In planning a 5-day romantic New York get away for my girlfriend's birthday, I didn't think I could do much better than a high-floor room with an expansive view of Central Park. The location was perfect for museums and shops, and the view was all I was hoping for. We were also excited that the hotel's associated gym had squash courts, and we brought our rackets.
Unfortunately, on our first morning (a Saturday) we were awakened by relatively constant jack-hammer noise from a construction site next door. Considering our high-floor, it was surprisingly loud. Since we’re from California, we would already be inclined to sleep late, and on vacation, sleeping in seemed even more valuable. Of course, the construction was completely out of the hotel's control, but we decided to move to somewhere quieter.
Since we had used points, the hotel said they couldn't really do anything for us, but urged us to call Starwood. After 30 minutes on the phone, they managed to move us to the W on Lexington. The downside was that we lost our "fifth night free" discount, and had to pay for the final night – an unexpected expense. So, we had the hassle of moving, plus the added cost of the room.
All-in-all, not a great experience, but I'd certainly consider trying the hotel again after the construction is complete. The view really was beautiful.
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