Well, I’m back to hotel hopping again. My sister and I are on our annual girl’s trip and are starting in the Big Apple. You know me, I can’t help hotel hopping (although we aren’t hopping around on the rest of our trip). There are so many hotels in NYC to stay at, and I’d like to try all of them.  My sister has never been to NYC so we started our 2 1/2 week trip here with an Andaz 5th Avenue vs. Thompson Central Park showdown. Who won?

 

Andaz 5th Avenue

You all know this girl loves her treats and the Andaz brand—could it be because they offer free treats? Doesn’t hurt, that’s for sure!

Redemption and Room

The Andaz 5th Avenue is a Category 7 Hyatt hotel located in midtown Manhattan. We booked our room at an off-peak price for 25K Hyatt points/night. I earned these points with the sign-up bonus from the Chase Ink Business Unlimited card and then transferred the Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt.

Our room was nice, with a separate seating area and a comfy chair where I could work. It also had a tv. It wasn’t really a suite, as I was told at check-in that they didn’t have one available. The woman at check-in was so nice and apologetic, though, and said that they had been really busy and didn’t have many suites.

 

 

 

Amenities and Location

The location was great for all the midtown Manhattan spots like Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, and Grand Central Station. Everything was within walking distance.

Globalist status included breakfast in their restaurant.  They also had a social hour for Globalists each evening. As with all Andaz hotels, there were complimentary treats (chips and a chocolate bar) in the room, and a fridge full of complimentary waters and sodas.

 

Food

Globalist breakfast included a hot entree and a cold and hot beverage for each of us. The food was served a la carte in The Cellar and was really good.

 

Thompson Central Park

Redemption and Room

The Thompson Central Park is a Category 6 Hyatt hotel and cost us 21K Hyatt points/night. It was also an off-peak rate, and we stayed there two nights. We were upgraded to a suite at check-in, which is always a great way to start a stay.

 

Amenities and Location

The location was also incredible, and was right next to Central Park (and walking distance to Broadway shows and Times Square). When we got to our room, there was a bottle of champagne (I really need to let them know I don’t drink  😜) and some focaccia, nuts, and dried fruits. They also included a note welcoming us to NYC. It was a nice touch.

 

Food

Globalist breakfast ran about $90/day for the two of us but was complimentary (including gratuity). We could have eaten at the Parker Restaurant, but ordered room service both days so we didn’t waste time sitting in a restaurant on our busy NYC mornings. Both days we ordered the crispy French toast with caramel sauce, which was DELICIOUS. We also ordered a savory dish.

We did have a late lunch at the Parker Restaurant one day, and it was really good. The Burger Joint is in the hotel and serves delicious burgers, besides being a fun place to eat.

 

 

Bottom Line

Andaz 5th Avenue vs. Thompson Central Park—which was my favorite? Even without the suite upgrade and the welcome gift from the Thompson, it was still my favorite. It was more upscale, and the staff was so welcoming and helpful throughout our stay. I certainly wouldn’t say someone should avoid the Andaz 5th Avenue—it is a great hotel and even a higher category. It just didn’t “feel” as nice to me.

What about comparing the Thompson to the Park Hyatt across the street? No comparison, the Park Hyatt wins, but it is also almost twice the amount of points. I would do the Park Hyatt for a night or two and then move over to the Thompson. Having points and miles and hotel hopping with them is actually fun—would you do it?