I stayed in New York as part of a 3 day trip. The Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South is one of three hotels I stayed at in The Big Apple. This particular hotel is undoubtedly one of the best value hotels in all of New York.

The other 2 hotels I stayed at were The St. Regis New York, where I was able to book a $4,000 per night suite for free, and Hilton Times Square, one of the most popular hotels in all of New York.

This comes in stark contrast to the reputation of New York to being home to some of the world’s most opulent hotels. Often, it can feel like New York is a city for high rollers only and that if you intend on visiting, you should be prepared to shell out a small fortune.

For this reason, I sought to find a property that has all of these characteristics:

• Top-notch location
• Excellent breakfast
• Minimal out-of-pocket costs
• Comfortable rooms

And that’s how I stumbled upon the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South. After staying there and at countless other hotels around New York, I have concluded that The Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South is the best value points hotel for those who need a comfortable stay bookable with points and want to enjoy perks without having elite status.

Booking

I booked the Hyatt Place New York/Mid-Town South around a week before my stay by redeeming 20,000 World of Hyatt points. The Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South has a reputation for being a top-value hotel, and I wanted to test it out myself.

When you consider that the cash rate was running at around $400 per night plus taxes and fees, you can see how it’s easy to get 2 cents per point in value for using points here.

I don’t hold any special status with World of Hyatt besides the World of Hyatt Discoverist status, which I get just by holding the Chase World of Hyatt credit card. I wouldn’t normally be eligible for suite upgrades or free breakfast.

Sometimes, hotel points can be used interchangeably to book award flights or award hotels! The AuPACS method was employed to essentially fly to and stay in New York in top-notch accommodation for free.

However, Hyatt Place hotels offer free breakfast for all World of Hyatt members!

Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South Review

Most travelers, especially first timers, head to New York and opt to stay in Manhattan. You’ll find that the southern tip of Manhattan near places like Battery Park are significantly more affordable than those in Midtown.

Midtown is one of the best launchpads for New York tourism, which is why the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South boasts a fantastic value proposition. The hotel is 6 minutes walking distance from the Empire State Building, an 8 minute walk from Bryant Park, and less than a mile from Grand Central Terminal station.

The 3-star hotel is, as we’ll find out, much more deserving of attention than it initially looks.

Location

The Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South is situated on 52 West 36th St, New York, NY 10018, nestled between the quintessential 5th Ave and 6th Ave. I arrived at the front of the hotel, where I saw some lush greenery and gazebo umbrellas providing cover for outdoor seating.

Check-In

Check-in began at 3 p.m., and I arrived shortly after 4 p.m. When I stepped into the hotel, I found a lobby that was a mess. The hotel was undergoing a massive floor-level renovation, which is why the main check-in counter was blocked.

There was a major traffic jam in the check-in area, not to mention the numerous bags strewn everywhere. The cocktail bar, which was never staffed during my stay there, was right next to the check-in area too.
Hotel check-ins were taking place on a makeshift table using laptops. In all, I waited around 15 minutes to check in.

The check-in experience wasn’t the greatest.

King Bed Room

As soon as I got the room keys, I took the elevator up to the 19th floor, where my King Bed (no sofa bed) room was.

This hotel was quite narrow, with only a handful of rooms on each floor. The room measured 235 square feet in area, which is small.

I settled down and began putting down my belongings, first using the tiny closet/storage space to hang my clothes.

The king bed was very comfortable and spacious.

Next to the king bed was an alarm clock and a charging port.

The view outside wasn’t anything spectacular, but definitely shows the character and charm of Midtown Manhattan.

In front of the bed was a 42-inch flatscreen TV, drawers, and a minifridge.

There was a daybed next to the window, which is ideal for relaxation.

Coffee and tea facilities were separated, as the coffeemaker was on the desk and the mugs and tea/coffee were next to the daybed.

There was a decently sized desk with a comfortable office chair, coffeemaker, and a landline phone.

One nice touch was that the hotel proactively supplied earplugs. I didn’t find the hotel too noisy, as it was actually tucked away from the main arteries of Midtown Manhattan via the side street.

Room service is available 24/7, and it included items with both solo and sharing portions such as:

• Burgers
• Chicken and Brie Club
• Beyond Meat Burger
• Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Baby Kale Chicken Caesar
• New England Cobb Salad
• Tomato Basil Bisque
• Reuben Sliders
• Honey-Stung Fried Chicken
• Citrus-Chile Popcorn 
• Prosciutto and Salami Flatbread
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts
• Avocado Toast
• Mediterranean Hummus
• Parmesan-Paprika French Fries
• Charcuterie Board
• Classic Cheese Pizza
• Buffalo Chicken Wings

The restroom was nicely adorned and clean.

The bath amenities were KenetMD for Hyatt, which are standard. The shower featured sliding doors and an interior towel rack.

Overall, I felt that the room was a great compromise between value and space. The King Bed will give couples or solo travelers the opportunity to relax in the room after a long day sightseeing.

Breakfast

I had heard a lot of things about the breakfast at the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South, so I definitely wanted to see what all the commotion was about. Breakfast is served at:

• Tuesday – Thursday: 6:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• Friday – Monday: 6:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.

The hours aren’t the most generous, but I woke up early to have a look. I found that the dining room/lobby area was packed.

As I looked around, I became very impressed by the diversity of food. While it’s a far cry from hotel buffets in top-tier hotels, it was an incredible amount of food to be serving as a complimentary benefit for World of Hyatt members (which anyone can sign up for).

First, I saw the bread station, which housed an assortment of breads, from banana yogurt swirl bread to English muffins to zucchini spice bread, which can readily be toasted using one of the two Hatco Toast-Qwik toasters.

Additionally, there were single-use jams, butter, peanut butter, and even nutella packages.

There’s also a number of cereal choices, ranging from gluten-free cereal to Frosted Flakes.

Hyatt Place New York Midtown South Cereal Bar

In addition to skim or 2% fat milk, you could also enjoy almond milk.

Hyatt Place New York Midtown South Milk Station

The yogurt station featured a tub of Oikos Vanilla Greek yogurt paired with grapes, pineapples, and berries.

Hyatt Place New York Midtown South Yogurt

Hyatt Place New York Midtown South Fresh Pineapple

You could also add syrup to your yogurt.

The hot food offerings were limited, but substantial in quality. The scrambled eggs were always filled. They were about as fluffy as batches can get in such large quantities.

There were three main hot food/skillet dishes:

• All-natural bacon
• Garlic herb potato medley
• Corned beef and onion hash

All of these dishes were great, especially when you happen to grab from a fresh batch. You could also pick out from a basket of hard-boiled eggs.

There was an oatmeal station as well, which contained condiments such as:

• Glazed pecans
• Coconut flakes
• Dried apricots
• Golden raisins
• Dried cranberries
• Natural clover honey
• Organic honey
• Oat granola

If you wanted some fresh bananas, apples, or even powdered sugar donuts, there’s a section for that as well.

As far as beverages go, there were three full-sized dispensers containing apple juice, orange juice, and grapefruit juice, respectively.

For caffeine, there were 3 coffee dispensers, each containing either Portside Blend or Decaf from Seattle’s Best Coffee.

One unique aspect of the self-serve coffee stand was the presence of Fontana syrups, which you could use to flavor or sweeten your cup of coffee.

All in all, the Hyatt Place offers one of the most substantial free breakfast perks in all of New York. Whether it’s the piles of bacon or the hearty oatmeal, there’s no doubt that the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown South is a worthwhile hotel to stay in just for the free breakfast.

Gym

After a hearty breakfast, I decided to visit the gym, which is located in the basement. In all, there were:

• 3 treadmills
• 1 exercise bike
• 1 flat bench
• 1 elliptical
• 1 set of dumbbells (up to 50 lb)

There was also a simple water dispenser with paper cups for rehydration.

After your workout, you could use one of the hand towels to cool off. You can also pick up a pair of earbuds for your workout if needed.

Service

Overall, I felt that the service offered by the Hyatt Place New York was great. There were kind enough to show me the major hotel facilities and grant me a 2 p.m. check-out as part of my World of Hyatt Discoverist status.

Besides that, there was an all-day coffee station in the breakfast area, which you could use to enjoy a cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee or some Tazo teas. This was a small, but nonetheless appreciated benefit which could help travelers save a few dollars on their coffee shop visit.

Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South Bottom Line

Overall, I was impressed by the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South. The hotel itself is nothing spectacular, but it’s an excellent option for those looking to minimize their expenditures on necessities such as lodging, breakfast, and even an afternoon cup of coffee.

Bookable with only 20,000 World of Hyatt points, the Hyatt Place New York/Midtown-South is a great way for travelers, particularly first time visitors to New York, to take advantage of a phenomenal location, great breakfast offering, comfortable beds, and even a fitness room.