Grand Hyatt New York

I tend to stay at Hyatt properties while I'm in New York and for the final stopover of our three month journey, my wife and I stayed at the Grand Hyatt New York. As the flagship Grand Hyatt property, the hotel has an interesting history and a centrally convenient location which had us looking forward to our visit.

The Grand Hyatt New York was originally The Commodore hotel but was bought and refurbished in 1978 through a partnership between the Trump and Hyatt organizations. The hotel reopened as the Grand Hyatt in 1980 and has been through two other renovations since with the latest completed in 2011. The "Grand" in Grand Hyatt also originates from this hotel as it is the first hotel under the Grand Hyatt name which in turn, gets its name from Grand Central Station.

The large lobby was adorned with modern art and furnishings where travelers and tourists alike rested on leather lounge chairs and couches. Since Grand Hyatts generally cater to business travelers, check in was efficient for us and was facilitated by the automated kiosks that provided us with our key after we confirmed our reservation.

Our standard room was spacious for a New York hotel but compared to other Grand Hyatts (especially international ones), it was a bit of a disappointment. The room itself was fine. It was spacious, clean, had a large comfortable bed, and an adequate bathroom. On the other hand, it seemed like it was perpetually dark mostly due to the obstructed view out the window and the bathroom was tiny and cramped. Standard rooms in other Grand Hyatts are usually more impressive and considering the flagship status of the New York Grand Hyatt, our room was disappointing.

There isn't really anything else that's notable about this hotel other than its lobby. After all, you're in the heart of New York, surrounded by world-class restaurants and other attractions New York is known for. On the other hand, if you like hotels with great gyms, this is one of them. Unlike most hotels I visit, the New York Grand Hyatt has a good selection of equipment not only including the standard cardio equipment and weights, but also a pull up bar, a squat rack, and even a punching bag! I don't even often see real gyms with a punching bag. Despite the seeming completeness of their equipment though, the dumbells still don't go past 65 lbs which actually seems to be rather common across all hotels for whatever reason. Still an impressive gym regardless.

There isn't really much else to say about the New York Grand Hyatt. We expected a bit more out of their New York flagship especially with how impressed we were with the Tokyo Grand Hyatt but we had no gripes with our stay. If you're looking for a decent Hyatt in New York with a convenient location, the Grand Hyatt isn't a bad choice. Otherwise, you can also look into Hyatt's Andaz properties on 5th Avenue and Wall Street or the New York Park Hyatt for a truly upscale experience.