According to Google Maps, I work .7 mile from Gild Hall, in the Financial District in Lower Manhattan. The weather was nice on Friday, so a walk to the newest hotel to join the Hyatt portfolio of hotels was a great idea. (see, HELLO THOMPSON, WELL HELLO THOMPSON . . Thompson Hotels Integrated into World of Hyatt)
Gild Hall is a boutique hotel located on Gold Street, just a few blocks in any direction from the Seaport, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center as well as the subway.
This is the front desk.
The Library Lounge
The lobby area is very cozy, with libraries of books, leather couches and a comfortable rustic, perhaps Pacific NorthWest, feel to it. The decor was the work of renowned interior designer Jim Walrod, and the photography throughout the hotel is by Slim Aarons.
Ristorante Felice
The lobby leads right into the Tuscan Italian restaurant, Ristorante Felice, which you can also enter from the street. Felice has a few restaurants in Manhattan and a good reputation and nice comfortable European vibe. It was lunchtime when I visited, and the place was comfortably bustling.
The restaurant has space on the second floor as well. Just go up this great winding staircase.
I met with Dan Johnson, the manager of sales at Gild Hall. He told me a little about the hotel as he showed me around. The boutique vibe of the hotel is great. The hotel has been with Thompson Hotels since 2008. Before that, it was a Holiday Inn hotel. There are 60 standard King rooms at the hotel and 4 King Suites as well as two premium suites, the Thompson Suite and the Penthouse Suite. Dan brought me to one of the King rooms and one of the King suites. The premium suites were occupied so I wasn’t able to see them.
This is the hallway.
The Shining!
Just a little trivia:
This is the carpet from the film The Shining:
This is the hallway carpet at Gild Hall:
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But seriously, other than the carpet, there are no other similarities between Gild Hall and the Shining!
The King Room
This is the King Room. It has plenty of space (for New York City) and there are lots of special details, such as the leather headboard, the art, and the linens. The decor has a decidedly masculine, gentlemanly feel to it.
I would probably pass on the $9 water and the mini-bar items.
The bathroom is nicely decorated too.
The King Suite
The King Suite is like a standard room with a nice living room and kitchen alcove. This is the living room area.
The kitchen alcove comes equipped with, among other things, a sink, a refrigerator, a coffee maker and a microwave. I’m fairly certain the Patron and Jagermeister are extra.
The bedroom looks much the same as the bedroom of the standard King room.
The bathroom is very nice, with a modern design, plenty of room and two sinks.
Workout Rooms
The hotel does not have one fitness center. Instead it has three identical workout rooms on three floors. While the rooms are clean and each have a nice mirror and two good machines as well as a water cooler and towels, the space is reminiscent of a closet. For someone like me, this could be a dealbreaker. Dan told me that the hotel also has an agreement with Crunch Fitness nearby, and that guests can work out there for $15 per visit. I certainly think it would be better if guests were given this benefit on a complimentary basis. Because, honestly, how many guests per week would even really use this benefit?
Bicycle, Bicycle
The hotel does have bicycles which guests may use without charge.
Nearby.
As I mentioned previously, the hotel is situated close to Wall Street, World Trade Center and Fulton Street Market. Contrary to belief, there is a lot to do in the downtown area, even outside of business hours. Across the street from the hotel is a Four Point by Sheraton Hotel, and next door to that, there is a Courtyard and Residence Inn by Marriott hotels under construction.
Overall
I liked the hotel. Although I didn’t see one sign or brochure saying HYATT, Dan told me that the staff is very excited about the integration with Hyatt, and that they were all busy learning all of the nuances.
I asked about the benefits that Hyatt members are used to, and he said the hotel was prepared to honor all, including, among other things, room upgrades, late checkouts and breakfasts for Globalists. For breakfast, Globalists can choose from eating in Ristorante Felice (Dan said there is an American breakfast menu but I forgot to ask to see it) and that room service is also available.
I think this hotel will be a nice addition to the Hyatt portfolio. It is currently a category 4 Hyatt hotel, meaning a free night certificate can be used here. I anticipate many out of town Hyatt members will be using their free night certs here. I suggest you book early though, as I wouldn’t be surprised if Hyatt changes it to a category 5 in the not-so-distant future.
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
I could book Gilt at 15k points yesterday, but failed when trying to use annual free night. So far no response from Hyatt.
did you call Hyatt or send a DM to their twitter team (Hyatt Concierge)?
Wow, thanks for that! I’ve been very curious since it was added and will check it out!