I stayed at the Mandarin for work for 3 days in May. The hotel is very nice but felt quite "average" for a 5-star hotel and certainly not worth the US$895 room rate. If you want real 5-star quality and service, this is not the place. Go to the St. Regis or Pierre. I had high expectations for this hotel because it had been written up so frequently in travel magazines but it was literally the worst Mandarin Oriental I have stayed at, granted the only other Mandarin Oriental Hotels I have stayed at have been in Asia. I would have given this hotel a 4 rating because service and quality is not bad but for what you pay, you would expect, much, much better.
Pros:
- Location. This hotel is at the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. One block from Central Park and close to almost all subway lines.
- Very comfortable bed.
- Separate shower and bath tub.
Cons:
- Room is small-ish. Hotel rooms tend to be moderate in NY but for what you pay, it just seemed too small.
- Rooms overall felt a bit worn, I know this hotel has not been around for too long but the rooms felt like there was not alot of maintenance put into them.
- Only one sink in bathroom.
- Small gym. But then again, you are one block from Central Park, where running is amazing.
- Service was average. It seemed like the staff were generally well-intentioned but standards are just low. For example, when I arrived, the guy at the door asked if I wanted help with luggage. At the Mandarin in Hong Kong, Jakarta, KL and Macau - no one ever ASKS if you need help. They just help! However, I think this may just be an American thing.
- So expensive. $895 a night. I ordered room service - eggs and toast and it was $55 excluding tip....
Tips:
- If you are going to spend this kind of money, go somewhere else - St. Regis, Pierre or Ritz-Carlton
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