with two nightstands.
A desk was also nearby.
A TV was on the far end of the desk.
An empty refrigerator and safe were located below.
On the other side of the bed was another small hallway with a small table. The bathroom was located on the right.
The bathroom was tiny with a vanity, toilet, and glassed-in shower packed in.
I am not a fan of the toilet being this close to the vanity.
The vanity offered limited counter space. A bar of Beekman 1802 brand bar soap and lotion were on the counter.
The shower was adequately sized and offered decent water pressure and temperature.
More toiletries were found in the shower.
The art in the room was rather blah and gave no sense of place.
Commodore Lounge
The old Grand Club is now known as the Commodore Lounge. It serves light snacks in the evening and breakfast in the morning.
It was closed when I was there so I did not get to take any photos. It’s nice that this lounge survived the rebranding. It’s a huge space (that even has a terrace) and used to be great to spend some time working or relaxing in.
Public Areas & Amenities
The hotel has the StayFit™ Fitness Center, New York Central Restaurant & Bar (pictured above), a market, umbrellas for rent, the Commodore Lounge, and the seating above.
Umbrellas for rent
I also did not have a chance to visit the fitness center, but remember that it’s fine from other stays.
Overall Impression:
The hotel is conveniently located, has a lounge, and is considerably cheaper than other Hyatt properties on many nights. I’ve spent many nights here and know I’ll be back.
(Fitness Center and Commodore Lounge Image Credits: Hyatt.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
