Travel & Leisure: My Complete Review Of The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park Hotel

Contents

1 Style
2 Rooms
3 Facilities
4 Food & Drink
5 Service
6 Location
7 Earn Free Nights With Marriott Bonvoy
8 Bottom Line

The new and improved Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park Hotel offers contemporary, Manhattan-inspired luxury, along with the tranquil La Prairie Spa, a revamped fitness center and movement studio and the all-day gastro lounge Contour.

See our best credit card bonuses here.

Couple that with warm and professional service, and you’ve got yourself one of the best luxury offerings in the city. For further reading, check out our list of the best travel destinations for the points & miles that you have earned from credit card & loyalty programs.

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Style

The Ritz Carlton New York Central Park is housed in an opulent, 19th-century, 33-story limestone building. The hotel recently got a facelift by French design firm Gilles & Bossier. The new look is more discreet residence than hotel and radiates elegance with warm wood paneling, gold accents and grey, taupe and pink-streaked marble.

Rooms

The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park offers 253 guestrooms – 47 of them suites – which also got a makeover by Gilles & Bossier and reflects the sophistication of the public spaces. The updated rooms feature a rich neutral color palette and dramatic prints of powerful Manhattan women.

We stayed in the 450-square-foot Grand Park View Room with scenic views overlooking Central Park. Highlights included the beautiful Carrara marble bathroom stocked with Asprey toiletries, luxurious 400-thread-count Frette linens and the locally-curated beverage bar.

Facilities

The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park is home to the first La Prairie Spa stateside, a new state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment and an innovative movement studio with on-demand virtual classes. We particularly enjoyed the hydration station in the gym with still and sparkling water available on tap, with the option to add all-natural flavor drops.

Food & Drink

The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park offers a couple food and beverage outlets. Contour is an all-day gastro lounge set in three unique spaces. There’s the traditional room with wood paneling and plush upholstery, the posh dining area with bench seating and chandeliers and a chic bar headed by legendary barman Norman Bukofzer. Although the food here was good – we had the Crispy Fried Oysters, Grown-Up Grilled Cheese and the Eclair – the cocktails stole the show. The bar specializes in reserve recipes that utilize hard-to-find ingredients. I sipped on My Last Word, a twist on the classic cocktail using jalapeno-infused mezcal.

Then there’s the Club Lounge, accessible to those staying in higher room categories or for a fee. You’ll find breakfast options in the morning, appetizers and cocktails in the evening, late-night dessert, and snacks throughout the day.

Service

All in all, service at The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park was friendly and accommodating, from the pair of smiling doormen to the knowledgeable concierge team and the unassuming housekeeping staff. The hotel also offers a Mercedes house car, which is available upon request.

Location

Directly across the street from this Ritz-Carlton property is Central Park. Fifth Avenue shops, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Columbus Circle and the Time Warner Center are all within walking distance.

Address: 50 Central Park South

Earn Free Nights With Marriott Bonvoy

Ritz-Carlton hotels are a Marriott brand. Register for Marriott Bonvoy to earn a free stay at The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park.

The best way to rack up on Marriott Bonvoy points is by getting a Marriott co-branded credit card and qualifying for its welcome bonus.

Chase offers two personal credit cards that earn Marriott points, while American Express (Amex) offers one personal and one business card. If you’re looking to apply for a Marriott credit card, keep in mind:

The Chase 5/24 rule. If you opened five or more new credit cards in the past 24 months (from any bank), you won’t be approved for a new credit card from Chase.
The Amex once-in-a-lifetime welcome bonus rule. You can only qualify for the introductory offer on each Amex personal and business card once in your lifetime.

MARRIOTT BONVOY BRILLIANT™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARDMARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARDMARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARDMARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD

MARRIOTT BONVOY BRILLIANT™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has an offer for 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. We value these 75k points at around $675.

This card earns 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy^TM program and 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

You’ll get a Free Night Award (redemption level up to 50,000 points) every account anniversary year, and up to $300 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy^TM program. Resort fees may apply. Other benefits include unlimited airport lounge visits with the Priority Pass Select membership and no foreign transaction fees.

This premium card comes with an Annual Fee of $450. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.

Card Review

MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARD

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

New to the card, you will earn 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. The card is also offering an Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 17 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.

You’ll get a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary year and automatic Silver Elite Status. Additionally, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.

This card has no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95.

Card Review

MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has an offer for 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $270.

This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.

You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.

There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.

Card Review

MARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card has a limited time offer for 75,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. We value these 75k points to be worth around $675.

This card earns 6 points per $1 at participating hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy^TM program. It’s 4 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. And 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.

Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get 1 free night award. You can earn an additional free night award after spending $60,000 in purchases in 1 calendar year.

There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $125. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.

Card Review

Bottom Line

New York has plenty of luxury options when it comes to accommodation, but The Ritz-Carlton New York Central Park stands out as an elegant hotel with hospitable staff at one of the city’s most iconic locations.

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