Park Hyatt New York Review

Our Verdict

The Park Hyatt New York offers luxurious accommodations in a home away from home along with an incredible fitness center & spa facilities plus white glove five star service.

This review is based off of our personal stay in December of 2019. And don’t forget, if you are planning to stay at the Park Hyatt New York, book through Hyatt Privé to take advantage of exclusive complimentary extras like a confirmed room upgrade (if available), $100 hotel credit, daily breakfast and a welcome amenity. Plus through September of 2020, they’re offering a 3rd night free on Hyatt Privé reservations. To request Hyatt Privé rates, just visit liveluxetravelco.com/hyatt-prive.

If you are looking for an escape in the middle of bustling New York City, the Park Hyatt New York is just that. You might even forget you are in New York City unless you look out the window.

Park Hyatt New York

There are so many options when it comes to luxury hotels in New York City, but they all have something a little different to offer. The Park Hyatt New York is in a great location, just two blocks from Central Park, close to the 57th Street Subway Station and across the street from Carnegie Hall.

The Park Hyatt New York is a rather boutique with only 210 guest rooms on 15 floors including 92 luxurious suites. All of their rooms feature a work desk, separate soaking tub and rain shower, commissioned artwork in guest rooms and a built-in TV in the bathroom mirror.

Our Room

During our stay at the Park Hyatt New York, we stayed in a one bedroom city view suite. This 1,000 square foot escape in the heart of midtown offered panoramic views of 57th street with a glimpse of Central Park.

From the moment you open the door to this premium suite, you will be amazed by the upscale materials, expansive living area, separate bedroom and gorgeous spa-like bathroom.

Our personal favorite thing about this room was the large picturesque windows that offered sweeping views of the city as well as the luxurious bathroom and closet.

As you probably already know, the Park Hyatt New York features Le Labo toiletries which happen to be a personal favorite. The Tubereuse 40 fragrance was a nice change from other Park Hyatt properties we have visited like Park Hyatt St Kitts, Park Hyatt Washington D.C., and Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme,

The bedroom featured a king bed surrounded by a wall of windows on two sides with thick up-scale curtains that opened with the push of a button.

Amenities

If you are looking for an escape in the heart of New York City, the spa, fitness center and pool at the Park Hyatt New York will give you some serenity.

The pool area at the Park Hyatt New York offers a place to rest, relax and recharge. In addition to a large pool that is suitable for swimming laps or just taking a leisurely swim, there is also a separate Jacuzzi and a steam room.

If you’re like us, getting a good workout while traveling is essential. The fitness center at the Park Hyatt New York will give you the space, the machines and the technology to get a good workout in. The gym featured plenty of cardio equipment along with Peloton bikes (something we now judge hotel gyms by), a Mirror (interactive full-length mirror), self-powered treadmills, and plenty of weights.

While we didn’t have any services performed at the spa, from the reviews we have read and guests we spoke to, it’s top notch just like everything else at this property.

Dining

The Park Hyatt New York features one restaurant called The Living Room. The Living Room serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, afternoon tea, and light bites + cocktails.

The Hyatt Privé breakfast benefit can be used at The Living Room or through in-room dining. Since our trip to New York was quite relaxing, we didn’t feel like getting ready to go to breakfast each morning, so we ordered breakfast from an iPad in our suite.

Within minutes of placing our order for breakfast, the phone rang and a member of the in-room dining team was calling to confirm our order. When breakfast arrived the next day, the order was 100% correct (it surprising how many hotels mess up room service breakfast). And the breakfast was hot, another challenge with in-room dining.

The in-room dining experience we had at the Park Hyatt New York was the best in-room dining experience we have ever had. What made our in-room dining experience was the quality of the food, the fact that it was served hot and the service.

The Park Hyatt brand is known to be ‘Masters of Food & Wine’ and that is exactly the experience we had at the Park Hyatt New York.

Service

If you’re looking to be treated like royalty or a celebrity, then book a stay at the Park Hyatt New York. From the moment you walk up to the hotel entrance on 57th street and are greeted by the friendly bell staff you will feel like you are at a home away from home.

There are two things that truly make a hotel experience memorable and that is the actual hotel itself and the level of service that they provide. The Park New York delivers a guest experience that is truly unique and memorable.

The check-in process was super easy and the front desk agent explained our Hyatt Privé benefits and answered our inquiries.

Overall Impression

Besides being immersed in the action of New York City, the Park Hyatt New York won one of 2018’s most luxurious hotels from Forbes. The luxurious environment, friendly staff, excellent food and drinks and hotel amenities make the Park Hyatt New York a must stay property when visiting New York City.

The commissioned artwork all over the hotel also adds to the experience of staying at this five star hotel. Everything in the Park Hyatt New York is chic and elegant and the interior is filled with polished marble and stone that promotes a sense of calm and soothing.

Our stay at the Park Hyatt New York was during the holidays, and the lobby was decorated very elegantly, just as one would expect.

Extra Perks

And don’t forget, when you book the Park Hyatt New York with Live Luxe Travel Co. through our Hyatt Privé partnership, you’ll receive a $100 hotel credit to use on dining or at the spa, daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade and welcome amenity.

New Additions to Hyatt Privé

With Hyatt’s recent acquisition of Two Roads Hospitality, there has been a much anticipated wait for additions to Hyatt Privé.

On Monday June 17th, 2019 Hyatt will officially add three new brands with dozens of new properties to Hyatt Privé. We are excited to tell you that properties from Thompson, Joie de Vivre and Hyatt Centric will now participate in Hyatt Privé.

Hyatt Privé bookings include a hotel/resort credit, daily breakfast for two and confirmed room upgrade at the time of booking. And those benefits are all complimentary just for booking through a Hyatt Privé advisor like Live Luxe Travel Co.

Here is the list of newly participating hotels in Hyatt Privé as of Monday, June 17th.

PARK HYATT

Park Hyatt Shenzhen

HYATT REGENCY

Hyatt Regency Bethesda

Hyatt Regency Casablanca

Hyatt Regency Istanbul Atakoy

Hyatt Regency Sochi

UNBOUND COLLECTION

Chicago Athletic Association

Great Scotland Yard

Holston House Nashville

Hotel Sofia Barcelona

Nam Nghi Resort Phu Quoc

UB Budapest Parisi Udvar

HYATT CENTRIC

Hyatt Centric Brickell Miami

Hyatt Centric French Quarter New Orleans

Hyatt Centric Gran Via Madrid

Hyatt Centric Guatemala City

Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa

Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul

Hyatt Centric Montevideo

Hyatt Centric San Isidro Lima

Hyatt Centric Las Condes Santiago

Hyatt Centric South Beach

Hyatt Centric Times Square New York

Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach

THOMPSON HOTELS

Gild Hall

The Beekman

The Cape

Thompson Nashville

Thompson Playa del Carmen - Beach House

Thompson Playa del Carmen - Main House

Thompson Seattle

Thompson Zihuatanejo

Thompson Chicago

JOIE DE VIVRE

50 Bowery

Carmel Valley Ranch

Hotel Revival

The Laurel Inn

The Talbott Hotel

Book your next stay with Live Luxe Travel Co. to receive complimentary Hyatt Privé benefits. Request rates on our Hyatt Privé page, send an email to hyattprive@liveluxetravelco.com or give us a call at 1-888-743-8533.

The Driskill Hotel, in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt

The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas is part of Hyatt's Unbound Collection. While it is an independent and historical hotel, the great thing is that you can earn and redeem Hyatt points since the hotel is part of the Unbound Collection. Hyatt describes the Unbound Collection as a global collection of unique and independent stay experiences.

The Driskill

The Driskill was built in 1886. And it's the oldest operating hotel in Austin and one of the most famous hotels in Texas. From the minute you first step in the hotel lobby, you'll notice the dozens of columns brilliantly lining the lobby and the spotless marble floors. Needless to say this hotel is elegant, gorgeous and simply grand. While we love a new modern hotel, we absolutely love old historical properties. Needless to say, we were almost giddy about getting the opportunity to stay at The Driskill.

The Driskill Hotel has the perfect location in Downtown Austin. Located right in the middle of downtown on 6th Street, the hotel is conveniently located to all of the Downtown Restaurants, Bars and Attractions.

While the hotel is elegant and historical, it's also been rumored to be haunted. While we didn't notice anything unusual during our stay, there are at least three stories over the years that support the the theories of the historical property having spirits wandering the halls. For one, there's a story of a young girl who fell to her death down the grand staircase. And another about the two “suicide brides” who killed themselves in the same bathtub in the same room (room 525 to be exact) 20 years apart to the day. Who knows if these ghost stories have any truth to them. But our advice. Don't stay in room 525.

On our way to our room, we immediately noticed how long the the hallways are. And they remind you yet again that this hotel was built in another era.

The halls are lined with old paintings plus you'll find historical decor in common areas throughout the hotel.

Our Room

Conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, the somewhat recently renovated (1996) Driskill Hotel features 189 guest rooms and suites.

We stayed in a King Room in the historical wing. While the room was on the smaller side (like you would expect from a hotel built in 1886), it was large enough and quite comfortable. The room was decorated with both elements of historical and Texan decor. The room was furnished with a king size bed, couch, closet, desk and two night stands.

The bathroom was again on the small side with a vanity and tile lined tub and shower.

The Driskill Hotel uses June Jacobs Spa Collection Toiletries, the same brand you'll find at most Grand Hyatt properties.

Overall the room met our expectations. It was comfortable, had updated technology including plenty of USB & regular outlets to recharge. And luckily for us, no signs of any paranormal activity.

Dining

The Driskill has several restaurants and a bar.

The main restaurant at The Driskill is The Driskill Grill. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to try The Driskill Grill as it is closed on Sundays. But the restaurant serves up a fine dining experience in an elegant space, serving à la carte and prix fixe tasting menus along with wine pairings.

We did enjoy dinner and a few cocktails at The Driskill Bar. The Driskill Bar serves up pub fare including burgers, salads and small bites. We shared an order of beer cheese loaded fries while sipping on some handcrafted cocktails.

For dinner we both had salads followed by a piece of chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream. Everything was delicious.

The 1886 Cafe & Bakery features a coffee counter with baked goods, plus serves up all-day American fare in a Victorian tearoom-style setting. Our breakfast at The 1886 Cafe & Bakery and both of our meals were delicious. And service was great too.

Amenities

The hotel has a fairly decent size gym with free weights and several treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes.

While the hotel doesn't have an actual spa, they do have massage rooms along with locker rooms. The men and women's locker rooms feature a steam room. The steam room did have a fairly pungent smell and we decided to skip using it.

Overall Impression

Needless to say, we loved our stay at The Driskill. It is luxurious, historical and even romantic. The service was great and the hotel offered a great home base for exploring Downtown Austin. We can't wait to return.

And for recommendations on things to do in Austin, be sure to check out our Weekend Wanderings, Austin Guide.

If you want to book a room at The Driskill, be sure to check out the Live Luxe Travel Co.. When you book your room at The Driskill with them, you'll not only earn Hyatt Points but get a room upgrade, free breakfast and a $100 food and beverage credit.

Andaz Scottsdale

Our Verdict

Updated June of 2020: After seven stays at the Andaz Scottsdale, and staying at many other resorts across the Scottsdale area, we continue to be a big fan of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort. It provides a true opportunity to relax by a pool, enjoy a yoga class or sip on a deliciously crafted cocktail. But what makes this resort is the staff. The staff at the Andaz Scottsdale is incredible and they truly make the stay memorable.

And don’t forget, if you are planning to stay at the Andaz Scottsdale, book through Hyatt Privé to take advantage of exclusive complimentary extras like a confirmed room upgrade (if available), $100 hotel credit, daily breakfast and a welcome amenity. Plus through March of 2021, they’re offering a 3rd night free on Hyatt Privé reservations. To request Hyatt Privé rates, just visit liveluxetravelco.com/hyatt-prive.

MID-CENTURY RESORT WITH A SPANISH & DESERT FLAIR

We are a big fan of the Andaz brand of hotels and resorts and stayed at the Andaz West Hollywood over Christmas and the Andaz Papagayo (see our review) this past January. Hyatt describes it's Andaz brand as boutique hotels and resorts located in dynamic urban and leisure destinations worldwide with a lively local art scene. Essentially Andaz Hotels and Resorts are Hyatt's take on an upscale lifestyle resort or hotel. And The Andaz Scottsdale Resort definitely definitely lived up to the Andaz brand's image.

LOCATION

The Andaz Scottsdale is located just 5 minutes from Old Scottsdale and in a great area of the city with several nearby restaurants and bars. But the Andaz Scottsdale does offer complimentary shuttle service in their Telsa to Old Scottsdale.

You'll arrive at the "Guest House" and you'll be instructed to leave your car with valet parking (valet parking is included in the resort fee).

You won't find a formal check-in desk at any Andaz Hotel or Resort. But instead you'll arrive to a lounge area where a guest services representative will check you in on an iPad (or with COVID precautions you can do online check in and completely skip the check-in progress). During check-in, we were offered a glass of wine or glass of lemonade and we also indulged in a complimentary Fairytale Brownie (made in Phoenix).

OUR ROOM

The resort features beautiful landscaping and our room had a great view of Cambelback Mountain. The modern industrial rooms feature two terraces, one out front and another completely private terrace on the backside of the room.

As soon as you enter the room, you’re in the main bedroom. We had one king bed and a couch along with a huge 65" television.

Beyond the bedroom is a hallway with a closet and minibar. And one of the great features of the Andaz brand is that the minibar is complimentary (except alcoholic beverages). The fridge and minibar get replenished daily with bottled water, soda and snacks.

Beyond the hallway and the minibar was the bathroom. The spa like bathroom was HUGE and featured a long vanity with one large sink and plenty of counter space. And there was also an extra large walk-in shower and separate toilet room.

The shower was uniquely huge and featured dual shower heads. And the entire room and particularly the bathroom had a mid-century yet southwestern feel.

TURQUOISE POOL

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort has two main pools, the Turquoise Pool and an Adult only pool near the Spa.  The Turquoise Pool has incredible views of the surrounding desert. Our only complaint, but it's nothing you don't expect in the Arizona summer, is that the concrete around the pool gets extremely hot.

Needless to say, we enjoyed quite a bit of time at the pool sipping on Moscow Mules and enjoying the inflatable pool toys.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort only has one restaurant (other than the bar at the Turquoise Pool). We enjoyed happy hour, coffee and breakfast at the Weft & Warp Art Bar and everything we tried was delicious. Weft & Warp is known for their avocado toast - just an insider tip. And we were a big fan of the steak breakfast tacos.

And we also enjoyed an incredibly good burger, fries and ice cream sandwich at the Turquoise Pool.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The Andaz Scottsdale Resort is an incredible property, has great amenities and the staff ensured the service was impeccable. We can't wait to return to the Andaz Scottsdale Resort. In fact we are already planning our next trip back later this year.

The resort is luxurious, comfortable and makes for a very relaxing and enjoyable stay. While we wish the resort featured a few more food options, the Weft & Warp Art Bar offered a good variety of items on their breakfast, snacks and dinner menus. Plus we found several great food options at the Turquoise Pool. But as we said above, the staff is what makes this property.

Extra Perks

And don’t forget, when you book the Andaz Scottsdale with Live Luxe Travel Co., through our Hyatt Privé partnership, you’ll receive a $100 hotel credit to use on dining or at the spa, daily breakfast for two, a room upgrade and welcome amenity.