Hotel Review: Hyatt Andaz 5th Avenue NYC

Posted by Noob Master on Dec 21, 2012 in Andaz, Gold Passport, Hotels, Hyatt, Points, Trip Reports, Uncategorized | 4 comments

Jordan wanted to go to New York City for our anniversary, so being the great husband that I am – we did just that.

If you follow the blog with any regularity, you know that I love Hyatts. They have always treated me well, and I’m a stick-with-what-you-know kinda guy. I decided on the Hyatt Andaz 5th Avenue because I’ve heard such great things about it, and I wanted this to be a special three days for Jordan.

I paid cash money for one night and used Gold Passport points (transferred from Ultimate Rewards) for the other two nights. I paid cash for one night so I could burn one of my Hyatt Diamond Suite Upgrades. Suite upgrades can only be used on a paid stay, but during my booking, the Hyatt phone rep confirmed I would have the suite for all three nights! Score! And I didn’t even have to ask.

The Andaz 5th Avenue is a category 6 Hyatt, so the free nights cost 22,000 Gold Passport points a night. Check out the Hyatt 48 Lex if you’re looking for a cheaper option. It’s a category 5 Hyatt, which means rooms are only 18,000 Gold Passport points a night.

The Grand Hyatt and Andaz Wall Street are both category 6 Hyatts, so they will cost 22,000 Gold Passport points a night, too.

Check-In

I love the check-in process at the Andaz! As we walked into the lobby, we were greeted by smiling Andaz hosts. This was even more pleasant than usual, because we had just had the taxi ride from hell. Seriously, this taxi driver made the normal NYC cabbies look like the guy who drove Miss Daisy around.

Lobby

Andaz hosts led us to the check-in counter, where she offered us a refreshment and finished checking us in on her handheld. Love it. The lobby was pretty small, but they did serve complimentary beverages from 6pm – 9pm (including wine). Any time you can get a free drink in NYC – you take it. Most of the time.

Check-in

Suite Life

Jordan is now a Hyatt girl. She told me that on this trip. The “large” suite was spacious, had great views, killer amenities, and a great shower. Complete with a foot-washing basin. If you’re in to that kind of thing.

Entry

I just love the modern layout and clean design at the Andaz 5th.

Living Room

View from the balcony

The view was ridic. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that. I’m not going to lie, I pumped up some Jay-Z “Empire State of Mind” shortly after our arrival.  Then Jordan started making fun of me, so I quickly regained my manhood and stopped.

Bedroom

Bathroom Doors

Touch light sensor

If your hotel doesn’t let you control the shades by touch, you’re in the wrong hotel.

Bathroom

Shower

If you’ve read my blog for a while, then you know I’m a shower freak. And I knew I would be happy when our host was giving me directions on how to operate the shower. There were three different shower heads. One above, one on a handle, and one lower for the feet lovers.

Food & Amenities

We were given a complimentary breakfast every day, since I’m a Diamond member with Hyatt and the Andaz 5th doesn’t have a lounge. We had up to $75 a day, which we didn’t even come close to spending.

True to the legend, the Lemon Poppy Seed pancakes were very good, and the best breakfast item. The French toast was a little thick, and the rest of the breakfast menu was limited. The real bummer with breakfast was that the coffee was awful. I can usually down any coffee because I’m just in survival mode in the mornings, but I couldn’t get through a cup on any day. It tasted like it had been left in the pot for hours. Sour.

But don’t feel too bad for us, because the Andaz 5th had complimentary espresso and an espresso machine in the room. We ended up having espresso every morning, and we liked it. So there.

If you’re not a Diamond member, I recommend trying some other NYC spot for breakfast. I highly recommend Clinton Street Baking. They have the best pancakes I have ever tasted.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

Fridge amenities

The great thing about Andaz properties is the free amenities. Everything in the room is complimentary, except the alcohol (of course).

More amenities

Trying to figure the keyboard out

There were two keyboards in each room that were connected to the online TV, but I could never make sense of them. Plus, the online movies that they had for purchase were way outdated.

The Bar Downstairs

The Bar Downstairs is just that: a bar below the hotel. We ended up loving the vibe down below, and I especially loved the pumpkin ale they had. It was a great place to unwind after hitting the NYC streets hard.

Door to the bar downstairs

The bar downstairs

Pumpkin ale!

My reward for going shopping, ice skating, and riding a carousel (don’t ask) with Jordan. Worth it.

Recap

Jordan and I loved our stay at the Andaz 5th Avenue in NYC. I would definitely stay there again. The location is great, and the customer service was world class. What more can you ask for? Oh, a basin to bathe my feet in separately. Check.

There’s nothing special about us. Anybody who has good credit, is responsible, and reads, can travel with miles and points. It’s not too good to be true.

I would highly recommend burning the two free certificates here from signing up for the Hyatt Credit Card. That is if you can’t make it to the Park Hyatt Paris Vendome.

Learn to love it.

— Noob Master