The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel in New York [In-depth Review]

No matter how many times you visit New York, there’s always something new waiting to be discovered.

I say that as even on my most recent visit, which was my 12th time in the city, there was still enough of the city left for me to explore.

I spent a wonderful weekend exploring the Financial District from my base at The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel, way down in Lower Manhattan.

I was invited to the City That Never Sleeps by Hyatt for the launch of the new FIND platform, which was recently rolled out as part of Hyatt’s World Of Hyatt program. As part of the invitation, I was lucky enough to get to check out The Beekman as a guest of Hyatt. Despite this being a hosted stay, this review contains my authentic views and opinions.

Here’s what I thought of my first time staying at a Thompson Hotel by Hyatt.

Hotel Location

The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel is situated 1 block from City Hall Park, right off the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s perfect if you want to get a photo on the bridge and for easy access to Brooklyn.

From the hotel on the corner of Nassau and Beekman, you’re just a short 10-minute walk from the buzz of Pier 17 and spectacular views over the East River towards Brooklyn.

The main entrance to the hotel was on Nassau Street close to the corner of Beekman Street.

Much of the area around the hotel seemed to be under some form of construction, including the facade of the hotel.

My flight landed in JFK from where I’d usually catch the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Penn Station and then catch the subway or hail a cab depending on my destination.

On this occasion, Hyatt had kindly arranged for a driver to meet me at the airport. This was a lovely gesture, but we hit really bad traffic heading through Brooklyn which made the journey over 90 minutes long.

The closest subway station is Fulton Street, from where you can access pretty much all of New York via the 2, 3, 4, 5, J, and Z lines.

Booking

You can choose between using cash or redeeming World of Hyatt points when booking your stay at The Beekman.

As a Category 6 property, you can expect to use 21,000 World of Hyatt Points per night on off-peak dates, 25,000 points on standard nights, and 29,000 points on peak nights. That’s really good value!

Hot Tip: The Beekman is one of the best Thompson hotels to book with points.

The cheapest cash rate I found is from $346 per night in January 2023 for a non-refundable Queen Bed room. I found that price after a quick browse, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are rooms for even less if you look hard enough.

If you use cash rather than points, you might consider paying for your stay using The World of Hyatt Credit Card. Not only would you earn up to 9x bonus points per $1 spent on your card, but you’d benefit from other Hyatt perks such as 1 free night award per card year, a second free night award when you spend $15,000 on the card, Hyatt Discoverist status, 5 automatic elite night credits each year, and 2 elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card. Wow.

If you’re traveling for business, then you should consider the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card instead.

Checking In

As I arrived after 8 p.m., my room was all set up and ready for my arrival.

The hotel reception and main lobby area is a gorgeous space that feels more like the sitting room of a stately home rather than a hotel.

Be sure to look up when you’re in the lobby to take in this spectacular atrium roof.

I was thanked for being a member of the World of Hyatt program (even though I only have entry-level status) and was handed my room key in just a few moments.

Amenities

The hotel’s amenities include a fitness center (which I didn’t visit, very unlike me), in-room dining, a town car service, and valet parking.

Fitness Center

The fitness center is a dual-level space that features cardio machines and strength training equipment, as well as Peleton bikes. It is open daily, 24 hours a day.

Parking

Valet parking is available from outside the main hotel entrance at 123 Nassau Street.

The rates are as follows:

• Compacts and Sedans: $70
• SUVs and Oversized Vehicles: $75

Note that the hotel’s website states that in-and-out privileges are not allowed.

If you arrive after-hours, self-parking is available for a lower fee at $35.

The Beekman Town Car

This is pretty cool.

If you have a destination in mind that’s within a 1-mile radius of the hotel, there’s a complimentary Lincoln Navigator town car at your service to take you there.

The hours vary daily and it’s best to prebook to avoid disappointment.

Unfortunately, due to demand, journeys back to the hotel from within a 1-mile radius are not allowed.

The Room

I was assigned room 929 — a King Bed Deluxe Room on the ninth floor and 1 of the hotel’s 287 rooms and suites.

It was a spectacular view down into the Temple Bar below.

I was instantly impressed with the size of the room, which, by New York standards, was huge.

Similar to the lobby, the decor and furnishings couldn’t have been more unlike a regular hotel room. The space felt individual and unique — a far cry from the cookie-cutter designs you so often find in chain hotels.

The huge king bed was a welcome sight after my long journey from London.

On either side of the bed was a lamp-topped nightstand.

The one on the left had a drawer and shelves for extra storage plus an all-in-one speaker and alarm clock that I didn’t use.

I loved the USB ports at the bedside — it’s a simple touch that goes a long way.

The quirkiness of the lamp on the right-hand side of the bed stole the show as my favorite design element of the room …

… so much so that I felt it deserved its very own portrait-mode shot.

A bonus feature of a King Premium room at The Beekman is an armchair and desk area. The armchair facing inwards made sense, given the view out the window looked onto a rooftop area of an apartment building.

I was perfectly happy to sit facing the beautiful interior while I spent a few hours working.

Even the humble wardrobe added to the room’s style. A freestanding antique-style dark wood wardrobe stood in the place of the in-built nondescript wardrobes you might be accustomed to at other hotels.

Inside was ample storage by way of 3 drawers and some hanging space. There was also an iron and ironing board, 2 bathrobes, 2 cushions, an umbrella, and a safety deposit box.

It’ll be no surprise that the design of the minibar was equally as eccentric as the rest of the room.

On display was an assortment of sweet and savory snacks as well as soft and alcoholic drinks.

On opening the door underneath the top shelf, even more snacks in the form of chips, beef jerky, and nuts were revealed.

And down below behind the curtain was a fridge filled with more drinks, including bottled beer, flavored water, liquor miniatures, and half-sized bottles of Veuve Cliquot and Moët.

I found the prices list to be reasonable for the alcohol, though a little steep for the soft drinks. But $10 for a chocolate bar is daylight robbery!

Note the section at the bottom of the price list entitled “‘Novelties” which details the cost of items such as the robes for $150 each.

Hot Tip: Thompson Hotels is just one of the many brands that fall under the Hyatt umbrella. To get an idea of what it’s like to stay at some of the other brands, check out some of our other Hyatt hotel reviews such as The Driskill – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt in Austin, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida, or the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

The Bathroom

The bathroom was just as thoughtfully curated as the rest of the room.

To the left was the toilet, in the middle was the sink, and to the right was the walk-in shower. The room was very spacious — especially for a New York hotel room bathroom.

I loved the juxtaposition of the circular floor tiles with the rectangular ones on the walls. The color scheme of whites and grays made the space feel bright, spacious, and, most importantly … clean.

The beautiful marble (I think) sink took center stage and was home to all the amenities you’d expect from any hotel bathroom.

Above the face towels was a small silver pot containing cotton pads, cotton balls, and earbuds. If only the fact they were contained in such a way would remove the need for the plastic that each item was wrapped in.

I was happy to see that the Bowmakers soap came in cardboard packaging …

… until I opened it to reveal more unnecessary plastic.

The powerful rainfall shower head in the huge shower unit stole the show — I could have stayed in there for hours.

Miniature plastic bottles containing C.O. Bigelow shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were restocked each day.

Food and Beverage

All wining and dining is done on the ground floor level of the hotel in a space called Temple Court. Within Temple Court, you’ve got The Bar Room as well as a smaller space next door called Le Gratin.

You can also access Temple Court directly from Beekman Street rather than via the lobby of the hotel.

Temple Court

Breakfast is served each morning from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. in the main dining area under the huge atrium that rises up to the ninth floor.

The bar area is a quintessential New York-style bar with soft lighting and charming green leather seats.

On the other side of the wall is Le Gratin — a cozier, more intimate dining space.

Le Gratin

It was in Le Gratin where I was invited to dinner one evening with some lovely members of the Hyatt team and the PR agency that they work closely with.

We were spoiled for choice with the menu.

To start with, we ordered a bunch of items from the first course list to share. The tuna tartare was a particular favorite of mine.

We each ordered our own plate for the main course and I decided to go for the roasted chicken with a side of sautéed greens. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the sauce was flavorsome.

I was very happy with my choice — as was the rest of the group. There were clean plates all around!

Bottom Line: Opening and service times for Temple Court and the areas within it depend on the day of the week, so it’s worth heading over to the hotel’s website to double-check and make a reservation. It’s safe to say that a lovely evening was had by all and I’d highly recommend a visit to Temple Court if you’re in town.

Service

My interactions with the hotel staff were minimal as I didn’t spend much time in the hotel and didn’t have breakfast at the restaurant.

However, the night we had dinner at Temple Court, the many members of the waitstaff who tended our table were super-professional. From explaining the intricate details of our dishes to making sure drinks were topped up to crumbing down the table, we were very well looked after.

Final Thoughts

The only complaint I have about my stay at The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel is that it wasn’t long enough.

I loved how different the hotel felt from others that I’ve stayed at in New York. The old-school charm, history, and character of the decades-old building gave a sense that you’d almost gone back in time.

That said, the design still had a contemporary edge which meant it didn’t feel outdated.

The room, though not to my modern, minimalist taste, was beautifully designed and I loved every minute I spent there.

The Beekman is also one for the foodies — the dining experience I had at Temple Court was one of the best meals I’ve eaten in New York.

The final box that The Beekman ticks was the location. I can completely understand that the Financial District likely won’t be at the top of the list of neighborhoods for tourists — especially first-timers to the city. But, for me, as a regular New York visitor, The Beekman was the perfect base for exploring a neighborhood of Manhattan that I knew very little about, but that now I cannot wait to go back and get to know some more.

I’ll definitely pay The Beekman a visit next time I’m in The Big Apple.