I did something I do not usually do and diverted away from the Park Hyatt New York in order to try a more recent addition to the World of Hyatt family, The Chatwal. In a head-to-head match up the Park Hyatt may still win out, but I really liked this hotel and would not hesitate to return.
The Chatwal Hotel, New York – My Favorable Stay
When perusing hotels in New York I almost booked at The Time (and after reading Kyle’s review yesterday I am so glad that I did not), but noticed a hotel I had never seen before called The Chatwal. This used to be part of the Starwood and later Marriott family, but switched to Hyatt (now part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection) in early 2023.
This is currently priced as a Category 8 property, meaning if you are using points a paid rate is 35,000 to 45,000 points per night. With a paid rate of over $900/night, it made sense to use points. But then came the tough choice: book this or return to the Park Hyatt, which always has taken great care of me in years past.
Ultimately, I chose The Chatwal just to try something new.
I arrived around 2:00 PM and was warmly greeted by at the front desk agent. My room was ready and I was thanked for my Globalist status and told I had been upgraded to a junior suite.
The hotel only has only 76 rooms (29 suites), including some with terraces.
My room was very cozy; spacious by New York City standards and quite posh with comfortable bedding and furniture.
I went downstairs and worked out (the gym is very small), then sat in the steam room. I would have gone for a swim, but the pool is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Park Hyatt has a far superior gym and pool, and that’s quite important to me.
Breakfast at The Lambs Club was excellent. I enjoyed a delicious omelet, bowl of berries, fresh squeezed juices, and strong coffee for breakfast. Great quality, service, and taste.
Perhaps what impressed me most of all was Sonam, my butler. Like a St. Regis, you are assigned a butler at this hotel. She not only pressed my clothing ahead of my meeting (included for hotel guests), but noted my affinity of berries on my Globalist profile and brought me a beautiful bowl of berries. That kind of personalized service was very appreciated.
I had been warned that this hotel was last updated in 2010 (true) and was, over a decade later, now quite tired looking. That was not my experience at all. I thought my room was in very good condition overall.
CONCLUSION
The Chatwal was a pleasant surprise, with a plush room, superb breakfast, and tremendous service. I would return. I’ll post a more comprehensive review in the days ahead…I took a lot more pictures.
I’ll also do a more comprehensive comparison between this hotel and the Park Hyatt New York for readers loyal to Hyatt. If paying cash, I do prefer Casa Cipriani, though that is located in a very different part of town.
I stayed there maybe 5 or 6 years ago. My impression was PHNYC is head and shoulders above. They shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence. Reason for me to say is that Chatwal felt dated and stuffy, while PH is airy and modern. Chatwal felt way past its prime on my mind. Maybe it has been renovated recently? Curious in your opinion of how they compare. Thanks.
The Park Hyatt feels newer and certainly has a very different feel. But if you like old-school hotels, this one was great and I felt it was very nice with excellent service all around.
So how many points did you use?
It was standard (40K per night).
Great review. I’ve been considering stays there since it moved to Hyatt. Will try it next time, but also have really enjoyed Thompson there as well.
Glad to hear. I have been so unimpressed with Hyatt in NYC after my starkly at The Time last week which was horrible. Problem is that I don’t see myself spending that many points to stay in NY and I hold my points to nice resorts where I can use the amenities.