Hyatt Place Times Square: Why So Rude?

Hyatt Place Times Square is part of the TPOL in NYC Trip Report.

I can’t tell you how many hotels I have stayed at in NYC. The worst one was Element (see Great Service, Bad Experience). The most overrated was the Park Hyatt (see Park Hyatt New York: Consistently Inconsistent). The rudest was the Hyatt Place Times Square.

While a building cannot be rude, those that work in it sure can be. Here’s what happened:

I took an early flight from Puerto Rico which arrived in NYC at 9:28AM. After enduring the AirTrain (see JFK AirTrain: Why Mess with Uber to Manhattan?) and the subway, it was 11AM when I arrived at the hotel. The place was a zoo. The lobby looked more like a bus station than a hotel. The queue for the front desk was long with many impatient guests. When it was finally my turn to check-in, a woman frantically jumped in front of me asking for a new room key since she had a taxi waiting. The lady at the front desk looked at her with scorn and said that she would have to get back in line. The woman pleaded for a room key. The attendant again directed her to the line. Sympathetic, I said that it was fine to give her a new room key.

My generosity was lost on the employee. She barely greeted me and only spoke to me to tell me that my room was not ready. I asked if she knew when it would be ready. She told me that normal check-in is at 3PM. She then asked for my phone number and told me that they would call when the room was ready.

As an Explorist, I don’t expect much from my status, though I have been granted access to my room many early mornings. In this case, it was obvious that the staff was overwhelmed and that the hotel was at capacity. How else can they justify charging $650 for one night at a Hyatt Place? Instead of waiting in the DMV lobby, I went to look for coffee. I made the mistake of going to Pret A Manger and paying $5.18 for a double espresso. For that price, I could have gone to my favorite coffee place in the City, Felix Roasting (see Best Java in NYC).

I didn’t make the most of the extortionate coffee price. Though I loitered in the cafe until 1:30PM, I was too tired to ask for the Wi-Fi password. I opted to use my hot spot instead.

Delirious from the lack of sleep from the night before, I went back to the Hyatt Place. To my amazement, I found guest after guest being given room keys. Like the woman before me, I skipped the queue and went to the front of the line. I asked if my room was ready. They said they would check. Indeed it was ready. I calmly asked why no one called me. I was given no response. I asked why so many people were checking in in front of me. Again, no response. I kept asking and was told that each guest’s situation is different. Unsatisfied, I calmly asked again. The woman at the front desk walked off and a man came. I reiterated my questions and was given multiple explanations: 1) Your room just became available. 2.) We were just about to call you. 3) The guest before you had checked-in the prior night so his room was available. 4) You were upgraded so your room took longer to become available.

Given how busy and chaotic the hotel was, I would have been satisfied if they told me that they had simply forgotten to call. The rude attitude towards me and towards other guests by multiple members of the staff was unwarranted as were the excuses.

I was especially annoyed with the “we upgraded you” explanation. Upon arriving, I specifically said that I didn’t need an upgrade. All I wanted was a bed so I could go to sleep before my meeting.

Too tired to argue and too incoherent to continue speaking, I took my room key and made my way to the ‘upgraded’ room. While not quite Coming to America bad, I could not help but wonder what the non-upgraded room would have been like. Here’s what I found:

Bedroom

This is one of the smallest rooms I have stayed at in NYC.

Upgrade? 

Bathroom

The bathroom was even tinier. The shower had no pressure. The water dripped on the metal drain, one droplet at a time. Think Chinese Water Torture.

Office Space

There was a small depressing nook where a single guest could sit and lament paying full price for this room.

Location

While I hate Times Square and prefer to stay away from Midtown Manhattan, I must point out that this hotel is not directly located in Times Square. It is half a mile away which may be critical should you be in NYC on a cold, snowy day.

TPOL’s Tip: The address is 350 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018 

Overall

After one night, I had enough of this hotel. I went back to my old reliable choice, the Hyatt Place LIC (see It Was the Best Deal in NY).