Hotel Review: New York Marriott Downtown

I had some meetings in New York City last week and stayed downtown for a night. Hotels rooms were exorbitantly expensive (even for NYC) and I could not find anything for less than $750 per night. This was a huge ask when working through end of year T&E budgets, so my company booked my stay at the New York Marriott Downtown with Marriott Bonvoy® points.

Anthony’s Take: This hotel had everything that I needed for the night. It was clean, comfortable, well located, had a lounge, and was just fine for the 15-or-so hours I spent at the hotel.

Booking

I was booked into a Deluxe Guest Room, 1 King room by my company. Had I booked directly from Marriott.com on a “Member Flexible” rate, it would have cost around $850 plus taxes for the night. Costs at this hotel can vary greatly based on what is going on in New York City. The hotel can be booked with Marriott Bonvoy® points (25,000-59,000 points per night) with rates varying since Marriott eliminated its award buckets. I was booked at the highest rate on the calendar.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

I took an Uber Comfort from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to the hotel. It took around 42 minutes for the 15.3-mile ride and cost $86. Heading home, I took another Uber Comfort at a similar cost, but it took over an hour.

Location

This hotel is near my office. If you’re visiting NYC for fun, it provides easy access to the 9/11 Museum, Oculus, and Brookfield Place. It’s also good for business travelers that need to be near Wall Street and lower Manhattan.

Check-in

I arrived at the hotel around 6:00 PM and my room was ready. The agent was friendly, but told me that the hotel was sold out and no upgrades were available. The account that the points were taken from also held Titanium status, so I was allowed to use the Concierge Lounge. The hotel charges a daily destination fee of $25. This includes a daily $25 food and beverage credit, a choice of one pass to Asphalt Green Gym or one pass to Big Bus Tour to Downtown NY, a $10 Dry cleaning credit, Enhanced Wi-Fi, and local and long distance calling. I was not told about the fee at check-in or charged it for some reason. I was asked if I needed a late checkout (I did not) and I was in my room moments later.

I was given a card at check-in that had the hours and information around the Concierge Lounge (located on the 38th floor).

The lobby was decked out for Christmas. I liked the big tree in the center.

The more I looked at the lobby, the nicer I found it. The stained glass dome above it is gorgeous.

A staircase is diagonally across from the check-in desk near the elevators.

While the lobby is not huge, it did offer a good amount of seating.

More seating under the watchful eye of Bill Marriott.

More seating near the check-in desk.

Elevators were near the staircase.

The elevator lobbies were modern and well maintained.

The hallways also appeared recently refreshed (even though they have not been since 2002) and everything was clean.

Deluxe Guest Room, 1 King (3010)

There are 513 rooms and suites across 38 floors at the hotel.

Upon entering, the bathroom was to the left. It had a large vanity with a single sink, toilet, and glassed-in shower.

This Works bar soap and body lotion were on the counter.

The toilet was pretty tightly situated near the vanity. This afforded more space for the shower. It was fine for showering alone, but don’t expect to have a party in there. Water pressure and temperature were both fine.

This Works brand toiletries were mounted to the wall.

A closet was across from the bathroom. It held a luggage rack, extra pillows, a safe, and an iron and ironing board.

A full-length mirror was next to the closet and close to the door.

The room contained a king-sized bed, two nightstands, and a chaise lounge.

A desk and wall-mounted TV were across from the bed.

A coffeemaker, water, coffee, tea bags, condiments, and an ice bucket were on the desk.

The cabinet below housed an empty refrigerator.

Concierge Lounge

The New York Marriott Downtown has a Concierge Lounge on the 38th floor. It’s open for breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, and dessert throughout the day. I arrived in the evening and went to check out what was on offer.

For the evening spread there were several hot appetizers, soup, as well as salads, some cold options, and desserts.

Salads

More salad

Antipasto skewers

Meat, cheese, and crackers

Mini Arepas and Vegetable Empanadas. There was also Chicken Vegetable Dumpling Soup (but I did not get a picture).

Carrot Cake for dessert

Bottled water and soft drinks are available throughout the day.

There was also a self-serve coffee machine.

Wine was available for purchase. You swipe your room key and it’s automatically billed based on the type and pour size you select.

Other types of alcohol is available for sale on the honor system.

The lounge was not crowded in the evening and there were plenty of seating choices.

I returned in the morning before heading into my office and found the lounge even less inhabited for breakfast. Breakfast offered several hot dishes, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, bread and pastries, as well as cereal.

Scrambled Eggs

Biscuits & Gravy

Bacon

Oatmeal

Fruit, cereal, yogurt, meat, and cheese

Bread, muffins, croissant, and pastries

A toaster was available for guest use along with a selection of condiments.

Juice filled the spot that was taken by alcohol at night.

The lounge also offered a computer and printer for guest use.

Public Areas & Amenities

The New York Marriott Downtown offers the lobby seating shown above, a fitness center, a mini market (shown above), a Concierge Lounge, an on-site FedEx location, and a restaurant.

The on-site FedEx

The fitness center offered a range of machines and weights.

Overall Impression: The New York Marriott Downtown surprised me in a good way. The hotel is modern, comfortable, and offers a nice (especially within the US) Concierge Lounge. It’s well located if you need to be in lower Manhattan on business or for fun. I’m sure I’ll be back on future trips to my office.

Anthony’s Credit Card Pick: When I’m staying at a Marriott hotel, I want to maximize my points earned. My card of choice is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. With it, I earn six Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. It also includes up to $300 statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month ) for dining in restaurants worldwide. Plus, a free night award every year after my card renewal month that I can redeem at any Marriott hotel with a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points. Learn more. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, please visit here. Terms apply.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

(Fitness Center and FedEx Image Credits: Marriott.)

Featured Image Credit: J2R via iStock.)