We stayed at Dreams Downtown by Hyatt from 15 July to 20 July in a Platinum King Suite with direct pool access.
Our first impression of the hotel was excellent. The décor is stunning and gives the impression of a genuine five-star property. The location is fantastic and makes it an ideal base for exploring New York.
Unfortunately, the experience didn’t live up to the hotel’s appearance.
We specifically chose and paid for a Platinum King Suite with direct pool access because we were travelling as a family of two adults and our 11-year-old son. After long days sightseeing, one of the main reasons for booking this room was so he could relax in the pool.
What we were never told before booking was that children are effectively restricted to using the pool between 8:00am and 10:30am. From 11:00am onwards, the pool is operated as a commercial day club for non-residents, alcohol is served, and nobody under the age of 21 is permitted to use the pool. Had this been made clear before we booked, we would have chosen another hotel.
To make matters worse, on two of the five mornings the lifeguard failed to arrive for the advertised 8:00am opening. Despite the pool being only around four feet deep, and despite both parents being present and willing to supervise our son, access was refused until the lifeguard arrived. Staff could not tell us when that would be and simply advised us to wait. This reduced the already very limited time families had to use the pool.
The overall impression was that the hotel places greater emphasis on generating revenue from the pool by admitting paying non-residents than on providing the facilities that hotel guests have paid a premium to enjoy. That’s a commercial choice, but it should be made crystal clear to families before they book.
The atmosphere of the hotel also reflected this. Most evenings the lobby was crowded with people visiting the bar and pool club, often queueing for the lifts. We have no objection to hotels catering for adults looking for nightlife, but this is not the environment we expected when booking what appeared to be a family-friendly hotel with pool access.
We raised our concerns with the duty manager, explaining that the pool had been one of the main reasons for choosing the hotel and that we had been unable to use it as advertised. To his credit, he acknowledged our disappointment and waived the facilities fee, as well as providing a complimentary breakfast voucher. While appreciated, this amounted to around $200, which felt disproportionate given that we had paid over $1,000 per night during the World Cup and had lost access to the key facility that influenced our booking.
I suggested that, as we were extending our stay in New York, a complimentary night’s accommodation would be a fair gesture. The manager said he would seek approval and let me know.
When we checked out, there had been no update. After asking again, I was told this would not be possible because the hotel was fully booked. Out of curiosity, I checked the hotel’s own website immediately afterwards and found multiple rooms still available to book. Whether there was another reason for declining the request or not, being told the hotel was full when rooms appeared to be available left us feeling misled and added to an already disappointing experience.
Dreams Downtown by Hyatt is undeniably a beautiful hotel. The design, décor and location are all excellent. However, in our experience, style outweighed substance. If you’re travelling as a couple or with friends and are looking for a lively hotel with a party atmosphere, you may have a great stay. If you’re travelling with children, particularly if the pool is an important part of your decision, I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere unless the hotel becomes much clearer about the significant restrictions on family access.
For us, the phrase that best summed up the experience was: all style and no substance for families with children.
