New York City: The Viceroy Central Park (November 2018)

Viceroy Central Park (November 2018) - Small Rooms Are Dark and Look a Bit Outdated

My spouse and I stayed at the Viceroy Central Park on a Wednesday evening in late November 2018. We reserved our room online, and we selected a package that included breakfast. The Viceroy is a member of the Global Hotels Alliance (GHA), so if you are a Discovery member, you’ll receive credit and possibly additional perks.

Despite its name, the Viceroy Central Park is not located on the perimeter of the actual park. (Nearby hotels including the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Essex House do actually face the park.) Instead, the Viceroy is located two blocks south of the Central Park on West 57^th Street between 7^th & 6^th Avenues. The purpose-built hotel opened in October 2013 and offers 240 rooms spread across 29 floors. A black brick exterior accented by steel, stone, and casement windows leads to an Art Deco interior with marble, glass, and brass accents. Many shops and restaurants are located within walking distance of the hotel. 

Property amenities include a small lobby lounge area, fitness center, and two dining options: The Roof and Kingside. My spouse and I visited The Roof in July 2018 (although not as Viceroy overnight guests); see our review titled “Outdoors on a Summer Night Is Best, But Indoors Is Attractive Too”. We visited Kingside as overnight guests on our November 2018 visit; see our review titled “Need to Work on Their Customer Service”. 

Upon check-in, as part of our room package, the desk agent handed a complimentary breakfast coupon worth $25. We had looked online at the Kingside menu, and since most plated breakfast entrees were priced at $18, we decided that we would instead use the $25 to purchase some items-to-go at the restaurant’s takeout counter instead. However, when we went to pay for our two coffees and two bagels, we were told that although the items did not exceed the $25 value of the coupon, the coupon could only be used to pay for one guest’s breakfast (therefore one coffee and one bagel). We later learned at checkout that we should have received two breakfast coupons, one for each registered guest, thereby having $50 in credit. However, no attempt at recompense was made by the desk agent. This was a most unfortunate situation, because if we had known that we should have had two coupons, we would have preferred to sit down for a served meal. When we checked in, the agent made a fuss about requiring each one of us to produce our photo IDs so that we would both be officially registered, so we don’t know why moments later she only provided us with one coupon.

Our guestroom at the Viceroy reminded us a bit of a ship stateroom’s interior, with cleverly designed furniture that made use of all available space. One side of the room contained a large wooden furniture piece that surrounded and encompassed the bed, with a headboard/mirror/light above, and dual nightstands/closet combinations on each side. Our king-size bed wasn’t very comfortable; the mattress was positioned atop a low wooden platform rather than on a more forgiving box spring; in addition, the mattress angled down on both sides, so we each felt as though we were rolling toward the edges. Our room also contained a small desk with two open shelves above, and a small leather settee in front of the mullioned windows, two of which could be cracked open. Room amenities included a sound system, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an espresso machine. The bathroom had retro marble mosaic-style walls, floor, and open glass shower (no curtain), and a pedestal sink with brass fixtures. One bathrobe, two pairs of slippers, and toiletries by ROIL are provided. 

For the daily rates charged by the Viceroy, we expected more thoughtful service. With the multitude of nearby lodging options, we are unlikely to return.

New York City: Kingside (November 2018)

Kingside (November 2018) – Need to Work on Their Customer Service

My spouse and I visited Kingside for breakfast on a Thursday morning in late November 2018. Kingside is open from 7:00 am (8:00 am on weekends) until 1:00 am for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, and everything in between. You can book a spot using the online Open Table reservation system. 

Celebrity chef Marc Murphy created Kingside in conjunction with the Gerber Group. The Gerber Group also operates The Roof (at the Viceroy), Taco Electrico (in Union Square), The Campbell ([Apartment] in Grand Central Station), Mr. Purple (at the Indigo LES, where we have stayed twice before and visited its amazing rooftop venue and adjacent outdoor pool), Irvington (at the W Union Square), and Whiskey Blue (at the Maxwell), in addition to properties in Atlanta, Georgia and Santiago, Chile. My spouse and I and a group of friends visited The Roof in July 2018; see our review titled “Outdoors on a Summer Night Is Best, But Indoors Is Attractive Too”.

Kingside opened in October 2013 on the street level of the Viceroy Central Park; in fact, the entrance door leads from the lobby directly into the restaurant. Black and white are the predominant colors, shown in the checkerboard flooring, bricks, and tiles. Leather banquettes in a caramel brown color and bar stools in bright red provide accents of color. The front of the space contains a small bar (counter service for breakfast), with adjacent high-top round tables and a dining bar against the front window. The dining room includes tables, booths, and a dining counter at the rear that allows a glimpse into the open kitchen. Staff are nattily dressed.

Kingside serves American cuisine. We were overnight guests at the Viceroy, and upon check-in, as part of our room package, we received a complimentary breakfast coupon worth $25. We had looked online at the Kingside menu, and since most plated breakfast entrees were priced at $18, we decided that we would instead use the $25 to purchase some items-to-go at the restaurant’s takeout counter instead. However, when we went to pay for our two coffees and two bagels, we were told that although the items did not exceed the $25 value of the coupon, the coupon could only be used to pay for one guest’s breakfast. We later learned at checkout that we should have received two breakfast coupons, one for each registered guest, thereby having $50 in credit. However, no attempt at recompense was made by the desk agent. This was a most unfortunate situation, because if we had known that we should have had two coupons, we would have preferred to sit down for a served meal. When we checked in, the desk agent made a fuss about asking each one of us for of our photo IDs so that we would both be officially registered, so we don’t know why she only provided us with one coupon.

Our experience at Kingside was disappointing, as was our stay at the Viceroy itself. With so many other dining and lodging options near the southern end of Central Park, we are not likely to return.

New York City: The Roof (July 2018)

The Roof at the Viceroy (July 2018) - Outdoors on a Summer Night Is Best, But Indoors Is Attractive Too

My spouse and I and a group of friends visited The Roof at the Viceroy for drinks on a Saturday evening in late July 2018. The Roof is open daily from 4:00 pm until 4:00 pm. The Roof accepts reservations via telephone, although the deposit/guaranteed spend we were quoted ($1000, even for a hotel guest) prompted us to take our chances and turn up without one; you can also use the online Seven Rooms system to make a request. Because we arrived relatively early by Manhattan standards (approximately 9:30 pm), we were lucky enough to score a nice seating group for our entire party of 10 people on the terrace. 

The Roof is located on the 29^th floor of The Viceroy hotel in Midtown on West 57^th Street (between 7^th and 6^th Avenues). Some guestrooms (and The Roof!) offer views of Central Park and the famous (JW Marriott) Essex House sign. The Gerber Group operates The Roof, as well as NYC’s Kingside (also at the Viceroy), Taco Electrico (in Union Square), The Campbell ([Apartment] in Grand Central Station), Mr. Purple (at the Indigo LES, where we have stayed twice before and visited its amazing rooftop venue and adjacent outdoor pool), Irvington (at the W Union Square), and Whiskey Blue (at the Maxwell), in addition to properties in Atlanta, Georgia and Santiago, Chile.

Besides the awning-covered terrace (open to the sides when we visited; however, it is enclosed in cooler months to allow year-round guests), patrons can also sit indoors in a lovely wood-paneled room (with brass details, leather-and-walnut sofas, and framed photographs) that contains the main bar and a DJ. Outdoors, another bar is available, as well as various lounge-seating groupings (sofas and small stools gathered around low coffee tables) and a few high-top tables. A separate elevator whisks guests from the sidewalk to The Roof, although you can also reach the rooftop by taking the elevator inside the hotel. A bouncer mans the red-velvet-roped door on 57th Street; we were surprised that a group of middle-aged clientele like us was easily admitted.

Although The Roof offers some small plates (fries, hummus, sliders, charcuterie), drinks are the main focus. The Roof offers craft beers, international wines, and modern and classic cocktails. (We particularly enjoyed the spicy margarita, made with tequila, chili-flavored liqueur and garnished with a fresh jalapeno slice.)

Our group enjoyed themselves at The Roof and appreciated how inclusive and accepted we felt.