When Starwood picked up Le Meridien hotels they integrated most properties into Starwood Preferred Guest but the Parker Meridien properties in New York and Palm Springs were noticeably absent (presumably not wanting to pay the 5% fee).
During the depths of the Great Recession though they realized they needed the marketing muscle and joined the program in late 2008. The New York hotel was recategorized down from category 6 to 5 in early 2009 so I gave it my first visit. The hotel was always good for a Platinum upgrade to a junior suite at check-in.
It turns out that shortly after joining the program the hotels allegedly began committing fraud against it, playing games to juice their reported occupancy levels in order to increase the compensation that the program paid out on award stays. Starwood moved to terminate the relationship, the hotels paid back the money, eventually differences were settled.
At the beginning of 2018 they left Marriott for Leading Hotels of the World, blaming Marriott’s size,
Through the years, Le Meridien was a wonderful partner, but now that it is part of a much larger organization, it no longer aligns with who we are and where we want to be.
Presumably they didn’t like Marriott terms or an insistence to invest in the property in some way.
While the hotel still appears on the Leading Hotels of the World website, and appears to be bookable there, it also now appears to be part of Hyatt albeit with fairly limited property information available there. It is not yet listed under ‘Explore Hotels’ there or under World of Hyatt hotel category assignments.
While revenue rooms appear bookable it does not yet seem possible to book redemptions stays.
The hotel was notable to me for Norma’s for breakfast, for Burger Joint in the hotel, and for the old cartoons playing on televisions in the elevator.
The Parker Palm Springs site of the first Holiday Inn in California and where Robert Downey Jr. was arrested for drug possession in 2000 does not appear on the Hyatt site.
We have only stayed at 3 Le Meridiens and these were 2 of them. The only reason we ever stayed at the one in NYC was in the heat of summer since it was a rare NY property with a rooftop pool. We loved the Parker Palm Springs and were sad when it departed. It will be great if it officially becomes part of Hyatt.
Hyatt would do well to continue to pick off pissed off former Starwood properties, even in markets where they are well-represented.
Inside sources indicated the Parker properties (especially NYC) didn’t want to invest to renovate/refurbish to Le Meridien brand standards and appropriate updating…and that caused the 2 properties to leave Marriott.
If properties want to leave Marriott because they won’t invest to their brand standards and to appropriately update, then good riddance.
Stayed here twice. First time was a family vacation over Memorial Day weekend. Actually got to have drinks in the lobby bar which is impossible any other time. Had to pay extra to use that rooftop pool. Loved the burger joint and Norma’s.I feel you could make a fortune if you bought this property for what it’s worth and sold it for what they think it’s worth. Still go back to the burger joint. But never staying here again.
Nice to see Hyatt popping up in the New York location – especially at that price point. I used to stay there two or three times a year and always enjoyed it, usually getting the full suite upgrade without asking – but even the juniors were good sized. Loved the convenience of having a Drybar hair salon in the basement.
@ Gary — Do you recommend this property now that it is a Hyatt?
@Gene depends on the price… never loved the location (though I’ll stay at the nearby Park Hyatt), hotel is fine but needs some love
Stayed there once. Ate at Burger Joint once. The burger was a far better experience.
@Gary, I always loved the location actually. This was a great hotel back in the 1990s.
Then it became a truly awful one. I imagine the renovation was completed — finally — after my last ever stay there.
If this was <$150 a night, it would be more possible to consider it.
Has hotel management been fired and replaced? Otherwise, holy cow, what is Hyatt thinking?
These are not two premier Starwood properties that Hyatt is poaching. These are two ex-Starwood cheaters / troublemakers who refuse to maintain brand standards. How desperate is Hyatt?
I am not thrilled with Hyatt’s offerings in Palm Springs, but this one is not a step up. OTOH, considering that the Andaz branding is “all over the map” these two would fit right in. :eyeroll:
Well to stay competitive you can’t be Stingy with your loyal customers and that’s exactly what this property was… Stingy!! Getting cheap knockoff imported from India! Not to mention a million dollars in Fraud! Managers and Exec who were aware of this fraud should all be terminated! Also a little room upgrade wouldn’t hurt!