The Whitby Hotel

This was probably our fourth time staying at this hotel. Unfortunately, 4th is not a charm! When we initially arrived with our car, there were pylons in the street in front of the hotel, and in order for us to stop and unload our bags, these pylons needed to be removed. Despite our sounding the horn, no one from the hotel came out to help, so my wife found herself moving the pylons on her own. The junior suite that we had reserved was comfortable enough, however, the issues we had with the hotel were largely with the restaurant. We had breakfasts and a food allowance since we booked through AMEX and these credits were for the Fine Resorts and Hotels program. Two days in a row for breakfast, we had disappointing service coupled with incompletely cooked dishes. The first day, the problem was with pancakes that were not cooked throughout. When being sent back, there was an inordinate delay in getting a new order, and I finished my breakfast and basically stared at empty plates for 20-25 minutes. During this somewhat extended delay, I requested another pot of coffee, with this request basically forgotten. We did speak with the restaurant manager, who apologized profusely. Thinking that this couldn’t happen again, the next morning we had a bit of a repeat performance, This time it was basically cold sides of grilled tomatoes and portobello mushrooms — these being intended to be hot, with the rest of the meal. Again, extraordinarily inattentive service. Speaking again with the restaurant manager, I asked him why they (1) automatically add a 20% service charge, even when the service is anything but befitting a generous tip, and (2) have the audacity to exclude the MANDATORY gratuity from the breakfast and food allowance, requiring us to pay for the gratuity on our checkout. He did agree to provide us with credit for these charges, however, to our surprise, such credit was not reflected on our bill upon checkout. For the third day, the hotel manager came to our table and told us that he hoped that we would receive good service on this third day, and was apologetic. When asked whether there might be some expression of good faith concession on our bill, he handed us his business card and essentially said, contact him if/when we might come back to the hotel. I told him that we might have a different view of returning if some concession commensurate with the poor service had been provided, but none was forthcoming. In the category of another annoyance, the room charges from the mini bar are not counted towards the $100 per day food and beverage credit for the AMEX Fine Resorts and Hotels program. I made the mistake of taking a Celsius drink on the first day, which amounted to the princely sum of $10 — and no credit. This is a tacky policy, particularly for a room for which we charged approximately $1,000 per night. On the positive side, the hotel and our room were nicely furnished, and the food was not bad (except for the dishes cited

Note: I went to this Hotel for Afternoon Tea. I did not stay at the hotel. This hotel had a 5 star rating. The lobby alone screams 'why'? As stated, I did not stay here so I did not see the rooms. However, I did have Afternoon Tea service. Before booking, know they allot 90 min per tea reservation. The room was quaint but the tables are too close together. The waiter was on top of us as soon as we sat down. I let that go knowing there was a 90 min time limit. Having done many afternoon teas in my lifetime, this was average at best. The tea turned bitter rather quickly. I had an English breakfast, friend had an herbal. They did not stay hot either. Being a scone aficionado (self-proclaimed), I was most excited for the scones. They were crumbly and dry. The clotted cream was decent. The sandwiches are all spreads (salmon spread, cucumber spread, chicken spread). If you are expecting bites of salmon, cucumber, or chicken, you will not find. The sweets were not visually appealing to me (and I am a sugar lover) so I only tried one; the chocolate shell with hazelnut mousse was decent. In the end, they did not chase us out at the end of 90 min. With tip, this is a $150 pp experience if you have the champagne. They can do better.

We took a family road trip from Richmond to NYC over 6 days and a new hotel each night. Our final stop was at the Whitby for two nights. We somewhat knew what to expect with a Firmdale property, but I’ll have to say I’m sold on the Whitby. They expected us, knew our names, welcomed us like family (there was 10 of us). The rooms were exceptional, and staff was incredible. If your in the fence about it, hands down it’s the best place we’ve stayed in NYC and we’ve stayed at all of them. Thanks for a great trip guys!

As a travel agent I have had the fortune (or misfortune) to stay at literally hundreds of hotel worldwide. The Whitby will rank as one of very best places I have ever stayed. The decor is unique throughout the public areas (as it is in every room, which I saw when I was given a “tour”). The staff without exception are charming and helpful and respond to every request with lightening speed. The room we stayed in, a junior suite, was roomy, bright and beautifully furnished and comfortable. The bathroom was large and exquisite with wonderful modern vintage replicas of sinks, taps and fittings with a roomy powerful shower and delightful liquid “extras”. The cupboards were spacious and well lit Moving on to the bar and restaurant, they were again beautiful rooms almost always “buzzy” with outstanding service and a very “modern” choice of food. There is a very well equipped gym in the lower ground floor And, I almost forgot the wonderful location, virtually on 5th Avenue. We will wholeheartedly recommend this property to our clients

This is mt new favorite hotel in nyc ! The hotel is in a Great location, right near 5 th ave, the staff is lovely and helpful, the rooms are spacious, comfortable, immaculate and well appointed, I slept well as great sleep quality! The restaurant is excellent! The food is delicious and inventive. Hope to return soon.

overall great service & well-appointed spacious accommodations. breakfast: tasty selections. we really enjoyed the quinoa bowl as well as the continental breakfast. nice fruit and granola selections. beautiful "orangery" (greenhouse) room. beautiful china from the owner's selection. tea: we had the afternoon tea. tasty finger sandwiches. loved the peppermint and chamomile teas. can order one type of tea pp, though get free hot water refills. drawing room/honesty bar: nice spot for sitting, reading, sipping. room: especially spacious for nyc. double sinks. nice desk/vanity spot. big closet. comfortable bed/linens. quiet (even right by the elevator). location: close to all the things- moma, theatre district, subway