A stylish standout in New York's newest neighborhood: Pendry Manhattan West
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After decades of planning, New York City's newest neighborhood, Manhattan West, is officially open. It's the second-largest part of the Hudson Yards redevelopment, spanning eight acres of previously unused space above active rail lines.
Nestled between office space, residences and wellness-focused retailers like Peloton and Whole Foods sits the Pendry Manhattan West hotel. But unlike the nearby Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards, wellness isn't Pendry's main goal: style is. The luxury brand, part of the Montage Hotels and Resorts group, aims to offer polished comfort with a modern edge.
Ever since my terrific stay at the Pendry West Hollywood, I couldn't wait to book a staycation at the brand's first New York City outpost. Would this property live up to the same high expectations?
Although not all of Manhattan West's retailers and restaurants were open yet during my stay, the short answer is yes. But I'll let you decide whether its extravagant price tag is actually worth it.
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Booking
The Pendry Manhattan West isn't part of any major loyalty program so you'll need to shell out cash to stay here. Standard rooms currently start around $630 per night including taxes but can sometimes exceed $900 per night, as was the case for my stay. Luckily, there are no pesky destination or resort fees here.
The cost is roughly in line with what the nearby Equinox Hotel charges and slightly below some classics like The St. Regis, Park Hyatt, Baccarat Hotel and Four Seasons New York Downtown.
I paid with my Chase Sapphire Reserve, which earns 10x points on hotels booked through the Ultimate Rewards Travel portal (after the first $300 spent on travel purchases annually) and 3x on all other travel. That said, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, which earns 10x miles on hotels booked through Capital One Travel, would have also been a good option.
Related: Experience the best of LA under one roof — TPG's first look at the new Pendry West Hollywood
Location
The Pendry is located in the heart of the new Manhattan West "superblock" that stretches from 9th Avenue to 10th Avenue and from 31st to 33rd streets on the city's far west side.
If you're flying into the city, that means a 25-minute drive from Newark (EWR), a 35-minute drive from LaGuardia (LGA) or an hour-long drive from New York-JFK. If you decide to take a helicopter from the airport, it's just a couple of blocks from Blade Lounge West. The Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station is just across the street.
Manhattan West was built to be a city-within-a-city where people can eat, work, play and live all in one place. In addition to office spaces and residences, it's home to over two dozen food and beverage destinations, shopping and public spaces.
Some of Pendry's neighbors include a Whole Foods Market, Peloton's flagship studio, Peachy and Citizens, a 40,000-square-foot food hall with a mix of fast-casual and full-service restaurants. There's also the soon-to-open Midnight Theatre, which will host a variety of cultural and entertainment programs.
Additional shops and restaurants can be found across the street at Hudson Yards. The development is also home to Edge, the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, as well as a stop for the 7 subway line.
For New Yorkers, Manhattan West is basically everything they hoped for when Hudson Yards opened.
The only problem? Most storefronts are still empty for now. Also, although the complex will eventually be linked to the High Line, the bridge hasn't been completed yet, making it a bit less walkable.
On the flip side, you'll be away from Midtown's massive crowds. You'll also still have fairly easy access to Chelsea, the Meatpacking District and Soho.
Related: An introduction to New York City's neighborhoods
Check-in
The Pendry immediately stood out for its unmistakable deep blue curved glass façade, reminiscent of a tranquil ripple.
That calmness carried on into the hotel. Car horns and city stench were replaced by soft music and Pendry's signature fresh, woody scent. The lobby wasn't as grand as some other New York City hotels, but it wasn't supposed to be. Pendry's goal was to blend laid-back California ease with New York sophistication, and that's exactly what it did. It had major Edition hotel vibes but with a bit more of a living room feel.
I arrived around 12:30 p.m. on a Thursday and was helped right away. The agent was friendly and welcoming and gave me a room despite my early arrival. Like at the Pendry West Hollywood, I was also offered a welcome drink which I could take to the bar to get spiked.
Although I didn't need help with my bags, a bellman escorted me to my room and gave a brief orientation along the way.
Despite the modern design, the hotel did not compromise on luxury service.
The room
I was assigned an entry-level deluxe city view room on the 14th floor.
The room door opened to a long, sun-drenched hallway with pocket doors on either side. Normally, you'd expect one door to lead to the bathroom and the other to the closet, but in this case, both were to the bathroom.
The bathroom featured a split design. One room contained a toilet and sink, while the other had a shower and another sink.
Although this would be convenient for families or groups traveling together, I didn't think it was the best use of space for this king room.
The walk-in shower wasn't very big and there was no bathtub. For a hotel of this caliber, I was also surprised to see that there was just one shower head (with terrible water pressure).
The MiN New York toiletries were amazing and kept me smelling great after each shower. However, the prominently placed price list for people who want to keep the large-format bottles was a bit tacky.
The room was decently sized for New York standards, measuring 320 square feet. Still, a bit more space would have been nice at this price point, especially considering rooms at comparable hotels offer at least 400 square feet. Curved floor-to-ceiling windows made the room feel bigger and brought in plenty of natural light – though oddly, the blinds were not automated.
Overall, the design was understated yet undeniably luxurious. There were tasteful pieces of artwork scattered throughout the room and the furniture was comfortable and approachable. It felt a lot more like an upscale apartment than a high-end hotel, which was what Pendry was going for.
Fun fact: All of the hotel's guest room artwork was by female-identifying artists.
Comfortable bed: Check. Plentiful pillows: Check. Bedside power outlets: Check.
My only real qualm was that the hotel didn't soundproof the doors. Although street noise wasn't a problem when trying to go to bed, I mistakenly thought someone was knocking on my door when really they were knocking on the room next door.
Tucked away in a corner of the room was a small closet. It contained a steamer, safe and two robes but no slippers.
There was no desk in the room — just two chairs around a small circular table. Still, I was able to comfortably get some work done and the setup was perfect for when I ordered room service.
The minibar was as well-stocked (and expensive) as you'd expect. A 375-milliliter bottle of Belvedere vodka would set you back $65, a tin of M&Ms $15 and a Pendry candle $75.
There was also an espresso machine with coffee pods by the Australian brand Vittoria.
Amenities
The hotel didn't offer a spa or pool. That said, I thought the 1,700-square-foot gym was well-equipped — despite fitness not being the main focus here. It was open 24/7 and had various weight machines, a Smith machine, free weights, treadmills, ellipticals, an exercise bike, a Stairmaster and a rowing machine.
My favorite feature was the "Movement Studio" which had three Peloton bikes as well as space for yoga and stretching.
Guests could also have Pelotons sent to their rooms, but this arrangement cost $180 per day plus a $15 delivery and $15 removal fee. Frankly, I'm not sure there was even space for one in my room.
The other main amenity was the complimentary house Cadillac SUV. It was available on a first-come, first-served basis between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. for dropoffs within a three-mile radius of the hotel.
Food and drink
In addition to the dining and drinking spots that are part of the greater Manhattan West complex, the Pendry offered a few food and beverage outlets of its own.
The hotel's main eatery will be Zou Zou's, an Eastern Mediterranean spot. It wasn't open yet during my visit, though it looked almost complete when I sneaked a peek.
There will also be a rooftop Japanese whisky bar, but that wasn't open yet, either.
Luckily, those weren't the only options.
On the fourth floor was Vista Lounge, which was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but will transition to breakfast-only once Zou Zou's opens. It was a gorgeous space, to say the least, with lush greenery, curvy couches, funky light fixtures and a cave-like bar. It, too, reminded me a lot of what you'll find at the Edition Times Square or Edition West Hollywood.
But it wasn't just about looks here — the quality of the food matched its surroundings. My grilled branzino ($36) was flavorful and juicy and the fresh ricotta starter with date molasses ($18) was not to be missed.
Back on the ground floor was Bar Pendry, an ornate gold-studded lobby lounge harkening back to Old New York. This was where guests could bring their welcome drinks to have them spiked.
In addition to carefully crafted cocktails, it served a small but satisfying selection of bites-like burgers ($27), charcuterie cheese boards ($27) and steak frites ($49).
In between the bar and lobby was the Garden Room. It offered the same menu of all-day dishes, along with a coffee menu and cocktails.
Although technically not part of the hotel, the lobby also offered direct access into Black Fox Coffee, which served coffee, teas, matcha, pastries and baked goods.
Finally, there was 24-hour room service available. I ordered an "Upper West Sider" omelet with smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese, accompanied by orange juice, was delicious and arrived on time. As expected, it didn't come cheap though: My breakfast came out to nearly $60 once you factored in the delivery fee and service charge.
Service
A large part of what makes the Pendry stand out is the service. Almost everyone I interacted with was friendly, welcoming and eager to help. The only exception was at the lobby bar, where my interactions with one of the servers felt perfunctory and borderline rude.
Shortly after checking in, I came back to my room to find a welcome gift waiting for me: a fruit plate and bottle of water, along with a handwritten note from the general manager. Then, while I was at dinner, housekeeping performed turndown service and left macarons and bottles of water at the side of the bed — a small but much-appreciated gesture. When it was time to check out, I was able to get a two-hour extension with no hesitation.
Accessibility
The hotel had five types of ADA rooms: accessible city king, accessible city double double, accessible deluxe city king, accessible corner studio suite and accessible corner one bedroom suite. They offered features like roll-in showers with handrails, lowered closet rods and light switches and bedroom wheelchair access. Other features included Braille signage throughout the hotel, visual alarms in hallways and a well-lit path to the entrance.
Overall impression
The new Pendry Manhattan West checks all the boxes for a top-notch hotel. It blends high-end service with modern, tasteful elegance. Once the hotel's signature restaurant, Zou Zou's, and rooftop bar are fully operational, it could even become a place where locals would hang out.
But whether that's "good enough" is another question. New York City is home to plenty of other beautiful five-star hotels that could offer a better bang for your buck (think bigger rooms and more amenities) — many of which can be booked on points. And although the Manhattan West complex has all of the necessities, there still are much more central locations you can stay in if your goal is to explore the city.