This was our second stay at the Trump. We were in NYC for 8 nights, so I split the trip between the Trump and the Ritz in Battery Park. I should have stayed at the Trump the entire time. Why?
1. Fabulous location, Subway station 30 seconds from front door, easy access for taxis and Whole Foods Grocery and great jazz club across the street in the Time Warner Building. Central Park Views...I could go on.....
2. There is no better housekeeping staff that I have encountered in any hotel I have stayed at in NYC, ( St. Regis, Plaza, Meridian, Ritz).
3. The bathroom has two sinks, a Jacuzzi Tub and the best linens.
4. They clean and refresh the bathroom twice a day.
5. Lot's of closet space
6. The Lobby is small, but so what. I think that is probably safer so they can monitor walk-ins more closely. The security seems very good.
I did check out the Mandarin, but I think the taxi access is not as good, especiialy if you are in a hurry to get to a show.
The Ritz has some nice features, but the items above were the differences that were important to me. The taxi rides (dangerous drivers) from Broadway to the Ritz were a nightmare and the subway station is several blocks away and I didn't feel safe walking in the area.

Stayed 5 nights in one of the larger 1 bedroom suites. Upon arrival we were greeted by name and whisked up to our suite immediately. The suite was truly gorgeous; large (about 1100 sq feet), with 2 bathrooms and a huge walk-in closet as well a very functional kitchenette, and fabulous views of central park, columbus circle, and down broadway. Furnishings were modern and high-end. Wine for us and treats for the kids were waiting for us, as was a gift of a beautiful leather travel wallet. Luggage was delivered promptly, along with an offer to unpack for us. The technology butler arrived within minutes to set up a complementary laptop with broadband access, and the bellman brought up four six-packs of Fiji water on the house. Service was truly top-notch throughout our stay. We had guests visit several evenings, and decided to order in rather than leave our beautiful suite; the concierge staff provided a thick packet of take-out menus ranging from Pizza to Chinese to Italian to Thai, etc., then delivered our order to the suite, along with more complimentary Fiji water and fresh truffles. I must admit that I had expected Trump to be more about flash and glitz than service, but this hotel was understated elegance with impeccible service; the opposite of what I expected! No question of where we will stay next time we are in NYC!

We just spent an amazing 3 nights at Trump. It was the highlight of our trip, especially for our 16 yr old son. We had a one bedroom suite.

We had the opportunity to stay at the Trump Hotel in late April for a 4-day anniversary celebration. I spoke directly with the hotel when making reservations in January, and booked a 3-night-stay (for the price of 2 nights), which was an AmEx deal. Even though we do not have an AmEx card, this was not a problem, and the reservations office worked with me for almost an hour to determine the best package/price available. (No deal on other booking sites priced out lower than the one we chose.)

We arrived in NYC around lunchtime, and hoped to stow the luggage before going on walkabout since we were quite early for check-in. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our room was ready, and we had been upgraded from a deluxe room to a city suite (an extra 300 sq. ft.) overlooking Broadway on the 16th floor. I had requested a higher floor (to avoid traffic noise) when booking, and they were more than accommodating. While we did not have a view of CP, the lights at night were lovely, and watching the traffic in the morning was fun.

Upon settling into our suite we found a bottle of champagne in honor of our special occasion, along with notes from the staff. (In fact we received quite a bit of mail from the staff!) As we do not drink, I called the attaché the next morning to ask if perhaps they could find a new home for the lovely gift; they responded by offering some sparkling grape juice, if available, which would have been fine. Instead, they provided cheese and fruit trays in the late afternoon on our second day—quite a welcome snack and a great addition to the breakfasts we picked up at Europa Café or Starbucks each morning. (Godiva coffee is also provided for free in the suite’s kitchen.)

The room was cleaned to the most discriminating white-glove standards, and tended to be a bit more modern (Scandanavian) in design rather than old world luxurious; but the furnishings were in excellent condition, and, along with the lovely bedding, quite comfortable. The marble bath had ample counter space for 2 and we made use of the kitchen facilities throughout our stay. (I especially loved the dish fairy who whisked away any dirty dishes/linens in the kitchen twice a day!) The towels and robes were luxuriously heavy; the amenities provided left us lacking nothing; and the Belgian chocolates and chilled Fiji water each evening were the perfect finishing touch. I have never stayed in a cleaner, better-appointed room in any of my travels worldwide (though hubby still favors a suite he once had at The Plaza overlooking CP—not really a fair comparison since The Plaza is no longer a hotel). The daily maid service, door men, concierge, and spa personnel were consistently helpful and polite; in short, the service was flawless! Having worried about whether to book at Trump or The Palace, I was not disappointed.

The spa/exercise area is well-equipped and scrupulously kept, and the changing rooms provide everything you could need. Even swimming is easy with all of their amenities—just bring a suit! I wish there had been more time to enjoy this area, and the staff was quite helpful.

We chose not to eat at Nougatine for breakfast or lunch, picking up less expensive alternatives and bringing them back to the suite. But we did enjoy a dinner at Jean-Georges on our last evening. (This had been booked over a month earlier with the concierge, who took care of reserving on the proper day; much easier as you don’t have to worry about which day to call or difficulty in getting through on the phone lines.) The dinner itself was delightful, the food having wonderful flavors, esp. on the tasting samples and first two courses. The main course and dessert were quite nice, but not as exciting in comparison to the first two courses. The service was seamless and the presentation of each dish like admiring a work of art. We even caught sight of the master himself overseeing details in the busy dining room. It was a memorable evening and the perfect way to end our stay at the Trump, but we would probably consider trying Daniel on the UES next time as an alternative.

The lobby area is intimate, as some previous reviewers have noted; I enjoyed the coziness as the feel is more like returning to a home than a hotel. Hubby would have preferred larger seating areas, esp. on our last day, when we checked out and stowed luggage for most of the day. We returned to freshen up in the spa area, but still had about an hour before leaving for Penn Sta.; we waited down in a seating area of the spa, but probably would have preferred the lobby, had it been larger.

Location at Columbus Circle is quite convenient for enjoying CP, walking to Lincoln Center, or shopping on 5th Ave; we even walked through CP several times when going to the Met. Museum of Art, and subway access is just down the street from the front door. We hated to leave and return to common life, but as the housekeeping personnel assured me on our final morning—the only way to come back is to leave!

Hope your stay is as perfect as our experience was.