What is the Grand Hyatt by Grand Central Station like?

Wendy,
I have stayed there twice before. The lobby is beautiful, the rooms average. I just got back and stayed at the Best Western President. Much cheaper, better locale (48th & 8th), the rooms were miniscule but clean and that's all I cared about. With the Hyatt, you're paying for the gourmet restaurants, the fancy atrium, etc. You can walk to Time's Square from there, but there's not much around there at night.

The room was average, no great views. Save your money and stay somewhere cheaper. It's not really worth the price tag.

Just a general observation about in-town Hyatts, based on personal experience. It has become pretty clear that Hyatt's marketing strategy is to wow you with a spectacular lobby, while offering mostly basic rooms. Every Grand Hyatt I've ever stayed at seems to suffer from that trait. The Grand Central Station is no exception.

Is it worth the £40 a night we paid for it though? Bought on the internet.

If my online currency convertor is correct, you paid less than $60 US per night. Even if it was purchased on priceline and you add in the $5.95 US priceline processing fee (per stay, not per night), this is a fantastic deal. As others have noted, you won't be wowed by the room but I've never heard any real negatives about the Grand Hyatt. As a reference point you should note that typical walk-in prices at that location range from $1410-200 most of the time and it regularly goes for $75 through priceline but I have never seen it for less. A safe, clean and conveniently located hotel in NYC that is under $100 is a bargain. You did very well on price.

If 40 pounds equals about $100 US, I'd say you did OK on price.

Wendy, you got an incredible deal! I've never heard of anyone getting a better deal than that anywhere in New York at any time!

It's a very good deal for 40 quid. When you arrive, though, make sure the front desk knows that you're exhausted from a transatlantic trip, and that you need your room RIGHT NOW. The last time we stayed at the Grand Hyatt, we, along with many other confirmed rooms, were made to wait over 4 hours for our room (7-11 PM) which "wasn't ready."

Wendy, we just returned from a 3 night stay at the Grand Hyatt next to Grand Central; we "won" the hotel on priceline for the cost of $75 USD per night, we had a great stay and I think you will too. Go to the Grand Hyatt website and register for the "Gold Passport" it's free and it will entitle you to perks such as free coffee and newspaper in the morning and a separate line for check-in. Two days before we arrived I telephoned the hotel and requested a non-smoking king room, and I asked if they would be able to hold our luggage until check-in because we would be arriving early (8 AM). Upon arrival we went to the "Gold-Passport" desk and checked in, not only was our room ready, but it was EXACTLY what we had asked for. Also, there was an in-room climate control, the window opened, there was a large closet, desk, fax machine, radio/alarm, phone etc. The bathroom was extremely clean and our Portico bath amenities were replenished daily. The location was very convenient for transportation, theaters, shopping, restaurants and the area was safe. Have a wonderful time and be sure to post your comments when you return!