Tryp by Wyndham launches first US hotel in New York

Today marks the opening of the first TRYP by Wyndham brand hotel in New York City’s Times Square South.

What exactly is TRYP, other than a clever play on words? The select-service, mid-priced brand has over 90 properties worldwide and currently caters to business and leisure travelers in cosmopolitan Madrid and Barcelona in Spain; Paris; Lisbon, Portugal; Frankfurt and Berlin, Germany; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; and now New York City.

The upscale brand was purchased from Sol Melia hotels in 2011. It targets the cost-conscious Gen X and Gen Y traveler and the hotels are all supposed to retain contemporary, Mediterranean flavor with modern touches like a communal lobby gathering space and “gastro” bars with small plate and cocktail options, plus amenities appealing to business travelers like fitness centers and free WiFi.

The design includes sustainable elements such as exposed brick walls, reclaimed wood and tile floors, colorful accents and wrought iron screens that are said to reflect the property’s central New York City location and the TRYP by Wyndham brand’s Mediterranean roots.

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The new 173-room New York property is located atWest 35th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

Notable amenities include:
  • Two Fitness rooms, which feature state-of-the-art stationary bikes and complimentary fitness attire for a private workout.
  • Twenty three oversized Family rooms with bunk beds for children, separate king or queen bed for adults and a large living room area with sleeper sofa, two flat-screen televisions and wet bar.
  • Two Samsung Experience rooms stocked with 55-inch Samsung flat-screen televisions and 3D glasses, surround sound, a popcorn machine, Nintendo Wii gaming system, iPod docking station, Blu Ray player and multimedia connectivity panel.
  • Plaza Central, essentially the hotel lobby, featuring complimentary access to Google Chrome laptops and Google televisions.
  • The Gastro Bar at 35th, a vibrant tapas bar with a seasonal menu.

The amenity we’re most skeptical about? The hotel’s own social network, dubbed LobbyFriend. The hotel hopes will “foster an interactive atmosphere by allowing hotel guests to network, socialize and communicate with each other and hotel staff during their stay.”


Hmm.

What do you think? Do you want a new “friend” in your hotel, or would you use this to communicate with hotel staff? We’re curious to see if this serves as a model by which hotels will advance in the future or a cool perk that could go horribly, horribly wrong.