I’ve booked clients here for years, and after so much praise from friends within Four Seasons and from those clients, I wanted to see it for myself. Having lived at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong for almost five years, I know the brand well, and I can see why this property has such a loyal following.

Contemporary, polished, and discreet, the hotel has long attracted business travelers, athletes, and entertainers, but it’s increasingly popular with families, too.

First Impressions: An Understated Entrance and a Striking Lobby

Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown opened in 2016 and occupies the first 24 floors of an 82-story limestone tower designed by Robert A.M. Stern. It sits next to the historic Woolworth Building, where Tribeca meets the Financial District.

The hotel has 185 rooms and suites, with private residences occupying the floors above. Travel + Leisure readers named it one of the best hotels in New York City in the 2026 World’s Best Awards.

The entrance on Barclay Street, just a block from the World Trade Center, is so understated that I walked right past it before realizing where it was. My friend did the same.

Inside, the sleek lobby reminds me of some of the Four Seasons hotels I’ve stayed at in Asia, with marble, dark wood, steel artwork, and orchids and floral arrangements adding color. The overall look is restrained, and that same aesthetic carries throughout the hotel. It’s luxurious without calling attention to itself, which feels very Downtown New York.

My Tribeca Suite at Four Seasons New York Downtown

I was escorted to my suite and given a walkthrough of the room, from how the lighting worked to some of the more unusual design features. I appreciated this because Four Seasons has thoughtfully redesigned many of the accommodations here, and there are details you might easily overlook.

For example, I never would have known to open the cube in the living room that looks like something out of a James Bond film. Inside is a fully stocked bar where you could mix a martini or a tequila cocktail. It’s the kind of piece I’d love to have in my own home.

The whole suite has a mid-century modern feel, and so do many of the hotel’s refreshed suites. The hotel is young, yet it has already updated these rooms with a little more color, added tastefully, and I love the result.

The Tribeca Suite is on the 23rd floor and includes a living and dining area, a king bedroom, a kitchenette, and a private terrace.

Small, Practical Touches

Beyond the color, the details are small and practical, starting with a magnetic iPhone charger next to the bed and a catchall for jewelry and watches.

Instead of a full-size ironing board, the closet holds a small one that is easy to pull out and use, along with a steamer. The floor-to-ceiling mirror looks like a flat panel until you notice it unfolds into a trifold, so you can see yourself from several angles.

The living room has games on the table, including checkers, plus a vintage record player, an Eames-style chair, and a proper dining table.

The suite has a full marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub and a separate shower, plus a guest bathroom with a shower to the right as you walk in. The main bathroom is well stocked, with a Dyson hair dryer, makeup towelettes, and a toothbrush in case you forgot to pack one.

The kitchenette has a microwave, a sink, a mini fridge that doubles as the minibar, and coffee and tea. We could fit our own things in the fridge alongside the minibar items. Cabinets are just as well stocked, with mugs, coffee cups, champagne glasses, wine glasses, and plates.

The Bedroom and the Terrace

The bedroom has a table, which I quite liked. You do not think you need a table in a bedroom until you have one and realize you use it all the time. The drapes are motorized, and the blackout shades are truly blackout.

My one rookie mistake was leaving the bathroom door open at night, because the bathroom has no blackout shade. We still slept very well because, on the 23rd floor, we heard almost none of the sirens and street noise you hear everywhere else in the city.

My usual orthopedic pillow and soft mattress topper requests, which have been on my profile for decades, were already in place.

Closet space is generous. Drawer space is modest for a suite this size, though there are plenty of luggage racks. We were moving my daughter into her dorm at NYU shortly after this stay and had arrived with a lot of luggage. Housekeeping noticed and brought extra luggage racks without being asked.

The main feature of this suite, and of the two other terrace suites in the hotel, is the small private terrace with a little seating. Standing on it, I could see part of the Oculus and One World Trade Center, and at golden hour the view is beautiful.

A Drink Before Dinner, and Nasi Goreng After

A welcome amenity was waiting when we arrived: NYU macarons, rosé, fruit, and water. Because I had all of this space, a college friend I was meeting for dinner came up to the suite first, and we had a glass of rosé in the living room before walking to the Seaport.

My daughter loved the macarons. If you’re traveling for a reason, like a college move-in, tell us, and we’ll share it with the hotel team.

When I came back, my daughter was hungry, so we ordered one of our all-time favorite room service dishes, nasi goreng, the Indonesian fried rice. It was delicious, and I highly recommend it as a late-night snack.

Who Stays Here, and Why It Feels So Private

I didn’t pass a single other guest in the hallways, even on a busy Friday night, and saw only a few in the elevators. The hotel’s layout naturally keeps guests out of each other’s way, which I suspect is part of its appeal to professional athletes and people in the entertainment industry.

It’s also why certain sections of the hotel work so well for multigenerational families or groups of friends. You can book a stretch of rooms together and feel like you have your own private corner of the hotel.

The hotel once catered primarily to Wall Street business travelers, but I had a long conversation with the team about how that has changed. Today, the mix includes many more leisure travelers and families. The hotel has adapted its accommodations to better suit them, and the neighborhood has become a destination in its own right.

Which Room to Book at Four Seasons New York Downtown

The guest rooms here are large for New York. I saw one, and it was nicely appointed, with a furnished bar, a very large white marble bathroom with a soaking tub and a separate shower, double sinks, and the same trifold mirror I had in the suite. I would happily stay in one.

Occupancy decides the room here. The hotel has no rollaway beds, and a crib is the only extra bed, so the king rooms all sleep two, three people need two double beds or a suite with a sofa bed, and four need a suite with a sofa bed, a two-bedroom suite, or connecting rooms. Start with who is sleeping where:

• Two adults: any room or suite.
• Up to two adults and a child: a Manhattan, SoHo Premier, or Hudson Corner Room with two double beds, or the Liberty or Oculus Suite for more space.
• A family of four (up to four adults): the Liberty Suite or the Oculus Suite, each with a king and a sofa bed, or one of the two-bedroom suites.
• A family of five: a one-bedroom suite with a sofa bed plus a connecting king room, a setup I have seen and liked. Ask us for available two-bedroom suites during your dates.
• Outdoor space: the Gotham Terrace Suite, the Tribeca Suite, or the Metropolis Suite, the three suites with a private terrace.
• A kitchen with a stove: the Greenwich and Trinity Two-Bedroom Suites, with kitchenettes that include a two-burner stove.

I toured a variety of rooms and suites during my last stay. I have a good sense of what works for different trips.

Guest Rooms

Suites

Suites With a Terrace

The Empire Suite and Accessible Rooms

The Empire Suite occupies half of the 24th floor and includes 2,400 square feet, a dining table for ten, a media room, and a kitchen. The hotel also lists five accessible rooms and suites, including a Liberty Accessible Suite and an Oculus Accessible Suite with sofa beds. Ask us, and we can help you find the right one.

Connecting Rooms for Families

The hotel has no rollaway beds, so families of four or more often request connecting rooms. Guest rooms connect through a shared outer door rather than an interior connecting door.

I like this setup because you can leave both room doors open and close the outer door to the main hallway, creating a private foyer between the rooms with one exterior door instead of having two rooms, each with exterior doors leading directly into a hallway. Our clients find this easier when traveling with kids.

Two-bedroom suites can have internal connecting doors. Send us your dates, and we’ll work with the hotel to find the best connecting room arrangement for your family or group.

Dining at Four Seasons New York Downtown

CUT by Wolfgang Puck

CUT is the hotel’s one restaurant, a modern steakhouse just off the lobby with its own entrance on Church Street, and it serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a bar menu in between. I had eaten a huge lunch that day, so all I wanted for dinner was something small.

I sat at the bar with my computer on a Friday night, had a large martini and the steak tartare, and could not have been happier.

I had worried CUT would be a scene, because I wanted to fly under the radar that night, but early in the evening it was surprisingly quiet. It is a comfortable room with red velvet booths and friendly service, where people were having a couple of drinks and a few hotel guests were in for a bite.

The tartare was excellent. So were the cheese rolls that arrived first, about the size of a doughnut hole and good enough that I ate both of them, even though I was avoiding gluten by choice. They need no butter.

In-Room Dining

In-room dining runs 24 hours. In true Four Seasons style, the breakfast was excellent. I ordered what I think is called the New York breakfast, the breakfast set with a bagel and lox. I had just come from Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, and what I noticed at both hotels is that the Four Seasons breakfast menu has evolved. You now have more choices, like matcha lattes and avocado dishes.

There’s also a children’s menu. If you book through us with Preferred Partner benefits, you can have your daily breakfast for two at CUT or through in-room dining.

The Spa, the Lap Pool, and the Fitness Center

The hotel’s spa has seven treatment rooms, including a couples’ suite, and offers more than 30 treatments, from massages and body rituals to advanced facials. The skincare lineup includes 111SKIN, Augustinus Bader, and Omorovicza. I’ve been seeing 111SKIN at more luxury hotels lately, including The Plaza, and received some of its products at Four Seasons Mallorca at turndown. My skin looks incredible every time I use one of their products.

The facilities go beyond the treatment rooms, with eucalyptus steam rooms, an infrared sauna, and an outdoor relaxation terrace. The spa also offers more specialized treatments, including cryotherapy facials and recovery-focused massages.

The 75-foot indoor lap pool has three lanes, natural light, and plenty of lounging areas.

I’ve become a much more regular hotel gym user, and this is one of my favorite hotel fitness centers anywhere. It’s open 24 hours on the third floor, with large windows overlooking the Oculus and World Trade Center. At just over 2,100 square feet, it’s not enormous, but the equipment variety is excellent.

The recently renovated gym has Technogym cardio and strength equipment, free weights, and interactive weight machines that track your movement as you exercise. I particularly liked those machines because they make strength training feel almost like a game, and I don’t have to think about where to set my weight.

There’s also a separate exercise studio for private training and classes, with personal trainers available on request. Between the gym, pool, and recovery facilities, I can see why serious athletes appreciate staying here.

Traveling With a Pet

Dogs and cats under 25 pounds are welcome. The hotel provides leashes, bowls, and beds, with a pet menu on the in-room dining list. If your dog is a little over the limit, let us know before you book, and we will ask the hotel.

Tribeca, the Seaport, and the Oculus: What Is Nearby

One of my favorite things about New York City is that every visit feels different depending on where I stay. I come here often, and choosing a different neighborhood can make it feel like an entirely different trip.

I know some visitors hesitate to stay this far Downtown, especially if most of what they associate with New York is in Midtown or around Central Park. But Lower Manhattan (I prefer it) has so much to do that you could easily spend an entire vacation exploring this part of the city. You don’t have to set foot in Midtown to have a quintessential New York experience.

The Oculus, Santiago Calatrava’s striking white transit hub, is just a block from the hotel. It’s also home to the Westfield World Trade Center shopping center, so there’s plenty of indoor shopping nearby.

I spent quite a bit of time around the Seaport during my stay, and it’s one of my favorite parts of Lower Manhattan. I had an unbelievably good lunch with a friend from the hotel at The Fulton, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s seafood restaurant at Pier 17, and loved dinner with a college friend at Industry Kitchen along the East River waterfront. The whole area is fantastic for walking, dining, and enjoying the Brooklyn Bridge views, and it’s an easy walk from the hotel.

The Seaport is also home to the Tin Building and the Balloon Museum. Closer to the hotel is Mercer Labs, an immersive art and technology museum.

I did some shopping around Tribeca in between, and SoHo, the West Village, and Battery Park are all a short walk or cab ride away. With children, the SeaGlass Carousel in Battery Park is an easy outing.

Getting around the city is easy, too. The 2, 3, A, C, E, R, and W trains all stop at one connected station a block or two from the hotel. Fulton Center and the PATH trains to New Jersey are less than ten minutes away on foot.

By car, the hotel is roughly 45 minutes from LaGuardia or Newark and about an hour from JFK, depending on traffic.

If you’re in town for a game or show, the concierge can arrange tickets. Madison Square Garden is approximately 20 minutes away by car, while Barclays Center is about 15 minutes, depending on traffic. The hotel also offers complimentary drop-offs in its house car within a two-mile radius, subject to availability.

Who Four Seasons New York Downtown Is For (and Who It Isn’t)

Stay here if you want a Four Seasons in Lower Manhattan, with the World Trade Center, Tribeca, and SoHo nearby and Midtown a short car or subway ride away. It’s especially appealing if you value privacy, since the hotel’s layout means you rarely cross paths with other guests.

It’s also a great choice for families who need connecting rooms or a suite with a sofa bed, including parents visiting students at NYU. The neighborhood has plenty to keep you busy for an extended stay, whether you’re traveling with family or friends.

If you’re looking for something special, a terrace suite offers the rare luxury of private outdoor space in Manhattan.

Consider another hotel if you prefer multiple restaurants and bars under one roof. CUT is the hotel’s only restaurant, so you’ll be heading into the neighborhood for more variety. And if your ideal New York stay means stepping outside to Central Park or the shops along Fifth Avenue, Four Seasons Hotel New York in Midtown may be a better fit.

I’ll happily stay here again in any room category.

Frequently Asked Questions

Choosing between downtown hotels? My Mercer Hotel review covers the SoHo loft option and my Nine Orchard review the Lower East Side. Parents will want my list of the best hotels near NYU.

Sofitel New York is a polished four-star hotel with comfortable, newly renovated rooms, a surprisingly quiet atmosphere for Midtown, and a location that puts much of Manhattan within walking distance.

I booked through Accor Preferred, as I do for my clients, so I could experience the same benefits firsthand.

Arrival and First Impressions

I arrived at Sofitel New York after a trip through Spain, where I’d stayed at Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental hotels. Sofitel is a step down in luxury, but it’s also priced accordingly. For a polished four-star hotel in this part of Midtown, I think it offers very good value, particularly after the renovation.

The hotel has a darker color scheme than many recently renovated properties, though that’s not unusual in New York. My room’s entryway has dark gray walls, and I needed the lights on even with the curtains open. The lobby has a similarly subdued feel.

It was pouring rain when I arrived, and a bellman swiftly saw me and came outside to collect my luggage. Check-in was easy, and the staff are friendly and helpful. The lobby has several seating areas, a lovely floral arrangement, and separate concierge and reception desks.

The front desk walked me through my Accor Preferred benefits. Because I’m also an Accor Gold member, they reminded me that my complimentary drink vouchers were available in the Accor app.

The bellman who delivered my luggage took the time to show me around the room, too.

My Luxury King Room at Sofitel New York

I booked a Superior King and was assigned room 1801, a Luxury King. The front desk didn’t specifically mention an upgrade, but I recognized it as one.

The renovation refreshed the guest rooms with updated paneling and furniture.

One of my favorite features was the black lacquered desk, which I used quite a bit during my stay. It has a built-in outlet and a comfortable chair, along with a phone, writing pad, and in-room dining menu. It’s a proper workspace, which isn’t always easy to find in hotel rooms anymore.

There’s also a sitting area with two club chairs and a table, and I liked the lacquered closet doors. The bed was very comfortable, and I slept well.

The room was well stocked, with plenty of storage and thoughtful extras:

• Minibar: Fully stocked with snacks, drinks, miniature liquor bottles, and a wine opener.
• Coffee: An espresso maker with regular and decaf coffee, paper cups, sugar, and stir sticks. The powdered creamer wasn’t my favorite.
• Coffee maker instructions: A small detail I appreciated. Even though I’ve owned a Nespresso machine and used plenty in hotels, they’re not always intuitive.
• Closet amenities: A clothes steamer, Sofitel robes, slippers, a safe, extra blankets, and laundry bags.
• Other useful extras: A voltage converter, sewing kit, shoe mitts, and lint brushes.
• Bedside conveniences: Outlets on both sides of the bed, an alarm clock radio, and temperature controls.

These were the amenities in my Luxury King. I’ve seen recent guest reports of rooms without coffee makers, so I’d confirm with the hotel if that’s important to you.

Two more things to know about the room:

• Lights and curtains: There isn’t a master switch to turn off all the lights, and the curtains are manual rather than motorized. However, the blackout curtains work extremely well. Very little light came through, which is something I always appreciate.
• Luggage rack: One thing I missed was a luggage rack. I prefer not to put my suitcase on the floor, but I didn’t have another option here.

Instead of bottled water, the room has a glass carafe and two drinking glasses. Each floor has a water refill station, similar to the setup I’ve seen at W New York Union Square.

Mine was conveniently located on the same side of the hallway as my room. I appreciate the effort to reduce plastic waste, although guests accustomed to bottled water in their rooms may feel differently.

The View and the Quiet

I didn’t have much of a view. My windows looked out at other buildings and a neighboring rooftop’s air conditioning units.

I didn’t mind, because the room was dead quiet, which is rare in New York City. It sat at the end of the hallway, and I believe it was a corner room.

West 44th Street is a one-way street, fairly quiet for Midtown. Still, if something is happening outside and your room faces the street, you will hear it, like the bands warming up nearby for the Columbus Day Parade during my stay.

The Bathroom

The bathroom is the part of my room that didn’t feel like it changed much during the renovation. It has a walk-in shower and a separate tub. It has a single sink with plenty of counter space and a hair dryer.

The Diptyque toiletries are full size, and they are good. My hair felt great, and I always love the Diptyque lotion.

The bathroom is also stocked with things you may have forgotten to pack, like cotton swabs and shower caps, which is becoming rarer in hotels. Overall, the bathroom is fine with excellent lighting (better than the five star hotel I was at the night before my stay here).

For the price I paid for my Superior King, I am happy with the stay. I’d estimate it cost half, or even a quarter, of what a five-star hotel in Midtown costs.

Which Room to Book

Sofitel New York has 398 rooms and suites, including 52 one-bedroom suites. Accor lists every room type except the suites at 344 square feet, so the main differences are the floor, the view, and the beds.

• For two: a Superior or Luxury King. The city view from my Luxury King on the 18th floor was mostly neighboring buildings.
• For a skyline view: a Signature Skyline View room on a high floor.
• For a family of four: a room with two queen beds, the Executive King with its sofa bed, or connecting rooms through my request form.

Book any of these rooms with the Accor Preferred rate in our booking tool. For connecting rooms, like the pair that shared my hallway door, use my luxury hotel request form, and my team will confirm the setup with the hotel for your dates.

Social 45: Breakfast and the Bar

Social 45 is the hotel’s bar and bistro, added in the renovation. They serve breakfast there, and it was included with my Accor Preferred benefits.

One day I had a power bowl with eggs, and the next day I had a vegetable omelet with arugula. Both came out fast, which I appreciate. The service was very friendly.

The bar is in the same space. It is pretty quiet and doesn’t have a huge New York bar scene, which I liked.

The West 44th Street Location

Sofitel New York is on West 44th Street. It sits between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, on the same block as the New York Yacht Club, the Harvard Club, and the Algonquin and Iroquois hotels.

You can walk almost everywhere from here, and walking is part of the New York experience. Times Square is around the corner in one direction. Fifth Avenue is around the corner in the other, and Madison Avenue is one block past it.

On this trip we walked to MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art), the American Girl store, Rockefeller Center, and Central Park. We also walked up to the Upper East Side to meet friends and family for dinner.

When you’d rather not walk, the 42nd Street–Bryant Park subway station is about three minutes away on foot. Grand Central is about nine minutes on foot.

To me, this block feels less hectic than the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park, where The Plaza sits, and there is a lot going on. I love The Plaza for a different type of stay. This block still puts you in the heart of everything.

Fitness, Fees, and Practical Details

• Fitness: a fitness studio with Technogym equipment, open 24 hours. I didn’t use it.
• Spa: there is no spa.
• Urban Experience Fee: charged nightly, in addition to the room rate.
• Parking: valet parking, for an extra nightly charge.
• Pets: one dog up to 30 pounds per room, for an additional fee.
• Check-in and check-out: 3 p.m. and 11 a.m.

What Recent Guests Mention

Since the renovation, a few things come up again and again in guest reviews:

• Service gets the most praise, especially the breakfast team, the doormen, and housekeeping. I agree with this.
• Several guests say the bathrooms were not updated as much as the rooms.
• Accor ALL elite members report mixed experiences with room upgrades. If you have elite status, I recommend booking through Accor Preferred to maximize your chances of an upgrade by combining your loyalty status with the hotel’s travel advisor VIP benefits.

Who Sofitel New York Is For (and Who It Isn’t)

• Travelers who want to walk to Broadway, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, and MoMA from a quieter Midtown block.
• Anyone who needs to work from the room, because the desk setup is good.
• Families who need two queen beds, a sofa bed (in select rooms), or connecting rooms.
• Travelers who want a renovated four-star room in Midtown for well below five-star prices.

If you want a five-star bathroom, a spa, or a lively hotel bar, this is not your hotel. For a five-star stay in Midtown, start with my reviews of Four Seasons Hotel New York or The Plaza.

FAQs About Sofitel New York

I grew up in Southern California and have been going to Universal Studios Hollywood my whole life. The first decision is whether you also want the daytime park that day, because only a few of the event tickets include it.

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Dates

The night-by-night calendar is on Universal’s event page. Event nights start at 7 p.m., closing times vary by night, and single-night tickets are valid only on the date you select.

Which Halloween Horror Nights Ticket to Buy

1. Halloween Horror Nights General Admission

Best Deal For: Anyone who wants one night at the event and nothing else.

This is the event ticket on its own. It covers the date you choose, and the daytime park and early access are not part of it.

We sell it through aRes Travel, an authorized Universal Studios Hollywood seller based in San Diego that I have worked with for years. The price below is for the cheapest nights on the calendar, and it rises on busier dates the same way Universal’s own price does.

Universal’s event tickets are nonrefundable. Through our store, you can add ticket insurance for $25 at checkout and get a full refund if plans change.

2. The 2PM Day/Night Ticket

Best Deal For: Visitors who want the rides in daylight and the houses after dark on one ticket.

This ticket gets you into the park from 2 p.m. and covers the event the same night. It also includes early access to select haunted houses before the 7 p.m. start, which General Admission does not.

With General Admission, you enter at 7 p.m., so this is the version to buy if you want the daytime lineup on the same day.

Every Halloween Horror Nights Ticket Universal Sells

Universal’s own store lists nine event tickets and seven add-ons for 2026. The two above are the ones our store sells. Everything else is sold by Universal at the prices in this table, each a starting price for the cheapest nights.

Add-ons Each of these requires separate event admission for the same date, which our tickets provide, except the Unmasking the Horror tour, which requires daytime park admission.

Universal also sells hotel-and-ticket packages through its vacations division.

Universal Express at Halloween Horror Nights

Best Deal For: Seeing every house in one night.

Express access is a separate, shorter line at each haunted house and participating attraction. The standard version works once per house and attraction for the night, and Unlimited removes that limit. Neither includes early access.

Universal sells Express two ways:

• As a ticket. Event admission and the Express access bundled together, from Universal only.
• As an add-on. Express access attached to any event admission for the same date, including ours. Our General Admission plus Universal’s add-on comes out to about the same total as Universal’s own Express ticket.

The Express Select add-on is the budget version. It covers only the Terror Tram, The Purge: Dangerous Waters, and Killceañera, and it skips the other seven haunted houses, so it fits a night built around those three.

Whether Express pays off comes down to how many of the eight houses you want in one night and how much you mind waiting.

Going More Than Once: Frequent Fear and Ultimate Fear Passes

Best Deal For: Three or more event nights.

Only Universal sells its two multi-night passes. The Frequent Fear Pass covers up to 35 select nights, and the nights available depend on the first visit date you pick at purchase. The Ultimate Fear Pass covers every event night.

Against Universal’s lowest single-night price, the Frequent Fear Pass pays for itself on the third night and the Ultimate Fear Pass on the fourth. Neither includes daytime park admission or early access.

Pass Member, Military, and Membership Pricing for Halloween Horror Nights

Special pricing for the event is available online from Universal and through a few memberships.

• Buy online, on the cheaper nights. Universal prices every night separately and says online tickets save up to $40 against its front gate on select nights.
• Pass members. Universal offers special online pricing to annual and season pass holders on General Admission, Universal Express, and the After 2 pm Day/Night ticket. Platinum Annual Pass members get one General Admission night included in the pass’s first year, on select nights with an advance online reservation. After the first year, members on monthly FlexPay get one each year. The friends-and-family admission discount that pass members get on daytime tickets does not apply to this event.
• Military. Universal’s military page lists special pricing for the event, verified through ID.me online. It is not sold at the ticket booth.
• Sam’s Club. The member ticket portal lists 2026 event tickets, with prices behind the member login.
• Costco. Costco’s Universal Studios Hollywood listing is a season pass, and no daytime pass includes the event.
• AAA. AAA’s member ticket site lists both the General Admission and After 2PM tickets, with no fees at checkout.
• Go City and CityPASS. Both include daytime Universal admission on certain passes. Neither includes the event, because it is separately ticketed.

The 2026 Haunted Houses and Terror Tram

Eight houses and the Terror Tram make up this year’s lineup. Every house is a walk-through, and the Terror Tram is the backlot ride, themed for the event.

• Stranger Things 5. Based on the final season of the series, with the Hawkins characters, Demogorgons, and Vecna.
• Sinners. Based on the film, with its vampires.
• Hellraiser. Based on the original trilogy, with Pinhead and the Cenobites.
• Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness. A house built around the musician.
• Evil Dead Burn. Based on the new film, with Deadites in a family home.
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Based on the film, with its alien clowns.
• Killceañera: Music by SLASH. An original house set at a quinceañera.
• Dead, Deader, Deadest. An original house set in the Deville Family Funeral Home.
• Terror Tram starring Art the Clown. The backlot tram, taken over by Art the Clown for a Christmas-themed scare.

Scare Zones, Shows, and What Stays Open

Between the houses, Universal runs scare zones and roaming characters in the streets: a Fortnite zone called Fortnitemares, a chainsaw gang, a traveling circus, a swamp bog, a sideshow, a flock of crows, and Art the Clown loose in the park.

The Purge: Dangerous Waters is the stunt show. In the Wizarding World, Death Eaters roam Hogsmeade.

These daytime rides run during the event, according to Universal:

• Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, with SUPER NINTENDO WORLD open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Flight of the Hippogriff
• Revenge of the Mummy
• Transformers: The Ride-3D
• The Simpsons Ride

Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift runs during the event only for guests with Universal’s Hollywood Drift add-on or the R.I.P. Tour. The daytime Studio Tour is not on that list, and the Terror Tram runs on the backlot instead.

Themed food and drinks are sold at select locations, and some of them serve alcohol with ID checked. The Dining Pass in the table above covers two entrées and four smaller items for the night.

Know Before You Go

Arrival The rules Universal publishes for the gate and the houses.

• There is no minimum age. Universal recommends the event for mature audiences and not for anyone under 13.
• If you have daytime park admission the same day, you do not need to leave and come back. Show your event ticket at the front turnstiles for a wristband, and bring photo ID in case you are asked.
• You can upgrade a General Admission ticket to Universal Express or Express Unlimited on the day at the ticket booths or the Box Office inside the park, subject to availability.
• No outside food or drinks. No food, drinks, bottles, recording, flash photography, flashlights, or laser pens inside the houses.
• Line jumping gets you removed from the park, and holding places in line is not permitted. Do not touch the scareactors.
• Parking is not included with any event ticket. Gold and Platinum pass parking is not valid for entry after 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in September and October.

Costumes Allowed on event nights, within Universal’s costume policy.

• No costume masks, and nothing that covers the face. Face paint on no more than half the face, and no prosthetic makeup.
• Nothing that looks like a weapon or a uniform, nothing that imitates emergency personnel, and nothing that could be mistaken for part of the show.
• No smoke, fog, or sound effects, and no veils, trains, stilts, or oversized pieces. Costumes must fit through security screening, within 25 inches wide by 80 inches high.
• Universal can ask you to change or remove a costume at the gate or before a ride.

The full policy is on Universal’s policies page, and it can change without notice, so read it the week you go.

Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood FAQs

More Universal Studios Hollywood Planning

• How to buy Universal Studios Hollywood discount tickets, including the daytime ticket with a free second day
• Halloween at every Southern California theme park
• Hotels near Universal Studios Hollywood
• Universal Studios Hollywood tips and tricks

SeaWorld San Diego sells two kinds of repeat-visit admission: the Fun Card and three tiers of Annual Pass. We buy the Silver pass ourselves.

My short answer: if you drive to SeaWorld, buy a pass, because parking is included. If you don’t drive and can work around six blockout dates, the Fun Card costs less and runs through the end of 2027.

SeaWorld discounts these products year-round, and a flash sale can beat any price on this page on a given day.

Annual Pass or Fun Card: What’s the Difference?

The Fun Card is prepaid admission with blockout dates and nothing else attached. An Annual Pass is twelve months of admission that carries free parking, guest tickets, and in-park discounts, with no blockout dates on any tier.

Which one you buy comes down to parking and dates. Choose the Fun Card if you rarely drive to the park and none of your visits fall on a blockout date, because nothing else here gets you in for less. Choose a pass if you drive. A pass also carries no blockout dates, and it comes with guest tickets for the people you bring.

If you are visiting exactly once, my discount SeaWorld San Diego tickets post is the one to read instead.

2026 Prices and What Each Includes

The Fun Card price is what you pay through our own ticket store, where it runs $2 under SeaWorld’s $94.99. The pass prices are SeaWorld’s own, because our ticket store sells the Fun Card but not the annual passes. Regular rates are what you pay when no sale is running, and taxes and fees are added at checkout.

Daytime seasonal events are included with any of these, so a pass or Fun Card gets you into SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration and the Halloween Spooktacular on a regular visit. Howl-O-Scream is separately ticketed for everyone, pass members included.

Check what season the Sesame Place add-on actually covers before you buy it. SeaWorld’s own product listing names it a 2027 pass, while the benefit list on the page describes unlimited visits in 2026.

How Monthly Payments Work

SeaWorld calls its monthly plan EZpay, and it splits any Annual Pass into twelve payments at 0% APR. That is $14.00 a month for Silver, $15.50 for Gold, and $22.00 for Platinum.

The first payment is due the day you buy and eleven follow, so the yearly total matches the annual price before taxes and fees, which SeaWorld adds at checkout. The Fun Card has no monthly option.

Monthly payments make the most sense for local families who know they will visit across the year and would rather not put the whole cost on one charge.

The Break-Even Math

Using the prices above, here is when each option costs less than buying tickets one at a time.

• Fun Card, $92.99: It costs less than one $99.99 any-day ticket, and less than two of the cheapest $59.99 single-day tickets. It pays for itself on your second visit no matter how cheaply you buy, and then keeps going through 2027.
• Silver, $168: It costs $75.01 more than the Fun Card, and SeaWorld prices general parking in the mid-thirties a visit. Two visits with a car cover almost all of that, a third puts you clearly ahead, and the pass also carries in-park discounts and guest tickets the Fun Card does not.
• Gold, $186: The $18 a year over Silver buys two more guest tickets, a step up in every in-park discount, and the option to pay the difference for up-close parking. One redeemed guest ticket covers the $18 several times over.
• Platinum, $264: A Gold pass plus the Sesame Place add-on comes to $292.80, so Platinum costs $28.80 less than that pairing and still adds up-close parking, reserved show seating, a free single-ride Quick Queue each visit, and nine more parks around the country.

Which One Fits How You Visit

Pass Member Benefits in the Fine Print

These sit in the Pass Member Portal and the fine print, and they are where a pass earns its keep beyond admission and parking.

• Redeem guest tickets before you go. Friend-for-Free tickets are redeemed online in the Pass Member Portal, not at the gate, and each is valid only on the dates SeaWorld specifies for it. Learning that in the parking lot is how a free admission goes unused.
• Check the monthly member rewards. SeaWorld loads member-only offers every month, and Platinum members get an additional savings coupon each month on top. If you never open the app or portal, you never see them.
• Member-priced tickets appear at select times of the year. When you need an extra ticket beyond your free guest tickets, check the portal before buying at public prices.
• Parking works differently at each tier. All three park free in general parking. Gold lets you pay the difference to upgrade to up-close parking, and Platinum parks up close for free with its own park entrance.
• The Bayside Skyride is free with any pass. SeaWorld lists free Bayside Skyride access on Silver, Gold and Platinum. It is an upcharge attraction otherwise, so it is worth doing on a pass visit even if you would not pay for it.
• Every pass and Fun Card is photographed at the gate. SeaWorld takes your photo on the first visit and matches it on every entry after that, which means a pass or Fun Card cannot be shared around the family.

Visiting Just Once?

A single visit almost never justifies a pass, and pairing SeaWorld with the Zoo or LEGOLAND changes the math again. My comparison of every single-visit ticket is the place to start, and the CityPASS and Go City routes cover the multi-attraction trips.

FAQs About SeaWorld San Diego Annual Passes

Can I pay for a SeaWorld San Diego pass monthly?

Yes. SeaWorld’s EZpay plan splits Silver, Gold, and Platinum into 12 monthly payments at 0% APR, currently $14.00, $15.50, and $22.00. The first payment is due the day you buy, and taxes and fees are added at checkout. The Fun Card cannot be paid monthly.

What happens after the 12-month commitment?

EZpay continues automatically on a month-to-month basis until you cancel, and your pass stays active while you pay. If you don’t want a second year, cancel after the twelfth payment.

Do any passes include Sesame Place San Diego?

The Platinum Pass includes Sesame Place San Diego as one of its 11 parks. Silver and Gold members can add a Sesame Place season pass for $112.80 and $106.80 respectively, though SeaWorld’s product listing names that add-on a 2027 pass while the benefit list on the page describes 2026 visits, so confirm the season it covers before you add it. A standalone 2-Park Season Pass covers both San Diego parks for $199.99 through January 3, 2028.

Do the passes or Fun Card have blockout dates?

The passes do not, and the Fun Card does. Silver, Gold and Platinum are all sold as unlimited visits with no blockout dates. The Fun Card’s 2027 blockout dates are 5/24, 7/4, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25 and 8/30. This is the clearest practical difference between the two products.

Does the SeaWorld San Diego Fun Card include parking?

No. SeaWorld states plainly that parking is not included with the Fun Card, and the Fun Card carries no food, merchandise or guest-ticket discounts either. Free general parking starts with the Silver Annual Pass, and it is the main reason a pass costs more than a Fun Card.

Does the Fun Card renew automatically?

Yes. SeaWorld’s Fun Card terms say it renews on your one-year anniversary at the recurring annual price listed in your payment agreement unless you cancel first. The Annual Passes renew automatically too. If you only want the one year, set a reminder before the anniversary date.

Is a SeaWorld pass the same as a membership?

SeaWorld calls its products Annual Passes and Fun Cards rather than memberships. If you are used to San Diego Zoo memberships, the Annual Pass is the closest equivalent.

Do passes include Howl-O-Scream?

No. SeaWorld’s pass terms give access to seasonal in-park events but exclude separately ticketed ones, and they name Howl-O-Scream as the example. Daytime seasonal events, including the Christmas Celebration and the Halloween Spooktacular, are included with pass and Fun Card admission.

Are there military or teacher passes?

Active-duty military can buy a Military Silver Pass for $113, and free-admission offers for active duty and veterans run through Waves of Honor. My discount tickets guide covers how the military offers work. SeaWorld’s teacher page now says registration for the 2026 Teacher Fun Card has ended, and the 2026 Preschool Fun Card required a first visit by May 31, 2026 to activate, so neither is a route this year.

Whichever you choose, buy while a sale is running. The Fun Card currently runs through the end of 2027 whenever you buy it, and a pass starts its 12 months on the day you buy, so there is no advantage to waiting once you know which one you want. See the SeaWorld San Diego hub for everything else we’ve written about the park.

I came down as a Hyatt Privé top producer, ahead of a roundtable Hyatt runs with its general managers and executives. That is also why I spent part of the stay touring rooms around The Cape that I wasn’t sleeping in.

The Cape fits a specific traveler: chic, cool, well-priced luxury boutique. It holds one MICHELIN Key. The design, by Mexico City architect Javier Sanchez, runs cohesively from the open-air lobby through the rooms, the restaurants, and the residences, and it is one of the most stylish hotels in Los Cabos.

Two things decide whether The Cape suits you. The beach is a surf break, not a swimming beach. And in the standard rooms, including the two-queens, a sheer drape is all that separates the shower from the bed. Both are easy to plan around, and they matter most for families with young children and for friends sharing a room.

My Deluxe Ocean View King Room at The Cape

Mine is a big room with a big bathroom, and the first thing you notice is the copper freestanding tub, which sits in the room itself. The rain shower is huge, with two showerheads. The bathroom is stocked with the small things many hotels have quietly dropped: toothbrushes, cotton swabs, shower caps, full-size bath products. Robes and slippers are in the closet, along with a luggage rack, and there’s an iron and ironing board (no steamer).

Here’s the part to plan around: the bathroom is open-concept. Very sheer drapes separate the bedroom from the tub and bathing area, and if you leave them open, whoever is in the tub, and especially the glass shower with the light on at night, is in full view of the room.

For couples it’s fine, but the two-queen rooms have the same layout, so keep this in mind when traveling with friends.

The rest of the room has a small closet, a chest of drawers, a working desk with a drawer, and a minibar with beer, coconut water, spirits, and candy (no soda). Instead of plastic bottles, you get refillable water bottles with glassware, and the water tastes great, which is genuinely not a worry at Cabo resorts these days. My Hyatt Privé welcome amenity was a decently sized bottle of Cape tequila with spiced mango, and if you don’t drink alcohol, we can have it customized to something else.

The terrace has one of those hanging sofa swings, and I actually used it with my laptop open, a cocktail nearby, and the ocean in front. And then there’s the bed. Thompson is known for its beds, and this one, with its pillows, gave me some of the best hotel sleep I’ve had, and I don’t always sleep well in hotels.

Which Room to Book at The Cape

The Cape has 159 guestrooms, all with private terraces and ocean or garden views, plus a collection of residences that deserve their own section below. You can browse every category with 3D virtual tours on The Cape’s site. These are the categories I’m asked about most.

Max occupancy varies by category, and the hotel enforces it, so confirm your party fits before you book. King rooms and suites have a maximum of two people, and two queen rooms can sleep up to two adults and two children. For three adults or more, you’ll need a residence or connecting rooms.

Connecting and Adjoining Options

These configurations are the options when you’re traveling with more than two adults:

• Thompson Suite connecting to a Deluxe Two Queens guestroom
• Thompson Suite with Plunge Pool connecting to a Deluxe Two Queens guestroom
• One Bedroom Residence with a Superior King guestroom as a detached lock-off

These book up, so we arrange them well in advance. And when connecting rooms aren’t available, we can try to block rooms next to each other.

The Residences Are the Quiet Standout

I toured a junior suite, a suite, and three of the residences, which Thompson also calls villas. At many hotels, the residences feel disconnected from the main resort because they’re a bit further afield. Here they sit in a separate building overlooking the heart of the resort. I could walk from a residence to the pool or the restaurants in the same time it took from my own room, or less.

They’re beautifully furnished in Mexican contemporary style, with high ceilings, fully equipped kitchens, and pull-out sofas in the living areas, and they don’t have the open-concept bathroom situation. If privacy and space are the priority, this is the answer, and it’s a great call for a group: a milestone celebration, a girls’ trip like a bachelorette party, or a few couples traveling together.

The ground-floor Garden View residences also tend to suit guests traveling with pets, and many have plunge pools. Bed configurations: the Garden View Two Bedroom has a king in each bedroom, and the Ocean View Two Bedroom has one king bedroom and one with two queens, which the hotel itself calls ideal for shared stays.

The flagship Oceanfront Surfer Residence sleeps up to eight and is two stories and three bedrooms, with a private fitness room and sauna, a giant patio with a barbecue and plunge pool, a media room, and a walk-out to the resort.

The Penthouse Residence sleeps up to six and adds a 3,000-square-foot rooftop terrace with a grill, fire pit, plunge pool, and air-conditioned living room. The Ocean View Three Bedroom also sleeps six, which is the first option to check if you are trying to fit a group.

Residence inclusions are tiered and get richer with size, which is worth reading closely before you choose one:

• Every residence: daily breakfast at The Ledge, private in-residence check-in, a dedicated concierge, one selected cocktail per person daily at the Sunken Bar, chef’s nightly turndown snacks, and a tequila welcome amenity.
• Two-bedroom residences add: a spa credit, morning bread and coffee delivery, and a daily minibar refill.
• Three-bedroom residences add: a complimentary cabana day and an in-residence guacamole and salsa class with a chef.
• The Penthouse and the Oceanfront Surfer add: private airport transfers and surfboard rentals, with the Surfer also including a personal training session and amenities for children and pets.

Eating and Drinking at The Cape

Food is where Thompson shines. At The Cape, that starts with Manta, the restaurant from Enrique Olvera, one of Mexico’s best-known chefs.

Manta

Manta is the signature restaurant, conceived by Enrique Olvera of Pujol in Mexico City and Cosme in New York, with chef de cuisine Abisai Sanchez. The menu draws on Mexico, Peru, and Japan and is built on local Baja ingredients.

I had the sashimi, a deceptively simple salad of yuzu, lettuce, and avocado where every single leaf carried flavor; and the tuna and tuna belly with ponzu and habanero, which is the dish nearly everyone orders. The mushroom dumplings (suggested by the front desk) arrive in a dashi broth with cotija cheese inside, which sounds odd but works perfectly. There’s also a five-course chef’s menu, and as a World of Hyatt Globalist I was sent a small appetizer and dessert bite, which was a fun touch.

The Ledge

The Ledge is where breakfast happens, with the same panoramic ocean view as everything else here. Breakfast is a semi-buffet: fruit, chia pudding, mini pastries, green juice, and empanada-style bites to graze, then fresh coffee poured at the table and a choice of entrees.

I had the chilaquiles one morning and scrambled eggs another, and their famous Cape toast, their take on French toast, is delicious. Two house-made salsas land on the table with the dishes that warrant them, including a habanero that’s full of flavor (a few dots is perfect for me). Eat on the patio if you can.

The Sunken Bar

The Sunken Bar sits in the center of the open-air lobby, facing the ocean, and it’s where I caught up on email over lunch. The server recommended the ceviche: giant chunks of white fish marinated in citrus and lime with fresh corn and sweet potato, and it was outstanding.

The Rooftop

The Rooftop, on the sixth floor, has the best views in the hotel, with sofa seating along the perimeter, glass walls against the wind, and a corner table everyone wants for photos. The mezcal margarita is excellent, and when I was there, the DJ played at a volume you could talk over, which I appreciated.

More Dining

Point Break is the swim-up bar and restaurant at the main pool, and room service held its own too. My carne asada tacos were very good. Turndown brings two little cookies per person, chocolate chip one night, birthday cake the next.

The Spa and Wellness

The spa is not large, but I had one of the best massages of my luxury-hotel life here, easily top ten, and I treat hotel spas as part of the job. Every stroke felt like it had a purpose, there was a bit of stretching worked in, and I upgraded with hot stones, which I recommend. Afterward you’re taken to the relaxation area, which is coed and open-air (bring a bathing suit), with plunge pools, comfortable seating, flavored water, and in my case a little matcha cake. There’s a modest spa shop, and the larger retail shop upstairs covers the sundresses and hats you forgot to pack.

Thompson leans into wellness generally: the hotel runs cooking and mixology classes, and yoga classes appear on the schedule through the year.

Pools, Beach, and Gym

There are two pools. The main infinity pool is the social hub, lined with cabanas and served by Point Break, and it’s where guests park for the day. During my stay there was even an early morning happy hour from 8:30 to 10:30, and more power to you if you’re on vacation. The second is a saltwater pool below the spa and gym, designed to mimic the ocean.

The beach itself, Monumentos, is a surf break. No one stops you from walking in, but it is not a swimming beach, and during my unusually windy stay the surf was huge. I wouldn’t have gone near the shoreline.

Nobody at this hotel seems to mind, and you swim in the pools. Experienced surfers treat Monumentos as a destination, and I’m told competitions are held here. In season, the whale migration is visible from the rooms, The Ledge, and the Sunken Bar.

The gym shares the same panoramic view as the rooms, out to El Arco and the surf, and it’s well equipped: a Peloton, more bikes, treadmills, an elliptical, free weights, medicine balls, and a couple of machines. It’s also well air-conditioned, which matters to me in tropical climates.

Staying at The Cape With Kids

The Cape is primarily a couples and adults hotel, but families do stay, and I saw quite a few. There just aren’t kids’ amenities: no kids’ menus, no club, no programming, though the hotel runs more kid-friendly activations over the holidays.

If your kids are easygoing and happy spending the day with you, you’re fine. If they need a resort built around them, a different Los Cabos property serves you better. My Los Cabos luxury resorts roundup covers the ones I book, including swimmable-beach options. For families who do choose The Cape, the connecting configurations and residences above solve the space and privacy questions.

Getting There

The Cape is about 40 minutes from Los Cabos International Airport (SJD) and roughly 10 minutes from downtown Cabo San Lucas. After you collect your bags, clear customs, and pass the taxi touts, you cross a small street to where the hotel drivers wait.

Mine was ready, and the handoff was flawless. The drive is easy, well paved, and civilized, and the property is gated, with the driver giving your name and room at the gate so arrival feels seamless.

Who The Cape Is For (and Who It Isn’t)

The Cape is for couples first: honeymooners, occasion travelers, and design lovers who want a comfortable bed, exceptional food, and one of the better hotel spas in Los Cabos instead of a kids’ club and a splash pad.

It’s an option I really like for upscale group stays in Cabo for friends (ideal for girlfriend getaways or a few couples traveling together). Most Thompson hotels are city properties, in places like New York, Chicago, and Austin. The Cape is a resort Thompson and one of the brand’s flagships, so loyalists will feel at home immediately.

It’s not for you if you want to swim at the beach (Monumentos is for watching and for expert surfers), if you’re traveling with young children who need dedicated programming outside the holidays, or if you need full bathroom privacy in a shared standard room.

FAQs About Staying at The Cape

Weighing other Los Cabos options? If an all-inclusive is on your list, see my Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos review.

I have been a San Diego Zoo member for years, and October is the month a regular ticket gives visitors the most value between this event and the annual Kids Free San Diego. (The latter allows up to six kids ages 11 and under per adult with valid admission to enter for free!)

Exploring the Zoo after dark is not something you can do year-round, which is what makes this event special. Lights and entertainment go up, and it feels nothing like the Zoo you walked through that afternoon.

HalGLOWeen Dates and Hours for 2026

This year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, so the schedule runs straight through Halloween night.

• Event nights: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in October 2026, 14 nights in all, including Halloween
• Zoo hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on event nights, against a 6 p.m. close Monday through Thursday. HalGLOWeen activities begin at 5 p.m.
• Cost: Included with any valid admission
• Where: Five areas, most of them near the entrance

An event night buys three extra hours on the same ticket. Sunset falls around 6:30 p.m. in early October and closer to 6 p.m. by Halloween, so activities start while it is still light, and the glow only works once the sun is down. If your kids can manage a later night, the hours after sunset are the ones you came for.

Showtimes shift a little from year to year, and the Zoo posts the current schedule on its HalGLOWeen page, so check it the week you go.

What to Expect After Dark

The entertainment is staged in five areas, but it is not spread evenly. Eleven of the twelve acts happen in the areas nearest the entrance, along Front Street, Centennial Plaza, Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, and the Outback.

Only the strolling mariachi is deeper in, at Elephant Odyssey, so you can catch most of the evening without walking the whole Zoo.

Shows repeat every hour or so through the evening, so the order you walk through it in doesn’t matter much.

Three things worth planning around before the sun goes down:

• The pandas: see them before the event starts, because that is when you can see them. In my experience, they are not usually super close to the glass, so you want the daylight.
• The Skyfari: runs daily from 10 a.m. to close, which makes it a quick way to cross the park once it is dark.
• Dinner: you will be there through the dinner hour, and my guide to where to eat at the San Diego Zoo covers the options inside the park.

Who HalGLOWeen Is Good For, and How to Do It

It suits three kinds of visitor, and the way you run the day changes with each.

• Locals with a membership: something new at a place we go year-round, and your parking is free once your plate is registered.
• Visitors who lose the morning: if you cannot get to the Zoo until the afternoon, the 9 p.m. close turns a late start into a full visit.
• Families with a napper: if you are staying downtown or in Mission Valley, come first thing, have your hands stamped at the exit on your way out, go back to the hotel for the nap, and return through the main turnstiles that evening with your ticket and stamp. Members show a membership card and ID instead.

Zoo Tickets and October’s Kids Free Offer

If your kids are 11 or younger, adult tickets are the whole October purchase:

• The offer: Up to six children ages 11 and under enter free with each adult who has valid admission.
• What counts: A day ticket, a membership, or a sightseeing pass. There is nothing to register and nothing extra to show at the gate.
• Valid: October 1–31, 2026, at both the Zoo and the Safari Park.
• Event nights included: HalGLOWeen evenings are ordinary October days, so the kids’ free admission covers them too.

Parking is the cost that surprises returning visitors. It was free at the Zoo for years and it is not anymore.

I keep the full October playbook, including how Kids Free works at the museums and the other parks, in my Kids Free San Diego guide. For any other month, start with my advice on buying San Diego Zoo tickets.

The Safari Park in October

San Diego Zoo Safari Park does not have HalGLOWeen. Its October event is Autumn Festival, held on Saturdays and Sundays. It’s a daytime fall festival with scarecrow characters, country and bluegrass musicians, a walk-through maze aimed at younger kids, and a lighted lantern ceremony at the end of the day.

Kids Free applies at both parks, so a family doing both in October gets the free kids’ admission at each. You can see the Safari Park’s schedule on its Autumn Festival page.

Photos are courtesy of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

HalGLOWeen FAQs

Is HalGLOWeen included with San Diego Zoo admission?

Yes. HalGLOWeen nights are regular operating hours extended into the evening, so any valid admission covers the event. SeaWorld’s daytime Spooktacular and LEGOLAND’s Brick-or-Treat work the same way, included with park admission, while after-dark scare events like SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream sell their own tickets. I compare them all in my Halloween guide to Southern California theme parks.

Is HalGLOWeen too scary for young kids?

No. The program is built for families with live music, costumed characters, acrobats, and keeper talks. The closest thing to a fright is a stilt-walking scarecrow who wants a photo with you. If your kids are old enough to want real scares, my San Diego Halloween guide covers where Howl-O-Scream and the haunted attractions fit.

Can kids wear costumes to HalGLOWeen?

Yes. The Zoo’s costume policy is written for kids, where guests 11 and under can dress in family-friendly costumes, and they may wear masks as long as their eyes stay visible. Leave toy weapons and anything that could poke another guest at home, and skip costumes that drag on the ground.

Does the Safari Park have HalGLOWeen?

No. HalGLOWeen is a San Diego Zoo event. On October weekends, the Safari Park runs Autumn Festival instead, a daytime fall festival rather than an after-dark Halloween night.

Below is what the room is really like, what worked at the Champagne Bar and the Palm Court, what the Home Alone package includes, and how to book with Accor Preferred privileges attached.

My Deluxe King Room at The Plaza

I’m in the Deluxe King this stay, the same category I stayed in last time. It’s about 500 square feet, which is generous for a New York City hotel, and a fair amount of that square footage is in the bathroom. There’s a walk-in shower with a temperature gauge, so you actually know how hot your shower is rather than guessing how far to turn a lever, plus a soaking tub and a separate powder room. Sometimes it’s the small things.

The bathrooms are one of the things I love most about The Plaza. The tile mosaics with 24-carat gold-plated Sherle Wagner hardware feel like they’ve been there forever. I would never put them in my own home, but they 100% fit here, and I hope they never change them. Water pressure is good, the vanity kit is well stocked, and the bathrobes and slippers are the real version, not the disposable kind.

Part of what makes The Plaza The Plaza are the crystal chandeliers. There’s a giant one in the center of my room, two smaller ones flanking the TV, another in the bathroom, and more lining the hallways on the walk to the room. The hotel installed roughly 1,650 of them, and you just don’t see this anymore.

The same goes for the ornate gold-trimmed desk with little gold angels on the sides. It’s a bit gaudy, and it completely belongs here. I worked from that desk most of one day, and it’s comfortable to actually sit and write at.

I just use the two upholstered chairs in front of the TV, somewhere to sit with a glass of wine or tie your shoes. If you add a rollaway for a child, it goes roughly where those chairs sit, so you’d trade the little sitting spot for the extra bed.

The minibar lives inside an antique-looking chest with gold bare feet, stocked with mini bottles, Evian water, Brooklyn Lager, Red Bull, juices, soda, Perrier, champagne, Remy Martin, a split of wine, and snacks (M&Ms, cashews, chocolate chips, cookies). You get proper barware, a wine opener, wine glasses, and an ice bucket on a silver tray.

Storage is better than you’d expect in a historic building, with five narrow drawers in the closet, proper suit storage, shoe racks, good hangers, extra pillows, and a complimentary shoe shine. The blinds are manual rather than automated, but they’re good ones, and I noticed no light seepage. There’s an iron and ironing board rather than a steamer, a full-length mirror, and climate control that works well. You could settle in for a week here easily.

Which Room to Book at The Plaza

Across 282 guestrooms and 102 suites, The Plaza has a wider range of room sizes and layouts than most New York City luxury hotels, which is a real advantage for families. These are the categories I get asked about most.

Connecting Room and Suite Sets

Yes, these do exist and they are outer-connecting. The photo I took below is an example. The exterior doors close off two rooms to create a small foyer between them.

Suites Worth Considering

The Plaza’s suite inventory is deeper than most Manhattan luxury properties, spanning residential-style Legacy Suites, one-of-a-kind creations, and multi-room configurations for larger groups. Below are the ones I recommend most for clients across the range.

If you’re shopping in the suite range, start a request through my luxury hotel form and I’ll walk you through what fits.

Eating and Drinking at The Plaza

The Champagne Bar

I went straight to the Champagne Bar after checking in, since my flight landed late and the restaurant kitchens were close to closing. Midweek, it wasn’t crowded, and the service was friendly and attentive. I ordered a glass of wine and an heirloom tomato salad, and it completely hit the spot. They let me take my unfinished wine up to the room, which is always appreciated.

On past visits I’ve had oysters and a seafood tower here, plus plenty of champagne. You sit there taking in the flowers and the grand room around you. It’s also a good first stop if you arrive late and everything else is winding down.

The Champagne Bar also serves breakfast, essentially the Palm Court menu minus a few dishes like the fancy omelet. One morning I tried to swap my potatoes for a salad and learned the kitchen takes no substitutions. A little unusual for a hotel at this level, not a big deal, but worth knowing.

Also, there’s a quiet lounge area on the mezzanine above the lobby where you can sit and work. I’ve seen people on laptops up there when nothing else is going on. It’s a good spot if the rest of your family is still sleeping or you just need a calm place away from the room. You can see it from the Champagne Bar.

Breakfast at the Palm Court

My daughter met me for breakfast at the Palm Court. I had the Plaza Royal Omelet (stracciatella, oyster caviar, roasted vine tomato, pearl onions, choice of toast, with potatoes added). She had the Plaza American Breakfast (eggs, tomato, breakfast potatoes, sausage, toast, juice, coffee). Both were excellent.

Breakfast is the version of the Palm Court I prefer. It’s not as see-and-be-seen as afternoon tea, so you can actually look around at the architecture without feeling like you’re in someone else’s photo. I’ve stayed in a lot of very nice hotels, and having breakfast in a space this famous still stands out.

Afternoon Tea at the Palm Court

Afternoon tea is the Palm Court’s signature, and the Eloise-themed tea service runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with custom teacups and tableware. Reservations are required, and recent menus put it around $125 per person. It’s a bucket-list experience for many guests, and a scene of visiting families and milestone celebrations mixed in with locals.

The Home Alone Package

The Plaza runs a Home Alone package that’s currently $1,755 added to your first night. It includes a limo transfer from the airport, the giant cheese pizza delivered to your room, and the 16-scoop ice cream sundae from the Eloise room service menu. The package can be added to any room category, and it’s hard to resist if you’re traveling with kids who know the movie.

Eloise at The Plaza

If you’re traveling with an Eloise fan, this is her hotel, and the hotel plays it up in the best way. The Eloise Shop on the lobby level carries the books, dolls, clothes, bags, and everything else you can imagine (it’s smaller than I remembered, but the delight is intact). There’s an Eloise mailbox beside her portrait in the lobby, and room service has a dedicated Eloise children’s menu.

For the full commitment, the Eloise Suite was designed by Betsey Johnson in pink and black, with custom Eloise bedding, dolls, robes, and a gift set on arrival. Pair it with the Eloise-themed afternoon tea at the Palm Court, and you have a trip a certain six-year-old will describe for years.

Service, Atmosphere, and the Lobby Scene

The service is friendly and formal at the same time. Nobody slouches, every uniform fits perfectly. The bellmen are genuinely warm (New York bellmen are a class of their own, and The Plaza has the best of them), the front desk treats you like a person, and housekeeping is there when you need it and out of the way when you don’t.

The concierge is easy to reach by phone. Everybody at the hotel has a very New York air about them in the friendliest way, and you get the sense a lot of them have been here for decades.

The publicly accessible part of the hotel is fairly small, just the rotunda with its gorgeous floral display, the view into the Palm Court, and the path down to the shops. While I waited for my daughter, I sat in the lobby and watched tourists walk in for the first time. Their eyes go wide, everyone pauses, everyone takes the photo. It’s fun to watch, and the Home Alone homage is a big part of what people come to see.

Shopping at The Plaza

Past the rotunda and the Palm Court, the retail level holds the Plaza Gift Shop, which reminds me of the Hotel del Coronado’s shop, full of ornaments, historic books, photos, and Plaza-branded everything that reminds you where you are. A second shop and a few kiosks sell chocolates and small gifts. The original food hall is sadly gone, and the concourse is smaller than it used to be, but it’s still worth the wander.

Spa and Fitness

The spa is now the 111SKIN SPA/CLINIC on the 4th floor, which replaced the longtime Guerlain spa. I haven’t tried it yet, since I’m usually in this neighborhood to shop. Blandi Salon, an independent fixture for more than 25 years, is on the 2nd floor.

The fitness center is open 24/7 on the 4th floor with Technogym equipment, but it’s small and has no windows. Fairmont Fit will deliver workout gear and yoga equipment to your room.

What I’d actually do, and did, is cardio in Central Park across the street (the hotel runs guided park runs and walks, and there’s new signage in the park for a self-guided audio tour), then weights back at the hotel. With cooperating weather, you get views of the hotel itself, buskers, geese in the ponds, and endless photo ops. Very, very New York.

Traveling With a Dog at The Plaza

The Plaza is one of the most pet-forward luxury hotels in New York. There is no pet fee. Dogs are welcomed in every room category, up to two per room, with no size or breed restrictions.

Every dog booking includes the Canine Companions Amenities as standard: a dedicated food and water bowl and a plush dog bed. For an elevated experience, the property offers the Pampered Pup Package as an add-on.

We’ve had clients do this. The package includes a terry cloth robe embroidered with the Plaza crest (sizes XS through XXXL), a Plaza-branded Evian bowl, dog-friendly macarons, and a plush bed. You need to add this in advance so they can make sure to have the robe size you need and personalize your dog’s welcome. The robes are also for sale in the gift shop.

Getting to The Plaza and the Neighborhood

The Plaza sits at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. From JFK, plan on 45 to 75 minutes by car depending on traffic. From LaGuardia, it’s 30 to 45 minutes, and from Newark, 45 to 75 minutes. If you book the Home Alone package, the limo transfer can cover your arrival.

The Central Park side is touristy in the best way, with street vendors, food carts, horse-drawn carriages, and people selling tours. Bergdorf Goodman is across the street, and Saks and Tiffany & Co. are a short walk down Fifth Avenue. We don’t have multi-floor department stores like this in San Diego, so it is always a treat to explore them.

For conveniences, there’s a Duane Reade around the corner, a wine shop nearby, and plenty of places to pick up a picnic for the park. Room service will also pack a Central Park picnic for you.

Who The Plaza Is For (and Who It Isn’t)

The Plaza is for people who want a hotel that is unapologetically itself, from the gold trim and the chandeliers to the double-P doorknobs (the logo is even in the sinks) and the original elevators.

It’s for families who can use the larger layouts, couples who want to walk straight into Central Park, dog owners who want zero pet fees, and anyone who plans to spend as much of the stay inside the building as outside it.

It’s not for travelers on a budget. Even with the third-night-free promotion, rates run well over $1,000 a night. It’s not for anyone who wants a sleek, modern hotel. And it’s not for guests who would be put off by patina. The building opened in 1907 and was last restored in 2008, and everything has a lived-in, old-school opulence. It does show wear, and if it didn’t, that would feel strange. A gut renovation simply wouldn’t work at a hotel this famous, and the hotel doesn’t pretend otherwise.

FAQs About Staying at The Plaza

Planning more of your New York trip? See my reviews of The Mercer, the Soho Grand, The Marlton, and The Dominick.