Stay Details

We spent four days in New York on this trip, which was the perfect opportunity to use the 2*2 Free Night awards that LD and I got last year from the Chase Hyatt credit card. Naturally, we chose the Park Hyatt New York, which had the highest cash value on paper.

The Park Hyatt is near New York’s famous Central Park, about a 5-minute walk away. It’s also not far from Times Square and bustling Fifth Avenue. If you plan to spend most of your time exploring Midtown, staying in the city center is obviously the most convenient option. The Park Hyatt is shockingly expensive, at over $700 per night. Using 2*2 credit-card welcome-bonus nights here gave us excellent value.

Unfortunately, I had missed Hyatt’s earlier status match opportunity. Otherwise, with Diamond status, there would have been at least some chance of talking to the front desk and getting a room upgrade. I only had Discoverist status that came with the Hyatt credit card, so I didn’t spend time asking for an upgrade and just accepted the base room. As it turned out, even the most basic Park King room (484-623 sq ft, 45-57 square meters) was more than enough for my needs.

Stay Experience

Check in

  • During our stay, the area above the main entrance of the Park Hyatt was under renovation, so I didn’t take any photos. Here’s an official photo instead.
  • Check in was on the second floor. It was just a row of tables, which gave it a very understated feel.
  • The lobby had a few sofas, a computer, and lemon water available. Overall, the atmosphere felt pretty warm and welcoming.
  • The hallway was fairly dim, which added to the sense of privacy. (My own photo came out blurry, so I used a photo from Mile Writer instead.)

Park King Room

I booked a Standard Room with a King Bed, on the eighth floor.

  • Right after you enter, there’s a cabinet directly in front of you.
  • Open it up, and it turns out to be a minibar. Very luxurious indeed. Aside from the water and coffee, it looked like the alcohol and snacks all cost extra.
  • A standard King Bed (we had already sat on it before taking the photo).
  • The lounge chair was quite comfortable.
  • The desk was quite large. There was a Bluetooth speaker, and through the iPad you could directly order room service and book various hotel services.
  • The bathtub was fantastic. Across from it was a large mirror on the vanity, with a TV in the middle, so you could watch TV while soaking in the tub.
  • As for the view outside, it felt like a very New York kind of scene.

Overall Impressions

The Park Hyatt didn’t have any flashy decorations; the design was fairly simple. But overall, it gave off a low-key luxurious feel, with a strong sense of privacy. The staff were warm and friendly. The location was excellent, with many places in Midtown just a short walk away. It was also convenient to find places to eat nearby. Most of the hotel guests seemed to be well-dressed business travelers. We even ran into a group of Chinese guests who looked like they were discussing some major business deal. People like us, pushing a stroller and occasionally bringing takeout back to the hotel, were probably extremely rare here.

About Booking Free Nights

This was my first time booking a Free Night from the Hyatt credit card welcome bonus, so I wanted to share a few things to keep in mind. The same ideas should also apply to the annual cat1-4 FN from the Hyatt credit card. Here are a few notes:

  • Online booking process: You need to log in to the relevant Hyatt account and search for rooms. In the results, select the hotel you want and check the option to display World of Hyatt points and awards. If your account has a Free Night that can be used at that category level, it should show up there. If you only see award rooms bookable with points, you can try calling Hyatt to see whether they can book it for you.
  • Free Night booking restrictions: When booking online, you can only search one night at a time for FN availability to appear, and you also need to book one night at a time. If you book by phone, you can simply tell the agent how many nights you want, as long as you have that many FN certificates in your account. FN can only be used for a standard room, and you cannot use a suite upgrade award on top of it. Of course, if you have elite status, you might still be able to talk your way into a suite.
  • Combining Free Nights: If you and a family member each have FN, you can combine them and use them together, so that you can stay in the same room continuously. I recommend calling customer service to book it. If you book online first and then call to combine them, it may not work, and you may need to explain it at check in. When the first person’s FN runs out, you’ll need to go to the front desk to renew the room key.
  • Booking Free Nights for someone else: In the U.S., checks generally are not very strict. You just need to add the other person as an additional guest, and then that person can check in with their own ID and credit card. In other countries, especially in Asia, they may check more carefully.