The Park Terrace Hotel has enjoyed almost exclusively rave reviews since it’s opening
in 2018- whether or not it’s deserving of them is coming up.
It is hard to deny that the Park Terrace Hotel has a phenomenal location in Manhattan, directly
on Bryant Park- across from the NY Public Library.
I’ll give some insight into how I choose hotels in New York in a future video, but
the short of it is- public transit access is absolutely key.
Tourist and local attractions are spread out through the city- so unless you’re in New
York on business with an office you need to commute to, your convenience to the subway
is more important than how close you are to any single attraction.
And this is one of the reasons I love the Bryant Park area- you are within a few minutes
walk of many subway lines.
On 42nd Street between Grand Central Station and Times Square you have easy access to a
whopping 16 train lines which will take you to just about anywhere in Manhattan plus some
parts of the outer boroughs.
After transit access is sorted I like to know how close a supermarket or pharmacy is to
the hotel- as well as where my favorite coffee shop is.
Originally opened at the end of 2018, the Park Terrace Hotel has 226 rooms spread over
15 floors and is located on the south side of 40th Street, just west of 5th Avenue.
The curb appeal and lobby are both tidy and understated.
The reception area is a decent size for the city- if not a bit cold, but functional.
Just behind the lobby are two elevators.
When I was there they were definitely not fully booked, but I’d imagine 2 elevators
serving 226 rooms could create a bit of a wait in the future when hotels are again filling
to capacity.
On the sixth floor- you find the hotel’s namesake park terrace.
With a lucky view of the Empire State Building to the south and Bryant Park at your doorstep
to the north- the terrace is a wonderful space to lounge or work during your stay.
The hotel succeeds at offering a nicely sized coworking space that is open and airy but
also allows for a few corner nooks for those who would prefer a private working area or
just a break from their room.
Just inside is the Terrazo Lounge- which was not in operation during my stay.
Note that it’s service was suspended due to COVID but at the time of filming there
were no regulations in New York City that wouldn’t allow them to open.
Normally, this space is known for a continental breakfast buffet that is said to feature a
spread of local New York favorites- such as Bagels from Zuckers in the morning and then
transition to a cocktail lounge after dark.
Before booking, give them a call to see if the Terrazo will be open, if you’re interested.
For now though, there is a small coffee service complimentary for guests and it serves as
a cozy indoor extension of the terrace.
When staying at city hotels, I rarely put too much thought into the in house food offerings
as there are just so many choices on your doorstep- but if you did want a bite to eat
or room service, you’d find it at La Pecora Bianca, a nicely decorated and surprisingly
large restaurant and bar open for Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Now we head up to my room on the 10th floor.
Just out of the elevator, each floor has a filtered water station where guests can fill
up their own bottles or take a bottle to go.
In a city where complimentary water is becoming the exception, I thought this was a very nice
touch.
Buying your water outside is cheap and not a big deal, but when you’re spending $300,
$400, $500 or more on a hotel for one night free water should be expected.
The hallways are bright and decorated in natural tones, but felt a bit big box hotel chain
to me.
For this stay, I chose a Premier Room for a couple of reasons.
First, they are all corner rooms and with the abundance of floor to ceiling windows
there is a lot of natural light all day long- even considering this room had a courtyard
view.
Secondly, at 291 square feet it was around 20% larger than their standard rooms.
One thing I’d recommend not going for though is the extra charge for a high floor.
If I had views of the park, that would be one thing, but a high floor in a courtyard
is just a waste.
I appreciated the well labeled light switches and there were plenty of outlets and USB ports
throughout the room- in the places where they’re needed most.
The room was also outfitted with a Bose USB speaker, a queen bed and a sofa with a coffee
table which was height adjustable- so it could be setup as a desk if needed.
I was thrilled to see a Nespresso machine along with a full stock of actual Nespresso
pods.
It’s an expense for the hotel, sure- but it’s being paid for.
A pet peeve of mine is when a hotel will have a Nespresso machine, but only offer generic
pods or only stock 2 or 3 pods in a holder designed for six.
If you’re going to offer it, do it right- and the Park Terrace has.
Underneath was a bit more storage, an empty mini fridge and an ice bucket which can be
self-filled next to the filter water station.
I didn’t appreciate the 1990s IKEA esque artwork but I thought the Kettle Corn and
Mai Tai premixed cocktail was a really nice welcome amenity.
So far, so good.
Across from the entry door was the bright and immaculate bathroom.
It’s a standard size for this category of hotel and was stocked with Malin & Goetz toiletries
and had the best view in the room- as long as you don’t mind twisting your neck to
see it.
One of the few things that lost the room some points for me was the size of the closet.
It was plenty large for me or for a couple’s weekend bag- but for longer than that, it
will be tight.
If I could change it, I’d switch the closet and wet bar area so you could fit in a full
size wardrobe.
Overall though, the room was bright, clean and in great condition.
And finally in the basement we have the hotel’s fitness center.
It was clean and featured another filtered water station, multiple types of equipment
and fresh towels.
Now let’s get into the Flip Flop Score.
The room was well laid out with lots of natural light, 8 out of 10.
These days, new doesn’t always mean like new condition, but the Park Terrace excelled
here, 10/10.
There was nothing wrong with the service- but there was nothing that stood out either-
7/10.
The common areas were well laid out and comfortable but I wish the Terrazo was open for service,
8/10.
Location wise, it’s really hard to do much better- Bryant Park is safe, beautiful and
full of life, 9/10.
I couldn’t fault the cleanliness if I tried, an easy 10/10.
For the F&B venues, I just felt like there was a disconnect.
For this style of hotel, La Pecora Bianca was not a good fit, 7/10.
Give me an unlimited supply of filtered water and a Nespresso machine and I’m happy- 9/10.
As we saw earlier, this location is convenient for everything from transit, to shopping,
Times Square, Grand Central and more, 10/10.
Finally, the connectivity here was good.
Wifi was free and had a download speed of 24 and upload of 13, 8/10.
Overall, The Park Terrace Hotel would be suitable for a wide array of guests and is propped
up by a stellar location.
Overall, it’s an 86/100 and gets my recommendation.
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