Park Hyatt | New York, NY: Review
As I mentioned in my FS Downtown NY review, we’re still on the hunt for our go-to New York hotel when we’re there on business. Besides the New York hotels I’ve reviewed, we’ve also stayed at Baccarat, The Mark, Ritz Central Park, Aman, and Loews. I wasn’t blogging back then and didn’t prioritize taking photos or notes, so I’ll need to go back to each for proper coverage for my Pampered Pursuit readers who love having all the details. For this recent trip, I decided to split the stay between two hotels to get more content and reviews in for you all.
For the second half of the trip, I was set on The Fifth Avenue Hotel. It’s newer, absolutely stunning, and the restaurant and bar are current hot spots even among locals. I’d also heard a lot of great things about it. But choosing the first hotel took more thought. Should I go downtown and try the chic new Fouquet’s? Check the Peninsula off my list since it’s summer and they have an outdoor rooftop — plus we stay at their Beverly Hills location often? Or go with Casa Cipriani even though it’s far from everything we planned on doing this time? There were pros and cons to all of them, but our main priority was finding something dog-friendly and close to a park for easy daily walks and potty breaks.
While browsing Amex’s Fine Hotels portal, I noticed Park Hyatt had great rates during our dates and ended up going with that. It’s on 57th Street, so it’s close to many of our favorite Midtown restaurants and just two blocks from Central Park, which made taking our dog out each day incredibly convenient. That said, we were a little hesitant. We usually steer clear of points-based or credit card-affiliated chain hotels — not because they’re bad, but because we typically prefer properties with more personality, exceptional food, and personalized service. Those kinds of details are what matter most to us and to my readers who rely on these reviews for more curated, elevated stays. But Park Hyatt surprised us in the best way, and I’m glad we gave it a shot.
Room:
One of the best parts about staying here is how large the rooms are. In a city where most hotels start you off in a tiny 200 to 300 square foot box, the Park Hyatt gives you 500 to 600 square feet right off the bat, which makes a huge difference. You don’t have to jump up multiple categories just to get space to breathe. The standard rooms already feel like a nice upgrade. Many rooms and suites also come with large balconies or terraces if you like having fresh air or a spot to drink your coffee outside. Ours was clean, spacious, and had little peeks of Central Park between the buildings.
We brought our dog with us and the hotel had a dog bed, a bowtie, a toy, and a plate of fresh blueberries, bananas, and whipped cream waiting in the room for him. The bathrooms were stocked with Bergamot Le Labo products including soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bath salts. There’s also a minibar with snacks and drinks, and they were able to stock it with some of our requested favorites before we arrived.
Activities:
Since this is a city hotel, most of the activities are centered around nearby Central Park, though they do offer a few fun in-room options as well. For kids, the team can set up in-room teepee sleepovers, complete with a fun little playhouse-style setup to make the night feel special.
They also offer a curated picnic basket and blanket setup you can take to Central Park. The picnic includes things like Greek yogurt, charcuterie and cheese with nuts and olives, hummus with accompaniments, shrimp cocktail, roast beef with French baguettes, fruit, cookies, and drinks.
If you’re heading to the park, they can also provide a pickleball set for games at Wollman Rink, or arrange private or group walking tours of the park.
Restaurants on Property:
The Living Room:
The Living Room is the hotel’s only on-property restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. I loved the open, luxurious feel with its high ceilings and the bar area separated by floor-to-ceiling windows. I was pleasantly surprised by how good everything was, especially since it’s the only dining option. The breakfast French toast was delicious, and the avocado toast was good too, though a bit too much avocado for me. For dinner, my husband loved his wagyu burger, the truffle fries were great, and the coconut carrot soup was my favorite. It was light, flavorful, and had chunks of sweet potato and carrot that made it feel healthy and refreshing.
In-Room Dining:
We only ordered room service for dessert or late-night snacks, and each time was a bit rocky. One night around midnight, we were tired and just wanted something sweet along with a drink. They quoted 20 minutes, but after an hour and then another follow-up at an hour and a half, we were finally told they were in the process of draining the kitchen oil and would restart it before making the fries. We would’ve appreciated knowing that upfront so we could have just ordered the drink and called it a night. That said, the staff was really kind about it and ended up comping the charges. The delivery person apologized multiple times and clearly cared. The chocolate mousse wasn’t anything special, and the fries didn’t taste like the ones we had during dinner at The Living Room, which were hot and fresh. If you’re craving something late at night, Uber Eats or even Instacart might be your best bet.
Spa/Salon:
Spa Nalai, located on the 25th floor, is the first exclusive Kos Paris spa in New York City and was just renovated a few months ago. It offers massages, body treatments, and facials in two beautiful treatment rooms and has a small relaxation lounge and locker room area. One of the rooms even has peek-a-boo views of Central Park between buildings.
On the 8th floor is their also newly renovated Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa. I had a blowout here and enjoyed the overall experience. It started with a deep conditioning mask in a private room off the front desk by the sweetest lady, Niurka. The shampoo chair was actually a massage chair, which I’ve never had before and made a big difference. After that, I was brought to the main salon space, which looks out at Manhattan buildings and has perfect lighting and sleek mirrors with built-in lights. Jan did my blowout and curls before our Park Hyatt check-out and move to the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, they offer a full menu of services including cuts, coloring, and blowouts, and I definitely recommend booking a day of pampering for yourself with both a spa and salon treatment.
Pool:
The pool here is large, spacious, and gorgeous, set on a high floor with views of the surrounding buildings, giving it a great city vibe from above. It’s a saltwater lap pool with a heated jacuzzi whirlpool and a large co-ed eucalyptus steam room—making it the perfect place to start your morning or wind down at night. There are plenty of lounge chairs if you want to relax or watch the kids swim. With the recent spa renovation, the spa and locker rooms now connect directly to the pool, making it a seamless wellness area for both treatments and downtime.
Gym:
The gym here is outstanding—immaculate, spacious, and stocked with everything you could need. They have it all: Tecnogym cardio equipment, Peloton bikes, a fitness mirror, and the Tonal wall system that guides you through custom workouts like your own personal trainer. The gym is high up with nice views, and I appreciated the extra stations stocked with towels, fruit, and drinks to keep you hydrated and refreshed.
Things We Liked at Park Hyatt NY:
The hotel itself felt clean and well maintained. The rooms were nicely done, had high ceilings, and featured quality products and amenities.
Service across the board felt genuine. From front desk to housekeeping to the doormen to spa and salon staff, everyone we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and seemed to actually care about the guest experience.
Even though it’s a credit card affiliated hotel chain, we weren’t sure what the guest crowd would be like going in. But the atmosphere ended up being great. It was a solid mix of residents living in the One57 building, well-traveled businesspeople, diplomats, lowkey celebrities, and regular hotel guests made up of both frequent Hyatt users and luxury travelers.
The food at The Living Room was consistently very good. We enjoyed the setting whether it was breakfast or a cocktail before dinner, and everything came out great.
The location was another plus. It’s just a couple blocks from Central Park, Columbus Circle, and close to everything we needed in Midtown.
The doormen were incredible. They were always helpful and went out of their way to assist. One morning, after walking my dog to Central Park in the 90 degree July heat, one of them stopped me and showed me a hallway past the elevators that leads to a back exit on 58th Street. It saved me from walking the full block back on 57th and let me stay in the air-conditioned hallway longer. Another night, when the house car had already left, a doorman waited with me outside for my Uber, looked out for the car, and even whistled for the driver to pull up when he saw it coming.
We also really liked the spa, salon, gym, and pool. Each one felt elevated and well designed, especially for a city hotel.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind About Park Hyatt NY:
If you’re visiting NYC hoping to get into tough dinner spots, this isn’t a hotel where the concierge really goes above and beyond to get you into places you couldn’t get on your own. It’s not that they weren’t helpful — they were — but they weren’t pulling any magic. If you’re someone who relies on your hotel to unlock hard-to-get reservations, this may not be the best concierge for that. On the other hand, at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, their concierge Ben was able to get us into two of the most difficult restaurants in the city, both at ideal prime-time dinner slots — and with only a week’s notice.
Keep in mind the house car was often unavailable even when we were told it would be—each time I went down early to reserve it for dinner, it had already left for the night.
Service during our stay was genuinely great and exceeded our expectations, though it's worth noting that some guests—especially those booking with Hyatt points—have mentioned a gap between the hard product (which most love) and the soft product, meaning service. I get it—if you’ve worked hard to earn points, it makes sense to be extra critical. That said, no two stays are the same, and ours was smooth. From arrival to departure, doormen were always present and helpful, which had been a concern from reviews I’d read. Just keep in mind this isn’t the ultra-personalized, above-and-beyond type of service you'd expect at Aman or Four Seasons in the city. Don’t expect extravagant welcome amenities—think a fruit basket, maybe some wine or chocolate-covered strawberries if you’re in a suite. The concierge is friendly, but not the kind who will magically land you a table at a fully booked restaurant.
Room service was slow each time we ordered, so if you’re craving something late-night, you might be better off using Uber Eats or Instacart.
Tips:
For Central Park walks with your dog or a morning jog, the hotel is just two short blocks away — it’s a great perk of staying on 57th Street
The house car is first come, first served and seemed to leave earlier than stated some nights, so ask ahead and try to reserve it early if you need a ride
If you're visiting during warmer months, request a room or suite with a terrace or balcony for some fresh air and extra space—something rare in the city.
Don’t forget to explore the 8th floor salon and 25th floor spa — both were recently renovated and worth checking out even if you're not staying overnight
After a gym session upstairs, it’s worth heading down for a relaxing eucalyptus steam in the pool area to sweat out toxins and unwind
If you want great dining reservations, try booking through Resy about a month before your trip or use a credit card concierge — I wouldn’t rely solely on the hotel for hard-to-get spots
Complimentary Services:
Le Labo toiletries in all bathrooms
Nespresso coffee and pods in-room
Eucalyptus steam rooms
Daily housekeeping and evening turndown service
Pet amenities (dog bed, toy, treats, etc., upon request)
Pursuit Postscript:
Overall, we were genuinely pleasantly surprised by this hotel. If you’re booking with Hyatt points, just make sure what you’re hoping to get out of the stay matches what the hotel actually offers. That way, you can enjoy it for what it is instead of focusing on what it’s not. And this is coming from someone who always notices the details in order to give an honest review.
We’ve always loved 57th Street and many of the buildings along it, and we had passed Park Hyatt plenty of times just thinking of it as another Hyatt rather than a true five-star hotel. After this stay, that perception definitely changed.
Whether you’re booking with points or paying cash, the rooms, renovated spaces, food, service, helpful doormen, location, and guest mix all made for a stay we really enjoyed. It’s definitely one we would return to, not just a one-time visit.
Special Shoutouts:
Niurka and Jan in the salon who gave the best hair conditioning treatment and blowout
Patricia, the sales director, who was so lovely and took the time to show me around the hotel
Akhtar and all of the doormen downstairs who were always helpful and kind
