Stayed at the Waldorf?

[syracuse1976]

Good afternoon,

My fiancee and I will be in New York in a few weeks and are considering staying at the Waldorf on a weeknight. We have been fortunate to have stayed at some very nice, although not world-class, hotels.

My opinion is that it might be worth it for the experience, although I realize it's not considered the "best" in NYC any longer.

We are attending an event in Manhattan, so if not the Waldorf, what?

Thanks.

 

[hchamp]

Originally Posted by syracuse1976

Good afternoon,

My fiancee and I will be in New York in a few weeks and are considering staying at the Waldorf on a weeknight. We have been fortunate to have stayed at some very nice, although not world-class, hotels.

My opinion is that it might be worth it for the experience, although I realize it's not considered the "best" in NYC any longer.

We are attending an event in Manhattan, so if not the Waldorf, what?

Thanks.

Try the W. I was there for a sales meeting and liked the modern decor. A companion told me that her firm frequently recommended this hotel to their clients.

The Waldorf is OK. I stayed there one night. It's an older building and has its charms. But besides the embossed pen I swiped and the bragging rights, there was really nothing particularly special about my stay. Great location, though.

 

[ChicagoRon]

If you can afford the Waldorf Towers, it might be worthwhile, but I have actually found the rooms in the Hilton Times Square bigger and just as nicely appointed as the Waldorf for less money. Actually, last time I stayed there I got upgraded to a giant suite. It doesn't have the same cachet, but.... If you are not beholden to Hilton properties, the W, the Renaissance, the Riga Royal (actually the nicest hotel I've stayed in on Manhattan back when it was a JW) are all good and in the same area. I do, however, highly recommend the bull & bear in the lobby of the Waldorf for happy hour cocktails! There's also the Ritz, the St. Regis and a Peninsula. If you want really want to splurge just for an experience, stay at the Soho Grand, Le Meridien, or the Mandarin Oriental which are more of a modern luxury kind of style.

 

[syracuse1976]

Thanks, ChicagoRon. I'm going to make a decision and book today.

 

[ChicagoRon]

No problem....let me know what you decide. ALSO......you might want to check out flyertalk.com which is a great travel forum. You will find reviews for all these hotels.

 

[Violinist]

Some people say Waldorf is past it's prime, but that's usually because they live in the cheap rooms. I can tell you that the nicer suites are competitive with most hotels, and the service is quite exceptional. The ritz on the park is wonderful of course.

 

[hchamp]

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

If you can afford the Waldorf Towers, it might be worthwhile, but I have actually found the rooms in the Hilton Times Square bigger and just as nicely appointed as the Waldorf for less money. Actually, last time I stayed there I got upgraded to a giant suite. It doesn't have the same cachet, but....

I never stayed at the Times Square Hilton. How does it compare with the Hilton on the Avenue of the Americas?

I've never been partial to Hilton hotels. The only one I really liked was the one across the street from the World Trade Towers, but I'm pretty sure it was damaged in 9/11. Don't know if it's still operating.

 

[hchamp]

Originally Posted by Violinist

Some people say Waldorf is past it's prime, but that's usually because they live in the cheap rooms. I can tell you that the nicer suites are competitive with most hotels, and the service is quite exceptional. The ritz on the park is wonderful of course.

I didn't have one of the bigger suites so you may be right. But I can tell you my room was anything but "cheap"!

 

[Edward Appleby]

I dunno the Waldorf just feels ever so slightly tired now. It has the slight veneer of past glory that LabelKing loves so much.

We've had better luck with boutique hotels in NYC. The Benjamin is nice.

 

[Violinist]

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

I dunno the Waldorf just feels ever so slightly tired now. It has the slight veneer of past glory that LabelKing loves so much.

We've had better luck with boutique hotels in NYC. The Benjamin is nice.

So, what exactly makes it feel "tired"? I don't disagree, I just want to understand why you feel this way, but then I guess I prefer "tired" places, rather than trendy boutique hotels with furniture that will be outdated the next time Heidi Slimane sneezes and with Jersey boy out of towners for clientel. I prefer to minimize the amount of skin tight D&G shirts within sight.

 

[itsstillmatt]

The Waldorf Towers is great, the Waldorf Astoria is too tourist packed. Same faded glory, but the ambience is totally different.

Also, our rooms there have averaged close to 800 sf and they allow our dog to stay.

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

I dunno the Waldorf just feels ever so slightly tired now. It has the slight veneer of past glory that LabelKing loves so much. We've had better luck with boutique hotels in NYC. The Benjamin is nice.
Is the Benjamin the hotel that's owned by the same folks as the Delano in South Beach?

 

[ChicagoRon]

Originally Posted by hchamp

I never stayed at the Times Square Hilton. How does it compare with the Hilton on the Avenue of the Americas? I've never been partial to Hilton hotels. The only one I really liked was the one across the street from the World Trade Towers, but I'm pretty sure it was damaged in 9/11. Don't know if it's still operating.
In case I wasn't clear, I was saying the Hilton Times Square is nicer than the Waldorf Astoria, not the Towers. I am somewhat forced to be Hilton-friendly for corporate reasons (the IBM rates are kick-ass). The suite I got at the Hilton Times Square was over 450 sq. ft. Their regular rooms are like a standard hotel...not huge, but I felt the "upgraded" room I got at the Waldorf Astoria was tiny. I actually called the front desk and asked if they made a mistake and they said "no, that is the upgrade".

 

[SoCal2NYC]

If you want the best bang for you buck in terms of room size, decent hotel and location you should check out Le Parker Meridian. Also one of the few hotels in NYC ith a pool.

 

[ChicagoRon]

^^That was on my initial list above...I've never been there, but heard great things.