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Marriott has announced the near-completion of its new Renaissance in New York City. Situated in the Garment District in Midtown the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel will be Marriott’s 3rd Renaissance in Manhattan and, according to Marriott.com, is expected to open in March this year.
Location
With Madison Square Garden, Penn Station and all the Garment District has to offer on the
doorstep, the hotel is very centrally located:
The Hotel
Marriott are making a big deal of the technology they’ve incorporated into the building and appear to have gone a bit over the top in their press release:
Utilizing technology not seen in any other New York hotel, guests and visitors entering the property from either 34th or 35th Streets will interact with stunning digital displays projected along the corridor, a passage which spans the length of the block, creating a visual tapestry by responding to human motion through subtle, organic movements and graphic patterns. This “living” wall will interact with guests as they journey through the entrance hall, featuring specially curated digital imagery showcasing local artists and neighborhood experiences, providing ever changing entertainment waiting to be discovered.
I’m not sure I want a wall interacting with me as I “journey” through the entrance hall but it may be interesting to see what this is all about the next time I’m in NYC.
That’s not all the press release had to say about the technology….
The highlight of the digital experience will be an alcove located near the 34th street entrance that will act as a virtual concierge. Tied to the hotel’s Navigator program and tapping into the pulse of the city, this futuristic technology will allow guests and visitors to explore points of interests throughout the neighborhood with just the point of a finger and tap of the foot.
I have absolutely no idea how the hotel’s Navigator program plans to tap “into the pulse of the city” but, at this point of the press release, I was already hoping that the hotel’s budget hasn’t been blown on pointless technology.
The hotel lobby is situated on the 6th floor of the building and incorporates the “library lounge”, the Lobby Bar, a “hidden DJ booth”, and an “intimate balcony” that overlooks the fifth-floor terrace below.
Renaissance New York Midtown – Lobby
Renaissance New York Midtown – Lobby Bar
In good news for Marriott elites, the property will have a club lounge on the 6th floor which will “combine contemporary furniture, modern high-tech amenities and feature wall art”.
A feature that should be very welcome (outside of the winter months) will be the 5th floor terrace which, at 8,000 sq ft, is set to be “largest outdoor space in all of Manhattan” and will have a retractable roof, private cabanas, comfortable seating and two fully stocked bars. Presumably Marriott are referring to outdoor spaces within properties as I’m reasonably sure that Central Park is both an outdoor space and larger than 8,000 sq ft. 🙂
The hotel will hold 348 guest rooms (including 8 suites) with floor-to-ceiling windows and an Italian marble en-suite bathrooms.
Other amenities at the hotel will include 4,500 sq ft of meeting space that can hold up to 250 attendees and, my personal favourite, a 8,000 sq ft rooftop restaurant – with the Empire State building just a few block away the views should be great.
Opening Dates
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, Marriott are stating that the hotel will open in March but, according to the Marriott booking system, they’re not accepting reservations before 15 April.
This could be Marriott being cautious and they may well release earlier dates when they can be sure that the hotel is on schedule.
Marriott Rewards Information
The Renaissance New York Midtown is going to be a Marriott Category 8 hotel meaning that award nights will start at 35,000 Marriott Rewards Points (at the PointSaver level) or 40,000 Marriott Rewards Points at the regular level (which I suspect will be all that will be available).
Renaissance New York Midtown – Category 8 Awards
Award availability is wide open right now with every night between 15 April and the end of November available at 40,000 Marriott Rewards Points per night.
Bottom Line
I’m always sceptical when I read a press release that uses far too many flowery words and phrases but I’ll cut them some slack until I’ve seen the property for myself or heard a few reviews from trusted sources.
Marriott wasn’t exactly lacking in properties in New York before this Renaissance was announced but it’s always nice to have a brand new property to choose from. In addition, this is a new build property rather than a refurbishment, so Marriott won’t have been constrained as much at they would have been if they were having to work with an existing building. That means that there’s absolutely no reason why the Renaissance New York Midtown shouldn’t have everything expected of a modern hotel. Let’s hope it lives up to that expectation.
