The Grand Hyatt New York is a decent 4-start hotel with a grand lobby, modern decor, and fast elevators but also some service lapses that disappoint compared to other Manhattan hotels in the same class. My stay started off well: The front desk provided one of the fastest check-ins I have ever experienced, giving me my room key and sending me on my way in about a minute.
I was given one of the smaller rooms on the floor, but it was a reasonable size considering the generally small size of hotel rooms in NYC. It had well-appointed, modern furnishings, but peeling paint throughout the room revealed the remnants of past renovations. There was no view to speak of from my room. The windows in the majority of the rooms looked out onto other rooms at this hotel, so I kept my one window shade closed all the time.
The safe in my room, according to the front desk, was one of many in the hotel that was inoperative. The security team that came to my room to fix it told me they didn't have the proper part for the repair, and the front desk couldn't (or wouldn't) guarantee, if they gave me another room, that the new room safe would not suffer from the same problem.
The bathroom was small but well appointed, except for the lack of lotion and body gel to accompany the bar soap, shampoo, and conditioner. The shower only reluctantly produced cold water until I realized that I needed to force the faucet past its natural stopping point. During my second day, the facecloths I used weren't replaced. Only because I was the only person in the room did that leave me with enough towels.
Lastly, the wireless Internet access (provided at extra cost by T-mobile) was extremely slow, compared to that of other hotels I've stayed at recently. You can, however, use an existing T-mobile account to access the Internet.
Overall, I would say that the Grand Hyatt failed to live up to other hotels in its class. The hotel is in a great location right next to Grand Central station, with its fantastic transportation options (train and subway) and diverse food court. Buses to JFK Airport are right across the street, and many restaurants and shops are a block or two away. I used Priceline for this stay, but given a choice, I would probably select a different hotel with better views, amenities, and service.
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