The Chatwal, In The Unbound Collection By Hyatt

After walking around the city all day, we were glad to have the indoor pool and hot tub to relax in. The restaurant was a highlight too, every dish felt out of this world. The hotel was spotless and beautifully decorated, with a calm atmosphere. Our suite was spacious, clean, and well kept, a peaceful place to return to after busy days. Service was strong throughout. Michael the bellman deserves a special mention: he always had a smile, opened doors, helped promptly, and made sure we were taken care of. We even had a butler iron our dresses, which made us feel genuinely cared for. From the moment we arrived at The Chatwal, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, the attention to detail stood out. It felt like luxury and comfort together, and we felt we got what we paid for. I'd recommend The Chatwal to anyone coming to New York City who wants that kind of service and to be treated like royalty.

The location is hard to beat, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. For the price, that's a great deal. I gave it three stars because the service and the bidet let us down. We chose this hotel partly because of the bidet, but its sprayer wouldn't work. I reported it downstairs, and the next day it still wasn't working. It didn't seem like anyone had tried to fix it. I have one at home, so I know I was using it correctly.

The room was clean, checkout went fine, and the valet was terrific both when we arrived and when we left. But check-in was awful, and the manager's response made the whole situation worse. I'm not usually this harsh, but it really was that bad. I wouldn't trust the Chatwal name again, and I'd suggest choosing one of the many other hotels in the city. We picked the Chatwal because it was across from the Hudson Theatre, a fantastic venue. We arrived at 5 pm, but our room wasn't ready. They said it would be soon, so we waited in a crowded lobby with our luggage. After about half an hour, we asked again and heard that lots of late checkouts had put room service behind. Another half hour passed before I asked for a manager. I was angry and could have handled it better, but he was condescending, indifferent, and unapologetic. He blamed an arrangement with American Express for the late checkouts. We finally got into our room about 15 minutes later. That left us rushing toward our 6:30 reservation at the hotel's restaurant, whose name I can't remember, but we still waited another 15 minutes to be seated. With an 8 pm show ahead, we hurried through dinner. The food wasn't great, it looked nicely presented but was cold and bland. I just wanted to leave and enjoy the show. The woman at check-in wasn't rude, but she was completely ineffective in that situation. The manager was the bigger problem, his attitude, indifference, and apparent cluelessness made everything much worse. Add the rushed, very subpar meal and the experience left a fully formed bad impression.

The bathroom was the best part of the room, with a striking black Art Deco look and mirrors all around. The room itself was okay, but it looked onto another building and had no natural light, so it felt closed in. The pool was tiny, about 5 by 8 feet, more like a decorative plunge pool than somewhere to swim. The steam room was basically a simple steam shower, far from the spa experience shown online. Several staff couldn't answer basic questions, and I had to spend extra time sorting out an incorrect bill. Even with Hyatt elite status and Amex Platinum benefits, this felt like an ordinary hotel stay, not the advertised high-end $800-per-night experience. The décor has some charm, but the amenities, service, and value don't justify the price. I wouldn't recommend it.