New York City is known for many attractions including Central Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Times Square, and Brooklyn Bridge. The city is also one of the most diverse food cities on the planet with places like Michelin-starred spots like Bonnie’s, Ci Siamo, Dame, Daniel, Four Horsemen, Gramercy Tavern, Laser Wolf, Le Rock, Le Bernardin, Lilia, Saga, and Semma. As one might expect, the city attracts visitors, who need a place to stay like Thompson Central Park New York.
My wife Ashlee and have visited New York City, excluding the pandemic years, at least once per year since 2014. Our goal is to stay in different hotels, like this year’s stay at Thompson Central Park New York. We have had incredible experiences in New York City hotels over the years but nothing compares to the Thompson Central Park New York, which I’ll dive into more detail below.
Best Credit Cards to Book Thompson Central Park New York
Thompson Central Park New York is part of the World of Hyatt program. This means that World Of Hyatt Credit Card and World of Hyatt Business Credit Card earn points directly with your spending that can be redeemed for Hyatt hotel stays. In addition, Hyatt is a Bilt Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner. The Bilt and Chase points that you can earn can be transferred directly to Hyatt to book hotel stays as well.
I’m in the process of re-qualifying for Hyatt’s top elite status called Globalist. As a result, all of my spending, including a recent stay at Thompson Central Park New York is going on the World Of Hyatt Credit Card. The reason is that the card earns 2 World of Hyatt tier-qualifying night credits for every $5,000 in purchases. Hyatt uses tier-qualifying nights to determine your elite status.
Separately, I would put a business stay at Thompson Central Park New York on the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card for the same reason as the World of Hyatt Credit card. If you are approved for the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card between August 23, 2022, and October 6, 2022, you receive 2 World of Hyatt tier-qualifying night credits for each qualifying night you stay from August 23, 2022, until December 31, 2022, and 5 tier-qualifying night credits for every $10,000 in purchases each calendar year.
How to Book the Thompson Central Park New York
Thompson Central Park New York is an Award Category 6 hotel. This means that a free night award costs between 21,000 (off-peak) to 25,000 (standard) to 29,000 (peak) points per night for a standard room. Standard Suites start at 36,000 points per night (off-peak) ranging up to 58,000 points per night (peak) for a Premium Suite.
Our recent stay was during peak award travel dates costing us 29,000 points per night. I have Globalist status and the hotel upgraded us to a Studio Suite King (450 square feet). This was perfect for us considering we had our son with us giving us much-needed extra space. Cash prices through the remainder of 2022 and throughout 2023 range from $600-$800 per night.
What Amenities and Services are Available at Thompson Central Park New York?
The hotel has 3 restaurants (Indian Accent, Burger Joint, Parker’s), a cocktail bar, and a gym. There is also an in-room dining menu, the hotel is pet-friendly, and offers free internet. One of the best aspects of the hotel is its proximity to Central Park, one of my favorite places to visit in the city. Walk out the front door of the lobby and you can be in the park in a matter of minutes.
We ordered the Fried Chicken Sandwich and Bolognese at Parker’s, both of which were solid, on our first night (Thursday) at the hotel. For breakfast Friday through Sunday morning we ordered a combination of Fresh Fruit, Avocado Toast, All American, French Toast, and Eggs Benedict. Complimentary breakfast for Globalists covered (1) entree per adult and child up to 2 adults and 2 children plus (1) coffee and (1) juice per person. For context, our breakfast would have cost $125-$150 per day if I didn’t have Globalist status. To be fair, we would never pay $125-$150 for breakfast. However, complimentary breakfast was a massive perk.
Friday night we grabbed burgers, fries, and a milkshake at the divey Burger Joint, which is hidden behind the main hotel lobby. We highly recommend sitting inside the Burger Joint to soak up the vibes.
What Accommodations are Offered at Thompson Central Park New York?
Thompson Central Park New York has a mixture of standard rooms and suites with rooms that offer city or park views. Room sizes range from 300-900 square feet depending on the standard room or suite that you book.
We booked a standard room and were upgraded to the 450-square-foot Studio Suite King with a city view. This suite works great if you have a young kid with you that needs space for a crib. In addition, the room offered a sleeper sofa that would work well with kids that do not need a crib.
What are the Thompson Central Park New York Highlights?
The hotel’s interior design, amenities, customer service, restaurants, and proximity to Central Park were the highlights. Parker’s has food and drinks all day while Burger Joint has you covered for nighttime dining. The interior design was fantastic as was the customer service which catered to our every need. Our goal was to spend time every day at Central Park so Thompson Central Park New York was in a perfect location for access to Central Park.
We flew into LaGuardia (LGA) around rush hour on a Thursday so the transit from the airport to the hotel took ~ 1 hour inbound and 25 minutes to the airport on Sunday. That inbound transit time plus the general noise of the city are two downsides if I’m stretching for downsides to put into this article. In reality, this hotel is near perfect for a trip to the city.
What can you Eat + Drink at Thompson Central Park New York?
The hotel has 3 restaurants (Indian Accent, Burger Joint, and Parker’s). Parker’s covers you all day starting at breakfast and throughout the evening. Burger Joint opens for lunch until dinner while Indian Accent is open at night for dinner.
Dinner and cocktails the first night at Parker’s was just what we needed in terms of convenience and quality food. Friday through Sunday breakfast at Parker’s gave the fuel we needed for the day. Burger Joint was perfect on Friday night for dinner when convenience was a top priority. Unfortunately, we did not try Indian Accent but the hotel staff highly recommended this restaurant.
How much does it cost to stay at Thompson Central Park New York
Cash prices through the remainder of 2022 and throughout 2023 range from $600-$800 per night. Booking with points will set you back 21,000 to 58,000 points per night depending on if you’re booking a standard room or suite.
We booked a standard room for 29,000 points per night (peak travel dates). The hotel upgraded us to a Studio Suite King, which would have required 44,000 points per night (peak travel dates). Ah, the perks of Hyatt’s top-tier Globalist status strike again!
What are the check-in and check-out times at Thompson Central Park New York
Check-in is at 3 pm and check-out is at noon local time. Yet another Globalist perk is the ability to request early check-in at 9 am and late check-out at 4 pm local time when available. Luckily, the hotel wasn’t full and was able to accommodate our late check-out request.
It’s challenging to put a dollar value on the ability to request and receive early check-in and late check-out. However, when you have a young kid, the ability to get your kid a nap and/or fed on the way in or the way out of the hotel is a huge benefit.
How do I get to Thompson Central Park New York?
The hotel is located at 119 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019 between 6th and 7th avenues. 56th Street is 3 blocks from the park offering easy access to all the park has in store. Due to a UN meeting at The Plaza hotel, it took us nearly an hour to get to the hotel from LaGuardia (LGA) on a Thursday versus 25 minutes from the hotel to LaGuardia on a Sunday morning.
In theory, you can take the bus and/or subway to the hotel. This should take you between 45 minutes to an hour. However, this wasn’t an option with a young kid.
Is breakfast offered at Thompson Central Park New York?
Yep! Parker’s is your spot for breakfast. We ordered Fresh Fruit, Avocado Toast, All American, French Toast, and Eggs Benedict, all of which were tasty. Hyatt’s Globalist status provides complimentary breakfast for up to 2 adults and 2 children. Breakfast includes 1 entrée, 1 juice, and 1 coffee per person.
Breakfast costs us $125-$150 per day for 1 entrée, 1 juice, and 1 coffee per person. There are more cost-effective options via a-la-carte items on the menu.
Thompson Central Park New York FAQs
What did Thompson Central Park use to be?
The Thompson Central Park was formerly Le Parker Meridien per this article.
What did the Thompson hotel use to be called?
The hotel opened on March 13, 1981, as the Hotel Parker Meridien New York per this article.
When did Hyatt buy Thompson Hotels?
Thompson Hotels will be the first former Two Roads Hospitality brand to join World of Hyatt as of March 28, 2019, per this article.
Thompson Central Park New York Conclusion
Ashlee and I can’t say enough good things about Thompson Central Park New York. This hotel checks all of the boxes in terms of points affordability (21,000-58,000 points per night) and its amenities that include 3 restaurants, a cocktail bar, and a gym.
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