Hotel Review: Thompson Central Park New York

We spent a few nights in New York City this week visiting friends and taking in the Christmas sights and sounds (more here). For this trip, we stayed for the first time in a Thompson Hotel. We’d actually stayed in the hotel four years earlier (to the day) when it was still Le Parker Meridien.

Anthony’s Take: I used to like Le Parker Meridien (especially Norma’s for breakfast), but have mixed feelings about the Thompson Central Park New York. The room was nicely decorated and the breakfast was fine, but the hotel’s hallways and elevators are in need of renovations. No upgrades were available even though they were showing for sale and the hotel did not feel like anything special. There are so many other Hyatt and Marriott properties in the area that I doubt we’ll return.

Booking

I booked directly from Hyatt.com on a “Standard Room Free Night” rate with World of Hyatt points. This was the only points option provided. Cash rates were around $450 per night for this room type. This hotel falls in the Category 6 redemption bucket, which means that a standard room will cost between 21,000 and 29,000 points.

Transportation to/from the Hotel

We took an Uber Black from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to the hotel. It cost $89 and took about 26 minutes to drive the approximately 9.9 miles with light traffic. When we left the hotel, we went to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to pick up a rental car (we needed it to visit family for a few days) with an Uber Black. The car took around an hour and cost $138.

Location

The hotel is well situated for exploring the city with most of the city’s best shopping, many restaurants, and many tourist attractions nearby. It’s especially well located for exploring Central Park, Midtown, and Hell’s Kitchen. Carnegie Hall is a block away and we were fortunate to have the hotel’s VIP Manager reach out a few days before our arrival and offer us complimentary tickets to a Christmas concert there (the value of the two tickets was over $300 with tax and fees).

Check-in

We arrived around 3:00 PM and our room was ready. The agent that assisted us was friendly and explained the breakfast benefit that my Globalist status provided at the hotel. Breakfast is served in the hotel’s lobby restaurant, Parker’s, or via in-room dining. She offered me late checkout (which I did not need) and apologized for not being able to upgrade me (even though a standard suite was showing for sale). She insisted it was a glitch in their inventory. This hotel is interesting in that it operates a hotel within the hotel that it calls Upper Stories. These rooms and suites are on the top levels of the hotel and have a dedicated lounge, but Globalists are not granted access and the rooms and suites are not part of the upgrade options. Our keys were created and we were on our way to the room moments later.

The hotel charges a daily destination fee of $34.86. This was waived for me as a Globalist and will be for anyone on a points redemption stay. It includes everything above, which isn’t much. It’s really a bunch of discounts that are not of use unless you’re planning to visit any of the tourist attractions.

The lobby had a gorgeous Christmas tree.

The middle elevator bank was also nicely decorated.

There are multiple elevator banks and our room was accessed by the one furthest from check-in. The elevator lobbies and hallways do not appear to have been refurbished when the hotel was renovated.

They are dirty, scuffed up, and during our stay were littered with dirty dishes, glasses, and trash.

Some random glassware

Mugs in the hallway

A breakfast cart (at 4:00 PM)

1 King Bed (3123)

There are 587 rooms and suites at the hotel.

There is a closet on the left immediately inside the room. There were robes, an iron and ironing board, and the safe in here.

The safe was pretty large.

A Nespresso machine, ice bucket, coffee, bottled water, and condiments were found nearby.

An empty refrigerator was below.

The bathroom was to the right. It was tiny (even for New York City) with a single vanity, glassed-in shower, and toilet. I liked the inclusion of the Dyson hair dryer (and the $500 price tag that it had pinned to it if it was removed from the room).

A bar of D.S. & Durga BOWMAKERS soap was on the vanity.

A bottle of lotion was nearby.

The toilet was very close to the shower.

The shower was fine for one person with good pressure and temperature.

Large bottles of D.S. & Durga BOWMAKERS shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were in the shower.

The bedroom was straight ahead. It contained a king-sized bed and a lot of other furniture for working or relaxing.

A comfy couch lined the wall with the window.

A TV was mounted on the wall opposite the bed.

There were plenty of outlets around the bed as well as a Tivoli Audio clock radio.

Breakfast

As mentioned, breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant as well as through in-room dining. The first morning, we skipped breakfast. The next we ordered room service. The food arrived on time. Globalists are entitled to coffee, juice, and entrees for two people. We ordered two orange juices, a bagel with lox (pictured above), and an omelette. We signed a bill for around $100, but this was taken off our folio before checking out. I ran across the street to get us Starbucks. My husband started eating his breakfast before I returned and I did not get to take a photo.

Cocktails

Parker’s also serves cocktails and light bites in the evening. We met a friend for cocktails and shared a charcuterie platter.

The charcuterie board was tasty and with the three drinks the total cost was $113 with tax and tip.

Amenities

The Thompson Central Park New York has two restaurants (Burger Joint has survived from the hotel’s previous incarnation) and a basic fitness center in the basement. I was unable to get photos partially because the elevators are extremely slow and I did not have time to wait.

Overall Impression:

The hotel has a great location, but really is nothing special. The rooms are fine, but the hallways and elevators are dated and dirty. The elevators are also incredibly slow. The bare minimum is done for Globalists here and the hotel-within-a-hotel concept is a scam to charge more and not have to give elite members access. Nothing stood out as horrible during this stay, but nothing was great either (except for the show tickets noted above). I will not be returning unless I absolutely have to stay here.