Thompson Central Park New York Review and Tour
Ever since Hyatt bought the Thompson hotel brand in 2018, they’ve become some of my favorite hotels in the entire Hyatt portfolio. Hyatt previously owned the Parker New York, and rebranded it as the Thompson Central Park in 2022. While the hotel is close to full completion, and there are some small issues to work through, I was so exceptionally pleased with my stay as a Globalist. Here’s a full review and tour of the Thompson Central Park New York.
Booking
We stayed at the Thompson Central Park New York during the US Open in 2022, but managed to find paid rates at around $285 per night on an awesome sale. This made it more sensible to pay with cash than with Hyatt points, which would’ve been 25,000 points a night for our five-night stay. The hotel charges a “destination fee,” which is $34.86 per night plus tax, and includes the following: Premium Internet Access
Access to Fitness Center
20% Fit Tours (5k or Yoga in the Park)
Concierge Business services
Newspapers on Request
Unlimited Local/Domestic & Long Distance Calls
1 Hour Free Bike Rental (w/1 hour paid)
One bottled water per guest at check in
10% off in the Carnegie Hall store
8% off Big Bus New York: Classic Hop-On, Hop-Off ticket
8% off Go New York Card - Explorer: Hop-On, Hop-Off Tour, Skip-The-Line Attraction Tickets, Walks And More
6% off The New York Pass®: Hop-On, Hop-Off, Empire State Building, Top Of The Rock™, 9/11 Memorial, Times Square & More
Exclusive access to 20% off admission tickets to each of the WCS parks including Central Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, and the New York Aquarium
So, as you can see, there’s not much real value provided by the fee. Luckily, as a Globalist within World of Hyatt’s loyalty program, I don’t pay resort or destination fees when I stay at Hyatts (and all members save the fees when they are redeeming points or certificates). I’d also receive my 4 PM late check out, free full daily breakfast for two, and the potential for an upgrade.
Check In
We arrived around 10 PM to the hotel, and were excited to see Francis Tiafoe walk in right behind us, who ended up going very deep in the tournament! The check-in staff were very professional and efficient, and explained that we had been upgraded to a “Studio Suite,” which is the hotel’s base level suite. They also explained some of the amenities, as well as the breakfast benefit for Globalists. I would have the choice of room service, or a full breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, Parker. It was a quick trip up the efficient hotel elevators to the 14th floor and we were in our suite for the weekend.
The Room
For a full room tour, check out my video above. The studio suite is gigantic by New York City standards. I loved the elevated bar area for dining and working, and the bathroom was very well appointed. I usually don’t like showers without a dedicated curtain or door (à la Europe), but this shower was hot enough to not bother me.
The King Room had an incredibly comfortable bed, and a gigantic television that could swivel between living room and the bedroom for maximum efficiency. There weren’t any great views to speak of, sadly, but it was definitely quiet which I can’t say often of New York City hotels that seem to echo every taxi honk all evening.
Amenities (Gym, Restaurants, and Location)
There are a lot of cool things going on at the Thompson. For one, they have an excellent gym facility, though it’s a bit of a maze to find it. You actually have to exit the hotel and find a small door under some scaffolding, which looks like the entrance to a DryBar, then take a rickety escalator down to a basement level, where the DryBar operates as well as the admittedly tastefully done gym facilities. Presumably, the hotel is working on a more seamless connection to this part of the hotel. The gym had pelotons, yoga rooms, and free weights to properly service this hotel, but might feel a bit busy at times if the hotel is bustling.
There are several restaurant options at the Thompson. I only tried Parker once for breakfast on my first morning, and while the food was excellent quality, the service was very slow, so we opted for the much more convenient room service the following four mornings. They could pack things to go which made things a bit quicker and less formal than the full tablecloth portable table setup that those who have dined in their room in fancy hotels before know all too well. The Parker is also open for lunch, dinner, and drinks.
There’s a “speakeasy” burger place called The Burger Joint, which had a line most of our trip and was absolutely excellent. It has a very dive-y feel to it and was so unique, I loved it. I was lazy one night of my trip, and ordered a burger from there via room service, so that’s an option in case you’re interested.
Next door is also an Indian restaurant “Indian Accent,” but we didn’t have a chance to try it out.
Finally, the hotel’s location is a great amenity. It’s only two blocks from Central Park, and close to several subway shops. For those coming in for Broadway, it’s really convenient for all of those options as well.
Overall
I absolutely loved my stay at the Thompson Central Park. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll find a deal there again quite like what I had this trip, though I wouldn’t hesitate to spend the points to stay there again. The Park Hyatt New York is nearby, but 5,000 more points a night and quite pricey if paying cash. Having stayed now at both, I think I prefer the Thompson to the Park Hyatt, which is quite a compliment coming from me!
