Hyatt Grand Central New York — New York, NY · $$$ · Originally reviewed 2019

Great location can forgive a lot. Not everything.

QUICK TAKE: SKIP — TOO MANY BETTER NEW YORK OPTIONS.

Location and value did some heavy lifting. The room and service left them carrying too much of the load.

LISTEN TO THE REVIEWAudio file: hyatt-grand-central-new-york.mp3

In Manhattan my hotel priorities are simple: service, room quality, amenities, location and price. An aging hotel can survive that test when the location is unbeatable and the price is exceptional.

The location worked. The value worked. The bellman, coffee attendants and bartender gave us some genuinely good service moments.

The room was merely okay. The air conditioning was inconsistent, there was a recycled-air smell, the bathroom was tiny, and some of the physical details simply felt dated. Stack inferior service on top of a mediocre room and the equation changes fast.

At the right price, perhaps. But value in New York is contextual. There are too many choices, and I can always get a car, cab or driver.

No. Not this one. I have too many alternatives in Manhattan.

Someone who needs the location, is on a very specific budget, and does not need a genuinely elevated first- or second-trip New York hotel experience.

I’d shop the city before booking it again. In Manhattan, I can forgive mediocre room quality. I can’t forgive inferior service on top of a mediocre room.

THE VERDICT

SKIP — TOO MANY BETTER NEW YORK OPTIONS.

Hyatt Grand Central New York
New York, NY
I am not looking for reasons to destroy somebody. I’m looking for reasons to recommend them. They just have to earn it.