Concierge Collection- The Plaza on points

[Synonymous]

This Sunday night I stayed with DW and DD at The Plaza in NYC through DVC. We paid 45 points for the "classic" room, which had a single king bed.

I know that's alot of points for one night in a hotel room, but we loved it. The hotel is absolutely beautiful and our room was, as well. It had a crystal chandelier in the bedroom, and antique lighting fixtures in the bathroom. Bathroom had a vaulted ceiling and very nice tile throughout. Although the room was an "antique," everything has been updated and is in excellent condition. Decorating was opulent.

We had asked for a king with a roll-away for DD, who is 3 1/2. When we checked in, the clerk (who recognized that we were staying thru DVC) told us he had a beautiful room over-looking Central Park. He then checked and saw that it wasn't big enough for the roll-away. At that point, we were drooling over the thought of the beautiful room over-looking Central Park, so we decided to put up with DD sleeping between us for one night. The bed was so big that I really wasn't even aware she was there. And the view was worth it. Although there is presently construction going on in the south end of the park, the overall effect of looking out over that green expanse, framed by skyscrapers on either side, is wonderful, especially at night.

We had never stayed at a hotel of this caliber before (thank you, DVC) and I wasn't sure what to expect. I was afraid it might be a bit stuffy and uncomfortable. It was just the opposite. Service was impeccable and all the staff that we encountered were friendly and helpful. Everyone was kind to our daughter (who behaved herself wonderfully, BTW).

Breakfast at the Palm Court for $100.00 was a bit over-the-top, but I wouldn't trade the experience.

DW insists that we're staying at The Plaza from now on when we go to NYC. I don't know about that (it was tres chere, points or no points), but I think it's worth it for a night when we have the points to spare.


Tom

 

[mooses41]

Thanks for the report.

 

[Candace]

Thanks so much for posting this! I am considering taking my 80-year old mom to NY, and trying the Plaza sounds perfect.

 

[PamOKW]

I'm glad to hear you got a great room. The Plaza seems to have a wide variety of room types (from suites to closets) and I was afraid DVC might not get a choice room. Thanks for taking the time to report.

 

[JeffreyH]

The Plaza is a hotel I've always wanted to stay in. And at 45 points for a King bed room over looking the park ("Central Park Premier Room"), you're getting a "deal" relative to the $700+ they charge for a regular reservation (if a $450 hotel room could ever be called a deal!).

My question is this. Does anyone know if you can guarantee such a room? Or did you get lucky because it was a slow time for the hotel? While I might be willing to pay 45 points knowing I could get exactly what you received, I don't think I would pay that for a queen bed room without the view.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Synonymous]

Is that the cash cost- $700? I was wondering what it would have cost us. I figured more in the $350-$450 range, but was just guessing.

I can only answer your question partially. The "classic" room (which is the cheaper room, points-wise) is either a king bed or 2 double beds. And you get to request which one you want. So you won't get stuck with a queen.

I think, though, that the park view was luck. When I checked in, the clerk checked the computer screen and said "I'm happy to say that I can give you a beautiful room overlooking the park." When we mentioned that we needed two beds, he was going to go back to the computer to see what was available. So, that seems like hit or miss. Chances are probably better if you check in early.

Tom

 

[Beachangel]

Even living here in the city, I love to spend a night at The Plaza.

PS The Palm Court is the best..$100 breakfast can't be beat!!

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the THINKS you can think up, if only you try." Dr. Seuss

 

[zaksaunt]

We are booked for the deluxe room for three nights Memorial Day weekend. It's costing us 171 points, which is insane, but it is our 30th anniversary and we had to use the points by May 31. I hope we also get lucky with the view. What time did you check in? Was your $100 breakfast the buffet that someone wrote about? What did you eat that was worth a hundred dollars? I am not much of a breakfast eater, so that sounds pretty steep to me. Did you go to any shows while you were there? Can the concierge get you good tickets to the shows? We have no reservations whatsoever for restaurants or shows, do you think that will be a problem? Did you take he carriage ride through Central Park? Any advice you can give me?

 

[Synonymous]

Beachangel- I agree, the Palm Court was wonderful. I was especially pleased because our 3 yr old DD behaved perfectly (thank god.) Still, at $100, I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us.

Zaksaunt- I think you'll love it. I can't think of a better place for an anniversary. We checked in around noon on a Sunday.

The $100.00 breakfast was off the menu. The buffet was $25 per person, which I thought was steep (should have looked closer at the menu!) but looked very nice. It was a continental breakfast buffet, with cereal, muffins, rolls, fruit, etc.

As for what we ate that was worth $100- Nothing! I had waffles, wife had eggs, we got a couple of bagels, juice, coffee, tea. It was all good. Not $100 good, though. Still, the room was beautiful, my tea was served in a silver service, we ate off of nice china, listened to calming classical music and received excellent service. We got to eavesdrop on two businessmen talking about a $30 million deal involving a new power source for ships.

As an experience, I have no regrets about the $100. As breakfast- I would think twice about doing it again.

We thought about going to a show, but decided it was a bit of a risk to take DD, because of her age. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was at the Garden, so we did that.

I'm sure the concierge could get you great seats to pretty much any show, but be prepared to pay a premium. If you know in advance what you want to see, you're better off ordering your tix ahead of time from the theatre. If you're not picky about what you see, you can go to the TKTS booths in Times Square or the World Trade Center the day of the show for half-price tickets, or just go to the theatre to see if they have anything available. Alot of times the theatre box office will have great seats available the day of the show, sometimes at a discount.

I wouldn't worry about reservations for restaurants, unless there is someplace specific you want to go. With the huge number of restaurants in the city, you can always find a place. This is another area where the concierge can be of great assistance. For the cost of a nice tip, he or she can suggest good restaurants and get you a reservation.

The carriage ride was on our agenda, but DD decided she would rather spend the time on the playground in Central Park. There's got to be about a hundred of these carriages hanging around in front of the park at any time. I think it goes for about $30 for a half hour ride.

As for advice- I'd be happy to answer questions about anything you want to ask. I'm no expert, but I've been to NYC around 25 times or so. You can send me e-mail at trsmith@netsync.net.

Tom

 

[downontheBW]

Thanks for the great info. I like to find out what we can expect for all those points. We'll be staying at Charleston Place later this month and don't know what to expect. I'll post the room info when we get back.
F

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