Hyatt Thompson Hotels Gild Hall First Impressions
Recently Hyatt acquired Two Roads Hospitality, bringing a number of new brands under the Hyatt umbrella. While they are still working on fully integrating all of the brands, Thompson Hotels is the first one you can book with World of Hyatt points. When the list of hotels and prices was released one hotel stood out.
Gild Hall is located in Downtown Manhattan and despite prices of $300+ per night during the week it is only priced at 15,000 World of Hyatt points per night. This is important for two reasons. It makes the hotel bookable with category 1-4 certificates and it also makes Gild Hall the cheapest Hyatt option in Manhattan. But is it worth it?
I should start by saying I haven’t stayed in all of the Hyatt properties in New York City, but have stayed in their flagship Park Hyatt property 3 times. I have also stayed at the Andaz Wall Street which is located just a few minutes by foot from Gild Hall. For reference, the Park Hyatt costs double at 30K points per night and more importantly Andaz Wall Street is 33% more expensive at 20K points per night. There are quite a few other Hyatt properties in Manhattan that range in price from 20K-25K.
Hyatt Thompson Hotels Gild Hall – First Impressions
Since this is my first Thompson stay (I want to get that extra free night) and it will be new to many of you, I thought I would give my quick first impressions of Gild Hall. When I arrived in the small lobby area there was only one person working reception and they were with a guest. The wait was only about 5 minutes which wasn’t bad. I didn’t see any World of Hyatt branding anywhere.
During check-in the clerk didn’t recognize me as Globalist (which is fine), but I did seem to get all of my benefits which is the only thing that is important. I had already been pre-blocked into a base King Suite and was asked if I wanted a 4pm checkout. He also handed me two breakfast vouchers for use in their restaurant. Despite some hints elsewhere that room service would be included, the vouchers clearly state it is not. It’s probably also important to point out that I had no contact with the property before my arrival since I wanted to see how they handled elite recognition.
As for the room, the decor is not modern by design (except for the bathroom), but it is well appointed and high quality. The base suite here comes in at just shy of 580 sq ft with standard rooms measuring a cozy 280 sq ft. My room has nice hardwood floors and interesting artwork as well. It also features a kitchenette and bathroom with a walk in shower. No tub here unfortunately.
When compared to its closest Hyatt competitor Andaz Wall Street, I would say Gild Hall comes out on top. While I have yet to try the breakfast to compare (Gild Hall’s options are very limited), I think this room is in much better shape than the Andaz room was. I also think the suite is a better setup and of course the bathroom has some privacy which is something you won’t find at Andaz.
As for value, it is hard to argue with 15K points per night in Manhattan, even with the small standard rooms. Keep in mind on weekends the cash rate here can drop, so 15K points won’t always be a good redemption, but on nights like tonight where the base room is $323 plus tax, it is a tremendous value.
Given that Thompson Hotels offer full World of Hyatt benefits, Globalists should get a fantastic value here. As I mentioned, I am receiving late checkout and free breakfast, but of course the room upgrade is the real deal. Base rooms are small, but the suite offers up a decent amount of space along with room to entertain if you want. At $332 for a base room and $482 for a base suite for tonight, this was a good redemption either way.
Bottom Line
We predicted that Gild Hall would be a great value and indeed it is. While the hotel is small and I thus expect awards won’t always be available, if you can find a night like tonight where there are base rooms available, this might be worth booking. If as a Globalist you can get a suite, even better!
I’ll have a full review soon and feel free to leave any questions about the hotel in the comments below.
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Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Shawn —
I’ll be at the Gild in a couple weeks at the Explorist [free water bottle] level. Will let you know my impressions.
Re: nearest Hyatt comparable, after reading your review, I feel lucky. My Andaz Wall Street room was a little crusty but must have been much nicer than yours — a spacious, long, oddly-shaped room with big windows, a shower/doublesink/toilet 3-section split glassy/dark/sexy bathroom. I lived there and still speak a little New York, so maybe that helped. My overall impression — while watching a scampering rat outside the window [not the hotel’s fault] while eating breakfast — was the place needed a deep cleaning, but was pretty nice overall.
Would you mind emailing me? I have a Hyatt rewards question. I’d like your input.
Great update! I’m actually super annoyed I had to burn my Cat 1-7 certificate on a Cat 5 this year cause it’s expiring in less than a month and I have no plans to make it out to the PH NY. Since I won’t be burning that in NY next time, I’ll definitely try out Gild Hall, but it does like they’re lacking in a gym which Andaz Wall Street does have.