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The Plaza
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Hotel Details
Location
New York City
United States, North America
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Key Highlights
- ✓Comfort:** Guests generally find the beds comfortable, contributing to a wonderful night's sleep. Soundproofed rooms are also appreciated for keeping city noise out.
Expert Review: The Plaza
The Plaza, New York City: A Comprehensive Review (Michelin Key Selected Property)
The Plaza Hotel in New York City, a Michelin Key Selected property, stands as a legendary landmark offering a blend of historic grandeur and luxurious amenities. While guests consistently praise its iconic status and prime location, the overall sentiment regarding the experience can be mixed, with some finding it an unparalleled indulgence and others pointing to inconsistencies in service and value for money.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
The Plaza generally receives "Very Good" to "Wonderful" ratings across various platforms, with an average of 8.3 to 9.0 out of 10. Many guests consider it a "fabulous hotel" and "nowhere more luxurious in NYC". The hotel is often described as an "iconic hotel" and "unmatched" in its facilities and atmosphere, making it a desirable destination for special occasions or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, a recurring theme is the question of whether the high price truly justifies the experience, with some guests feeling it can be "overpriced for the amenities and service provided".
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently love The Plaza for its:
- Location: Directly overlooking Central Park and situated on Fifth Avenue, it offers unparalleled access to world-class shopping, cultural attractions, and breathtaking views.
- Design & Ambiance: The hotel's French Renaissance style, Beaux-Arts architecture, and ornate, classically elegant decor are frequently admired, providing a sense of timeless luxury and historical charm.
- Iconic Status: Many guests are drawn to its rich history and pop-culture connections, having been featured in films and hosting celebrities and dignitaries. Staying here offers a unique connection to New York City's legacy.
- Amenities: Highlights include a Guerlain Spa, a 24-hour fitness center, exclusive boutiques, and a range of dining options. The 24-hour butler service is also a notable offering, though its execution receives mixed reviews.
3. Room Quality
The Plaza's 282 rooms and suites are known for their spaciousness, a rare luxury in Manhattan. They are typically French-inspired, reflecting a timeless elegance rather than a faded antique feel. Key features include:
- Design: Mosaic floors, luxurious Italian bedding, flat-screen TVs, and grand chandeliers are common. Suites often feature gilded touches and luxurious wood paneling. Some suites, like the Edwardian, can be bi-level with unique styling.
- Bathrooms: Modern and spacious, many are fitted with 24-karat gold-plated fixtures, marble sinks, and separate rain showers and tubs.
- Comfort: Guests generally find the beds comfortable, contributing to a wonderful night's sleep. Soundproofed rooms are also appreciated for keeping city noise out.
- Specific Room Types: Options range from the Plaza Room (around 475 sq ft) to Deluxe King (550 sq ft) and Grand Luxe Rooms (700 sq ft), with larger Edwardian Suites spanning over 1,000 sq ft. Some rooms even offer private outdoor patio space.
However, some guests have noted concerns such as dirty and stained carpeting in hallways and guest rooms, and issues with cleanliness and maintenance in certain areas like showers.
4. Dining Experience
The Plaza offers several distinctive dining experiences:
- The Palm Court: This iconic venue, beneath a stunning stained-glass ceiling, is renowned for its afternoon tea, a New York institution. It also serves breakfast and an evening service with cocktails.
- The Champagne Bar: Overlooking Fifth Avenue and the Pulitzer Fountain, it offers fine wines, champagnes, caviar, and pastries.
- In-Room Dining: Available 24 hours a day. While some guests have praised the quality of room service, calling certain dishes "incredible" and "excellent," others have experienced slow service, forgotten items, small portions, and disappointing food quality, especially during breakfast.
- The Food Hall: Previously a significant dining destination with a European market feel, it appears to have been converted into a shopping area with fewer dining options, leading to it feeling "awkwardly underused".
5. Service & Staff
Guest feedback on service at The Plaza is notably mixed:
- Positive Experiences: Many guests describe the staff as "wonderful," "friendly," "attentive," "exceptional," and "helpful". The high staff-to-guest ratio is often cited as a reason for personalized attention. Prompt delivery of requests and a concierge capable of securing "impossible to get" reservations are also highlighted.
- Negative Experiences: A significant number of recent reviews express disappointment with the service quality, often citing it as "laughably poor" and "inadequate" for a hotel of its reputation and price point. Specific complaints include long waits for valet and luggage, rooms not being ready upon arrival, slow and inattentive service in dining areas, lack of proactive assistance, and issues with butler service not being delivered as expected. Some older reports even mention severe labor issues leading to a complete lack of food and beverage services.
6. Location & Accessibility
The Plaza's location is consistently one of its strongest assets:
- Central Park and Fifth Avenue: It sits at the crossroads of Central Park and 5th Avenue, providing immediate access to the park, high-end shopping (Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Prada, Bergdorf Goodman), and iconic landmarks like the Pulitzer Fountain.
- Attractions: Within walking distance of Carnegie Hall, Rockefeller Center, and the Museum of Modern Art.
- Transportation: Located three blocks from seven subway lines, offering easy access to diverse neighborhoods like SoHo and the Financial District. It is also approximately 30 to 90 minutes from New York's three major airports.
- Accessibility: The hotel is committed to accessibility, offering accessible accommodations and amenities upon request, including roll-in showers and grab bars in some bathrooms. However, the main entry point can be problematic during events (like filming), with no ramp and a lack of staff assistance for luggage and strollers. Some non-ADA accessible rooms might have bathtubs that are inaccessible for guests with limited mobility.
7. Value & Pricing
The Plaza is a luxury hotel with a high price point.
- Price Range: Room rates can start from around $307, but commonly range from $690 for a Deluxe King Room to over $1,100 per person for an Edwardian Suite, and even up to $12,111 for more expansive suites. Guests might expect to pay well over $1,000 per night for a standard room.
- Justification for Cost: The high prices are attributed to its history, legendary reputation, prime location, spacious rooms (by NYC standards), and significant investment in renovations and upkeep. For many, the "intangible value" of staying in such an iconic and historic property, especially for milestone occasions, justifies the premium.
- Value Perception: While some feel it's "worth the splurge" for the unique experience, others question the value, particularly when service falls short or amenities feel dated. Some reviewers suggest that similar luxury experiences can be found at lower prices elsewhere in the city.
8. Common Complaints
Recurring issues and criticisms reported by guests include:
- Inconsistent Service: This is a major complaint, with many guests reporting slow service, unfulfilled requests, and a general lack of the "white glove butler service" expected at this price point.
- Cleanliness and Maintenance: Stained carpets in hallways and rooms, dusty vents, dirty appliances, ripped furniture, and poor plumbing (e.g., running toilets, tepid bath water) have been mentioned.
- Overpriced for Experience: Despite its prestige, some guests feel the actual experience, particularly regarding service and room upkeep, does not always align with the extremely high cost.
- Dining Disappointments: Specific instances of poor breakfast quality, forgotten orders, and slow service in the Palm Court have been reported.
- Lack of Proactive Guest Experience: Some guests feel there's a lack of "choreography" in service, such as not offering water automatically at meals or a lack of personalized touches for children, despite the hotel's marketing.
- Accessibility Issues: While the hotel has accessible rooms, general entrance accessibility during events and heavy closet doors or low bathtubs in non-ADA rooms can be problematic.
- Dated Aspects: While many appreciate the classic charm, some furniture and aspects of the rooms can feel "old and dirty" rather than just antique.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •However, some guests have noted concerns such as dirty and stained carpeting in hallways and guest rooms, and issues with cleanliness and maintenance in certain areas like showers.
- •Recurring issues and criticisms reported by guests include:
- •Inconsistent Service:** This is a major complaint, with many guests reporting slow service, unfulfilled requests, and a general lack of the "white glove butler service" expected at this price point.
- •Cleanliness and Maintenance:** Stained carpets in hallways and rooms, dusty vents, dirty appliances, ripped furniture, and poor plumbing (e.g., running toilets, tepid bath water) have been mentioned.
- •Dining Disappointments:** Specific instances of poor breakfast quality, forgotten orders, and slow service in the Palm Court have been reported.
