My teenage daughter and I stayed here in February 2019 and not March 2020 (TA doesn't allow a poster to choose a month and year that's more than a year ago). I've been to NYC many times, and my daughter had been a couple of times prior to this trip; however, I've never chosen a hotel in Times Square before. Since our trip was focused on seeing a few Broadway shows, I decided to try this Crowne Plaza and used my points to pay for it. I received an email about a week or two before the stay that asked if I'd like to request an upgrade for an additional charge, and I quickly sent that in. I knew it wasn't guaranteed, and I wouldn't be charged if I didn't get the upgrade.
We took a taxi from LGA to the hotel and arrived right around the stated check in time, and the line was LONG. It went pretty quickly until the group right in front of my daughter and me got to the desk. It was a group of 5 friends who were very upset that the hotel had lost their reservations. The front desk staff called a manager out to try and sort it, and it was discovered that they were at the wrong IHG property. Honestly, how does someone (let alone a group) take a taxi to the wrong hotel? I was very impressed with the front desk staff as they handled this very difficult group. Not once did they lose their smiles or tempers, and I didn't even see them roll their eyes once (as I was doing behind them).
After that group was sent on their way to their correct NYC hotel, my daughter and I were able to check into our room. I was immediately thanked for being a Platinum, being so patient waiting, and told that I did receive my upgrade. The wonderful check in employee (I wish I remembered his name) told me that he was putting me in his favorite room that was eligible for the upgrade. He also gave me vouchers for free breakfasts each day for my daughter and me and A LOT of drink vouchers to make up for the inconvenience of standing behind that group. Our check in was quick, and I was very impressed with the entire staff that I encountered. They were very welcoming and a great asset to the Crowne Plaza.
My daughter and I went up to our room, and we couldn't believe the view! We had a corner room with huge windows that overlooked Times Square, and my daughter's reaction was worth every dime I had spent on the upgrade (which was, I think, around $50 per night). She immediately claimed the bed that was closer to the windows and kept talking about how lucky we were to get this room. When we went downstairs to start walking around the city a bit, we stopped by the front desk to thank the gentleman who checked us in. He was thrilled that we loved the room, and I'm sure he'll never know that for my daughter, it made her birthday trip even more magical (she still mentions our room 2 years later).
We did have breakfast in the hotel every morning, and the buffet was wonderful. Also (since I had so many drink coupons), my daughter and I visited the bar area a few times (she ordered her Sprite, and I ordered my lager), and all of those employees were great and engaging.
The beds were very comfortable, and the room (aside from the fantastic view) was wonderful. If you're in NYC once Broadway opens again and this hotel does, too, I wouldn't hesitate to stay here. I do hope, however, that IHG investigates exactly what has gone wrong with refunding so many guests' deposits. At the end of the day, it impacts how travelers view the IHG brand.
