After reading the rants and raves I'm more confused than ever. Family and I are planning a trip to NYC this summer. We have reservations at the Plaza. We thought we would splurge. However, after reading so many negative things on the board about the Plaza I'm beginning to have second thoughts. My 2nd choice is the Excelsior. Has anyone stayed recently at the Plaza, what did you think? Is it actually worth the extra $$$? Doesn't sound like there is much pampering, nice rooms, etc. HELP!!

Negative things about the Plaza?? That's ridiculous! By all means, stay there. It's NYC's flagship hotel and you'll love it.

The Waldorf is nicer than the Plaza and St. Regis is the nicest of them all.

Sam: I'm curious why you would think the Excelsior is in the same league as the Plaza? Although I've read some good reviews of the Excelsior on this forum, unless you intend to spend most of your time on the Upper Westside, go with the Plaza. The Plaza is located within a short walk of most major midtown tourist attractions. The Excelsior is a mile north and not where most tourists want to be. Alhough the Excelsior is located in a prime residential area, the Plaza sits on probably the best piece of real estate in Manhattan, at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South.

Some of the rooms at the Plaza may be a bit musty, but the public spaces and lobby are all landmarks and major tourist attractions. Don't miss the experience to stay there, particularly is you got a good rate.

As was mentioned above, the Waldorf and St.Regis, in addition to the Four Seasons and the Peninsula are good options regarding location and quality, assuming you can get a similar rate.

You should definately stay at the Plaza once, just to say you did. The lobby is spectacular. You didn't say how much you are paying, so it's hard to tell if you are getting great value. I stayed there 4-5 years ago for $225. My husband asked if we could have a park view (normally much more expensive) They said only if we wanted an upper floor, we said fine. The only problem was, the upper rooms have small windows that I had to stand on a chair to look out. So that was our fault. The room was small but nice, a little noisy. I have definately stayed in more luxurious rooms,(Waldorf, Helmsley Park Lane), but I stand by my statement that you should "do" the Plaza at least once.