Hotel New York Review

Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel is a deluxe hotel at Disneyland that is currently closed for a top to bottom refurbishment. This review features room photos, along with thoughts on its quality and my experience of staying at the previous version of the hotel. (Updated May 6, 2020.)

Disney’s Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel celebrates 80 years of Marvel storytelling in a typical New York setting, with a contemporary Art Deco style. The hotel is inspired by a New York art gallery, paying tribute to the city that is home to many iconic Marvel super heroes (including Iron Man, The Avengers, Spider-Man), plus the artists who created them.

When Disney’s Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel reopens this summer, it will be the first hotel dedicated entirely to the celebration of Marvel art, with one of the largest publicly viewable collections of Marvel artwork in the world. Unfortunately, that the Art of Marvel hotel won’t be debuting as soon as previously expected…

Disneyland Paris has announced that construction on Disney’s Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel has been temporarily put on hold. Consequently, the new-look hotel will miss its planned reopening date of June 15, 2020. Disneyland Paris has been reaching out to guests with reservations to offer refunds or rebooking vouchers for reservations made for dates through October 31, 2020.

While Disneyland Paris does not have a new opening date for Disney’s Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel to announce right now, they have indicated more information will be shared once construction work can safely be resumed and it can be assessed when the hotel can debut.

The good news is that guests may choose a refund or rebook their vacation at the same price and under the same conditions Disney’s Hotel New York — The Art of Marvel for future dates once the date of opening is known. We’d love to see Walt Disney World do the same. The US parks have not been locking in pricing, and the result has been that some guests have had to pay considerably more when rebooking their Walt Disney World or Disneyland vacations.

In terms of basics, Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel is about a 10 minute walk from Disneyland Paris, making it the second-closest hotel to Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney Studios Park after Disneyland Hotel. A shuttle is also offered from the hotel to the parks.

With regard to class, Disney categorizes Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel as a “4 keys/stars” hotel, making it the second highest priced and second nicest in terms of their tiering after Disneyland Hotel.

Here are more details about Hotel New York, including the exterior and how the interior used to look…

Hotel New York Exterior

Of late, there has been a rise in theme park lands that give guests the opportunity to step into their favorite stories, and be an active “participant” in the scene. With the hit 1990s sitcom Friends recently finding a brand new audience via Netflix, I think now is the time for Hotel New York to really cash in and be the first hotel that allows guests to step into the story.

There is (probably) a huge segment of the population that pines for the opportunity to set foot in Central Perk, dance in a fountain with their BFFs while The Rembrandts play in the background, and otherwise partake in the golden age of the Big Apple: 1994. Marketing genius that I am, if I were in charge of Disneyland Paris, I would change the name of Hotel New York to “Friends Season 1: The Hotel.” Now, I realize Hotel New York’s design actually dates before 1994, but I think it can pass for that glorious era.

DSC_4182 as Smart Object-1

This would obviate the need to update this woefully dated hotel, and hit that huge niche of people who want to go back in time and be a part of that amazing time in the Big Apple for those mischievous friends. Change the name on the marquee, maybe offer some Central Perk brand coffee, have the male Cast Members die their hair like Gunther and the female CMs get “The Rachel” haircut, and call it a day. Done and done. Maybe there could even be some Seinfeld tie-ins. Pirate shirts in lieu of robes in every closet!

In all seriousness, the datedness of this hotel is its principle problem, in my eyes. Judging by TripAdvisor reviews, almost none of which mention this issue (with most being resoundingly positive), perhaps I’m more sensitive to it than other travelers.

You can judge for yourself if you think the datedness of the hotel is a big deal in the photos here, but know they only tell part of the story…

DSC_4191 as Smart Object-1

The circa-1992 style is apparent as soon as you get to the check-in desk. The apples on the back wall have a style that look like they’d be a perfect fit for the opening scenes of Saved by the Bell. Now, you might think that this is a minor thing and it doesn’t look that bad.

Keep in mind that this is purportedly a luxury hotel where rooms start at the equivalent of around $500/night. For that price point, it is wholly unacceptable for it to still be stuck in 1992. That’s nearly 25 years without any substantial updates to many areas of the hotel.

Other areas of the lobby don’t look as bad, and have the distinct look of something designed by Michael Graves. It’s probably hard to tell from this photo, but there is this interesting, Art Deco meets neon look to much of the hotel. I don’t know what that’s about, but I suppose there are worse styles…

Hotel New York Mets

There are Mets and the Yankees logos on the floor of the lobby, and nods throughout the hotel to various aspects of New York City. This is all pretty cool, and if I were a European who had never been to New York City, it would probably be pretty cool to see all of this.

Aside from the New York City Bar, where I ate dinner each night after returning from the parks, I didn’t sample the other restaurants in the hotel. I did enjoy New York City Bar, and found the service there to be impeccable.

DSC_4173 as Smart Object-1

Outside of the hotel at Christmas there is ice skating in the style of Rockefeller Center, which is a nice touch. I’m actually a fan of the general style of the exterior. While it does look distinctly like a Michael Graves creation, and has a certain coldness to it, so long as “New York” is the theme, I don’t know how else the hotel could be designed to that theme.

It has a certain post-modern and almost abstract look that does effectively evoke that look. Perhaps it could use a refresh in terms of color scheme and a good power-wash, but I think overall, the exterior works. It’s not my personal cup of tea thematically, but I can’t knock it.

bed-table-window-hotel-new-york-disneyland-paris

My room in Hotel New York was one of the “Empire State Club Lake View” rooms. For my stay, the approximate cost of this club level room would have been around $650-700/night. (In the interest of full disclosure, I did not pay for my room.) Club level gets you exclusive check-in, access to the Empire State Club lounge for breakfast and snacks, VIP FastPass, and “additional services,” whatever that means.

To start, I am not a proponent of club level or concierge at any Disney hotel, and would never book this category of rooms if paying myself. As compared to real world hotels, I think Disney concierges don’t offer the same level of service and expertise, nor do they have connections to “hook you up,” as the kids say. Likewise, club level lounges often lack the amenities found in their real world counterparts.

With that said, I went in with an open mind, but Hotel New York vindicated my thinking on this. While the Empire State Club served a nice selection of light snacks, meats, and cheeses, it felt like a slightly upscale version of the breakfast normally offered at the hotel. I think club level here offers poor value for money, unless you have a large party and you’re going at such a busy time that those VIP FastPasses will come in handy (crowds were so light that I didn’t even use them).

hotel-new-york-bed-couch

Now, you might say that anyone shelling out $700/night for a hotel room isn’t concerned with value for money, but I’d counter by saying that many well-off individuals didn’t get to be that way by spending recklessly. I suppose your mileage may vary.

As for the quality of the room, I think it pretty well speaks for itself in these photos. Worth noting is that the bedding and pillows were extremely nice. This was the high point of the room, and a stark contrast to the hard bedding found at Sequoia Lodge in our previous stay there. Based on photos I’ve seen of the rooms previously, I’d say the bedding has been redone in the last year or so.

hotel-new-york-desk-tv

Aside from the bedding, the room felt dated. The furniture seemed worse for wear, and the general style and visual motifs (those darned apples!) looked like it was stuck in 1992. Even the television was old! (Presumably because modern LCD televisions are widescreen and wouldn’t fit in the cabinet. On the plus side, there was an excellent little espresso machine in the room. That was probably the second best part of the room after the bedding.

The third best part about the room is the ’10 Things to Know Before You Go’ with Sophie, who is basically the Disneyland Paris version of Stacey. This station was always on whenever I was in the room. SORTED!

hotel-new-york-disneyland-paris-503

The bathroom was likewise dated, albeit clean and well-maintained. I’m not sure what the deal with it was, but the bathtub was incredibly deep.

I had to take a running start and leap over the edge just to get into the shower. Kidding, but I really have no clue why this thing is so deep. I’d say perhaps it’s a French thing, but I haven’t noticed it elsewhere in France.

hotel-new-york-disneyland-paris-502

To the room’s credit, it was incredibly clean and even though the style felt like it was straight out of the early-90s, aside from the furniture, it was all very well maintained. Either a good job is done with maintenance, or these rooms have been refurbished with the same design retained. I’m not sure which, but I guess kudos in that regard.

Overall, I think Hotel New York offers the absolute worst value for money of any Disney hotel, anywhere. Even the overpriced Grand Floridian is significantly better in that regard. Hotel New York is simply too dated and doesn’t offer a compelling “hook” to make that datedness forgivable. The hotel does have potential if it receives a top-to-bottom refurbishment (as seems to be the trend with Disneyland Paris hotels), so maybe within the next couple of years it can modernize and really offer an urbane and contemporary take on the Big Apple…because the cutesy little apples everywhere in the hotel simply don’t do the trick.

I hate to be so hard on the hotel, especially given that Disneyland Paris is a common whipping boy for so many Disney fans, but this hotel just doesn’t pass muster for me. Despite all of its faults, I actually am a huge fan of Disneyland Paris, and I am rooting for it to turn a corner and become the world-class destination I know it can be. For those wanting some practical advice, rather than staying at Hotel New York, I would book a room at Disneyland Hotel (if money is no object) or Sequoia Lodge (I’m a big fan of that hotel–read my Sequoia Lodge Review for more info).

The former offers an unparalleled experience and has really grown on me as I’ve explored it more, and the latter is a great hotel, especially after its recent refurbishment. Disneyland Paris discounts are abundant, so it’s unlikely you’re going to pay the rack rates I’ve listed here, but I wouldn’t stay at Hotel New York for even half those prices–and if Hotel New York is offering discounts, so too will the cheaper and superior Sequoia Lodge.

For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Want to see more photos or read about Disneyland Paris in agonizing detail? Check out our Disneyland Paris 20th Anniversary Trip Report or our Disneyland Paris 25th Anniversary Trip Recap!

Your Thoughts…

Have you ever stayed at the previous version of Disney’s Hotel New York? What did you think of it? Planning a stay at Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel ? Anything with which you disagree in this post? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!

14 Responses to “Hotel New York Review”
  1. Martin Kelly December 30, 2020
  2. Emma May 28, 2018
  3. Heather March 3, 2016
  4. Benjamin April 12, 2015
  5. Carly April 10, 2015
  6. Chris D April 9, 2015
    • Tom Bricker April 9, 2015
  7. Amanda April 8, 2015
    • Tom Bricker April 9, 2015
    • David April 9, 2015
  8. Spirit of 74 April 8, 2015
    • Tom Bricker April 9, 2015
  9. Spencer April 8, 2015
    • Tom Bricker April 9, 2015

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *