My spouse and I stayed at the Hyatt Union Square for 1 night in early October 2013. We remitted Hyatt gift cards for our stay, and we were able to use multiple gift cards to pay the bill, which we turned over at check-in time. (The representative that checked us in said that not all clerks knew how to reconcile the gift cards, so she wanted to speed up our time at check-out by taking them at check-in.) We booked our reservation online a few months prior to our stay, and re-checked the rates every week or so until the day prior to our stay. Our rates dropped two times after we had made our original booking, resulting in a savings of nearly $200 over our original rate. (Each time we rebooked, the rate dropped by about $100; so we recommend checking back your rate if you would like to save some money.)
The hotel is somewhat new, having opened in the spring of 2013. It occupies a corner location in the Union Square/Flatiron/Gramercy Park area of the city, and is located just one block from Union Square Park. Several subway lines stop near the hotel, and it is also easy to hail a taxi cab because the hotel is located on busy Fourth Avenue. The hotel does not have a parking lot, although valet parking is available. There are many shops and restaurants in the surrounding blocks, including a wine shop, grocery store (Whole Foods), and two pharmacies (Duane Reed and Walgreens) in the very next block. The Union Square Greenmarket (a must-see on Saturdays) is just a block away. The hotel has 178 room arranged over 12 floors.
The front desk is a sort of standing podium/table workstation that contains computer terminals. The staff wears long-sleeved multi-colored checked oxford shirts as sort of a uniform. All employees that we encountered were pleasant and helpful. The hotel offers complimentary bicycles for guests to use - sometimes they were present in the lobby near the elevators, and other times they were borrowed. The bikes are a vintage Schwin style, with a box/basket mounted on the back for bags/backpacks. The fitness center, located on the basement level, has all the necessary equipment (treadmills, bikes, free weights) and also offers regular towels, cool towels (in a little refrigerator), bottled water, fresh fruit, and disposable headphones. One of the few things that we did not like about this hotel was the fragrance that permeated the lobby and elevators - an intensely spicy scent that we found it pervasive and unpleasant.
Although we did not dine at the hotel, it has several food and beverage outlets: Singl is the hotel bar and lounge, with bar stool seating and many comfortable and varied social groupings of furniture open from late afternoon through early morning. Botequim is on the basement level and serves dinner only, Latin tapas cuisine in a space with an open kitchen. The Fourth is a large American brasserie located on the street level and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Fourth has three dining areas: a café with an espresso and wine bar, a communal dining bar, and a more full-service formal dining space. Room service is also available from early morning until late evening. A rooftop bar/lounge is planned to open in the spring of 2014. We think that the dining options have potential, because they are owned by a restaurant group that also manages Tocqueville Restaurant and 15 East (15 East has one Michelin star).
We booked the lowest-level room, the Urbane Studio, although we applied for a (paying) e-upgrade at check-in time (which was not available). Our room faced an interior courtyard and did not have floor-to-ceiling windows, which seemed to be the major difference between the Urbane Studio and the Deluxe Studio (Urbane Sky Room). We would love to have seen one of the Urban Terrace rooms or the suites (Empyreal or The Sanctuary). Our room was compact, but not tiny by New York City standards. The furniture was cleverly designed and used every available space. The bathroom vanity area was a bit compact, but the shower was large. CO Bigelow toiletries are provided (soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion). A hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and electronic safe are provided. A minibar and snack tray are available. There is no ice machine for guest use, but you can request a (complimentary) delivery from room service. In our room, one robe (a black jersey material) and one pair of slippers were provided. The hotel provided an evening turndown, although it occurred much too early for us to take advantage of it (around 5:00 pm). Instead of mints on your pillow, the hotel offers fortune cookies, which is a unique touch.
We would gladly stay at the Hyatt Union Square again. We loved the area - many good restaurants, and a good general vibe in what seemed like a livable residential area of the city.
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