Loews Regency Manhattan vets?

[holcomb-mania]

We'd love to do a Dec '09 trip to NYC. I've made a whole list of stuff to see (Lion King, Lombardi's Pizzeria, Statue of Liberty, too many more to name), and the Regency seems well-located.

- Can anyone recommend this place?
- What is the difference between the Superior and Luxury rooms as shown on the points charts?
- How early should I reserve?
- Which airport should I fly into? JFK seems cheapest, with LGA and NWK a little more expensive. Which is most convenient, JFK or LGA?

Many thanks!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We'd love to do a Dec '09 trip to NYC. I've made a whole list of stuff to see (Lion King, Lombardi's Pizzeria, Statue of Liberty, too many more to name), and the Regency seems well-located.

- Can anyone recommend this place?
- What is the difference between the Superior and Luxury rooms as shown on the points charts?
- How early should I reserve?
- Which airport should I fly into? JFK seems cheapest, with LGA and NWK a little more expensive. Which is most convenient, JFK or LGA?

Many thanks!

My DH and I have gone to Manhatten on the Amtrak train, and it was wonderful! Consider that if there is a station nearby. No baggage check or limit! The train goes right into Pennsylvania Station, and it is so easy. You catch a cab right there when you walk out, and you are not far at all from Manhatten. Now, I would love to hear about Leow's Regency. I put a post out on TUGGBS, but no one commented.

 

[dbanzai]

LGA is the closest airport to the city, but with no decent public transportation to/from... But if you're using Super Shuttle (or equivilant) or a taxi, you should be okay.

As a born and bred New Yorker, I'm down with the public transportation though, and it's fine from JFK and not so bad from EWK (the airport code). JFK offers Airtrain to the subway, while Newark has Airtrain to NJ Transit. It's a long subway ride though from JFK to downtown, and is usually pretty messy in a cab due to traffic. Super Shuttle would at least have a fixed price, not likely in a cab from JFK. Traffic can be hit-or-miss from Newark, depending on the time of landing, but keep in mind you'll also have to pay for the tunnels to get into Manhattan.

 

[PamOKW]

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels/Regency-Hotel/Rooms/Compare.aspx

The Regency is a well established hotel in NYC -- right off Park Avenue and frequented by celebrities and "power brokers". Regular rooms (not suites) run in the $400-$600 per night range with higher prices during the week. The link above takes you to the hotel's site and gives the description of the different rooms -- basically it looks like size of room and better "view".

You'll be close to 5th Avenue, Rock Center, Madison Avenue shopping, etc. etc. The theater and Statue of Liberty are easily reached by cab or you can ask the hotel to help you navigate the subway system. It's also possible to walk to the theater district -- as long as you allow yourself time and the weather is good.

Once you're "sure you want to go I'd go ahead and reserve. Remember once you change your DVC points to "reservation points" you can't change them back so be sure you're okay with that when you reserve. December is a very popular time to visit NYC and people from around the world come to shop and see the shows. I just realized your trip was December so I'd plan on cabs/subway vs. walking to the theater district -- Manhattan streets get cold and windy in December!
Have fun!

 

[holcomb-mania]

I looked into the train, and the cost isn't far below airfare, but we'd be spending almost a whole day in transit. We're gonna take the kids out of school and need to maximize our time in the city. I dread to see what airfares are up to next Dec.

Since we'll have luggage, I don't think a train will work. We'll probably just do a cab or car service. I looked into Super Shuttle, but couldn't find fixed prices from JFK. I had to request a quote, which doesn't make sense this far out.

I checked the points chart book this morning and I believe the Concierge Collection has an 11 month window. Guess I'll have to wait until Jan to book.

Thanks for your help, gang!

 

[OhhBother]

We stayed at the Regency on points. It was nice but not the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. It wasn't even the nicest New York hotel I've stayed in.

You're paying a lot for the location, the name and the "experience."

With that said, we'd probably stay there again. But it's not take-your-breath-away luxury or anything.

 

[momtotanmanandraerae]

I just returned from spending the weekend in New York and staying at the Regency on points. We had two luxury rooms. The rooms were huge! I have stayed at a few New York hotels and have never seen such big rooms. Our view wasn't great...just a building. The rooms both had a separate kitchen area with a great coffee maker, microwave, fridge, and sink. There were two queen beds that were so comfortable. It had a big desk overlooking the window and a boombox for music. It also had a mini bar but the prices were crazy - $22 for chocolate popcorn! I do agree that the bathroom was a little small for such a nice hotel. The staff was wonderful and gave us great recommendations for dinner and lunch. We walked to Central Park and were able to walk to Fifth and Madison Avenue for shopping. To get to Times Square though, we took a cab. It would have been a long walk! It is a great quiet neighborhood and we loved that. We also saw two celebrities there! Geralado Rivera was standing right outside the door and America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) was waiting to get on the elevator in the lobby when I got off! It was a wonderful weekend and well worth the points!

 

[42trvl]

The location can't be beat. You're just between the bustling part of midtown and the nicest (and priciest) residential neighborhoods. Extremely convenient to everything in terms of tourist things, shopping, transportation, etc. We stayed for a night last year when we had some work being done on our apartment. As others have said, it's not the nicest hotel in NY. I guess it depends on how picky you are, but it is a bit on the old side. On the other hand, the rooms are quite large and fairly comfortable if you don't mind the older surroundings (we did have to unplug the small refrigerator because it was so loud). But, by NY standards and for the excellent location it's not a bad choice. To get new, really nice, good views, etc. in NYC would cost a fortune.

Laguardia is the closest and easiest airport to get to/from. With luggage I tend to shy away from public transportation. Taxi from LGA is metered and should be about $30-$35 - up to four people can fit in a regular taxi. JFK is a little further -maybe about 20-30 minutes more (and usually a lot more traffic, but worth it if you can get a better fare) and the taxi fare is fixed at $45. In my opinion, for midtown Manhattan, Newark is a pain in the neck and we only consider it if it's the only option or are saving a big chunk of money.

 

[goofy4dvc]

We used points to stay at the Regency in NYC in June of 2007. It was nice and comfortable, but it didn't quite live up to the write-ups. We had the cheaper of the two category rooms. The more expensive looks out on a park or street. Ours looked at another building -- not attractive, but we didn't spend much time in the room. We had no refrigerator or microwave. There are no ice machines or snack machines, so we had to call room service for ice and that meant a tip. We found drug/grocery store a couple of blocks east and purchased drinks and snacks. The hotel is about 3 blocks east of the southeast corner of Central Park. We walked to the Rockefeller Center, Central Park, etc. We took a cab to the docks to take a ferry around the island that I recommend. It went fairly close to the Statue of Liberty and the narrator was very informative. We purchased the multi-day bus tour which was a great way to get oriented and the narrator was also informative. We did the uptown loop, the downtown loop, and the nighttime loop that went over the Brooklyn Bridge. Great views at night. Scary driving over the bridge at night. The busses are two-story with the top being open. We walked to the theater, but wouldn't do it in the winter. We went to Ground Zero and the church across the street. That was really interesting. We also went to a Yankee game at Yankee stadium -- the main reason for going to NYC when we did -- before the stadium is torn down.

 

[rocketriter]

We spent 3 nights on Concierge Collection at the Regency about 6 weeks ago. With 2 teenage children of different sexes (can't share a bed), we took an Executive Suite. It was more space than, say, Embassy Suites and less space (and points) than a full regular suite. The suite had 2 bathrooms, and the staff recommended that we keep the sofabed closed in the living room area and add 2 "cots" for the kids. The staff was correct; there was still room to use the sofa for sitting, and the cots were more comfortable than the usual sofabed. The suite was immaculate and freshly painted, with beautiful glass doors and many built-ins. Yes, the minibar was absurdly priced. The neighborhood is very upscale and comfortable and we felt safe walking at night. We were pleased with our stay.