If you’ve ever stayed or even passed by a St. Regis hotel, it was likely opened in the last twenty years and named after the original St. Regis in Manhattan, which first opened its golden doors back in 1904. After visiting the original St. Regis, and making it my home for a week I can certainly see why someone would want to use its namesake to create an entire brand that spans the globe. Now, let me be clear, no one needs to stay at a luxury hotel like the St. Regis, and I personally would never consider paying the sky-high $1200 nightly rates I saw around the time of our visit. But this is a points and miles blog so I’m sure its fairly evident by now that I was able to book this hotel on points. The St. Regis is part of Marriott Bonvoy and as of April of 2020 the hotel is bookable for 70,000-100,000 Marriott Rewards Points depending on the time of year. You can maximize the fifth night free benefit and potentially save even more points. We stayed in December of 2019 right before Christmas. So what does a week at the St. Regis look like?
It’s hard to nail down exactly what makes the St. Regis so special. For starters, each morning began with breakfast in their gorgeous dining room, one of my favorite hotel breakfasts by the way, then it was a short four block jaunt to Central Park, or just mere steps from admiring the Christmas decorations and holiday cheer on Fifth Avenue. I definitely would recommend staying in New York around the holidays, as I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone take Christmas decorating as seriously as the storefronts in Manhattan. Back at the hotel, I would be remiss if I did not mention the St. Regis Butler service. The first time I had stayed at a St. Regis, I had no idea how to use this service or what it was all about. Basically, they are available come to your room and do anything from shine your shoes, make you coffee or tea, unpacking or repacking your suitcase, or arrange to have your garments pressed. Basically, if you need anything or have questions, it doesn’t hurt to give your butler a call using the built in butler button on the in-room phone.
Moving on from the butler service, it is a definite must to have a pre-dinner or post dinner drink at the famous King Cole Bar, the supposed origin of the Bloody Mary. If Bloody Marys aren’t your thing, sit back and enjoy one of their other premium cocktails or food offerings as you take in the the painting of Old King Cole. Each evening near the bar area, there is a tradition at all St. Regis hotels to enjoy a glass of complimentary champagne in the lobby. The beverage director, or another (hopefully) skilled employee, opens a bottle of champagne with a sword. It is a tradition that goes back to John Jacob Astor who started doing this when he opened the St. Regis.
I haven’t even mentioned the room we stayed in yet, but obviously there is just a lot to take in before we even begin to talk about the guest rooms. They are decorated pretty old school, with lots brass, marble, deep colors, definitely not for everyone and not what I would want in my own home. But if the point of it was to be transported out of what I am used to seeing, and into the storied history of the St. Regis, then mission accomplished. The mattress was very plush but not too soft. The sheets even felt like a big step up from most hotels. Even though we were not placed in a traditional suite, there still was plenty of sitting room in the 490 square feet Grand Luxe Guest room.The bathroom was spacious and continued the trend of traditional decor but with lots of neutral and grey tones to complement the marble.
Overall, I enjoyed my time spent at the “best address” in New York and would definitely love to return after I stay at some of their other properties around the world. In addition to the points required to stay, the St. Regis does charge a $50 destination fee per night, which can be waived for a stay of four nights or longer. If you are staying less than four nights or opt not to have the fee waived, you are also entitled to the following:
$50 daily food and beverage credit
$50 daily laundry/dry cleaning credit
$50 daily Fodera Hair Salon credit
2 Museum (Met or MOMA) tickets per day
Although I was not obligated to pay the fee, I opted in as I was planning on spending $50 daily anyway on food and beverages either at King Cole Bar, or during our Afternoon Tea. The free tickets were also a plus as we were able to visit each museum during our stay. We were also able to utilize the laundry services and leave the St. Regis with clean clothes before we continued on to Jamaica.
So how do you get the 280,000 to 400,000 Marriott Rewards Points needed to book a five night stay here? You can apply for a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, from either Chase, American Express, or both. There are both business and personal versions of these cards, so it’s possible to get multiple sign-up bonuses. Outside of that, it is also possible to spend your way on a Bonvoy card you already have in your wallet. The best card for doing this is the Ritz Carlton Rewards card, since it earns two points per dollar, rather than one. While the Ritz Carlton Rewards card is no longer available for new sign ups, it is still possible to product change to this card from one of Chase’s other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.