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Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Theater District
811 7th Ave
(between 52nd St & 53rd St)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-1000
811 7th Ave
(between 52nd St & 53rd St)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-1000
- Nearest Transit:
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7th Ave-53rd St (B, D, E)
50th St-Broadway (1)
49th St-7th Ave (N, R, W)
- Price Range:
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$$$
80 reviews for Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers
This Sheraton is crazy busy. They are right in the thick of TS and it seems just as hectic once you get in there. The rooms have been redone, but they still seem loud. You can hear the people in the rooms next to you. They also turned off the AC and you had to open the windows to get some fresh air. Sounds great in theory. But, it is TS and not exactly quiet. That really was a pain in the ass.
For Starwood preferred guests the Club level was great and had an excellent view. They also have a huge and modern gym to work off all those great NYC meals.
A very average hotel and since we were staying here on points, it was "worth" it. Not sure I would feel the same if I paid $400 for a room.
Plusses: Location, location, location. Beds were very comfortable. TV was big flat screen. Amenities in the hotel. VERY quick registration. Responsive to complaints. Room overall was fine. Small, but that's New York.
Minuses: They turned off the A/C for season so our room was warm. The solution? Open the windows?!?!?! Which would've been fine HAD WE NOT BEEN IN THE LOUD CITY. But it worked out fine and room cooled off. And breakfast at hotel was fine but very overpriced. (Staff though was good).
So, if you get a bargain, it's a fine hotel for a night or two. And if you just need a base to come back to at night, it really is fine. But if you're looking for a "WOW" factor, look somewhere else (the Westin at Times Square might be one place).
When you hear Sheraton, you typically think of a nice hotel with fine designs, modern amenities, and plush extras. Sadly, this Sheraton lacks all of these.
I stayed here recently for a convention and my first impression of my room just about summed up the experience. I enter into my room on the 45th floor and the first thing that hits me is the smell emanating from the bathroom. Nothing from the toilet...it was the mildewy shower curtains. GROSS.
As I settle in, I see the awkward placement of the TV and dresser (one of the two double beds doesn't get as good a view), and there's no hotel information handy about hotel amenities, restaurants, etc. Weird. Also the placement of the room gives you virtually no space between one of the beds and the desk. Again - an odd layout.
The view is pretty nice (you can see pieces of Central Park) and being on the 45th floor (club level) did give me access to the 44th floor club lounge, which had free breakfast, newspapers, evening hoer d'oeuvres, and wifi plus great views. But I expected more from this place.
Now, I must admit the convention staff was top notch and incredibly responsive - so this review only covers the room and the rest of the hotel itself. If the price were right I might consider staying here again but location doesn't make up for cruddy hotel.
I understand being in Time Square this place is probably not stop but I work at a hotel in Midtown and we do a far better job all around. I met some friends staying there for a bite to eat. The waitress was rude, the manager didn't turn on the Knicks game as I requested even though we made eye contact several times after my request and the nachos I ordered looked like they just melted Kraft cheese on it. The place had a cheap menu and horrible staff. My friends will be staying at my hotel from now on regardless of the cost!
I am giving this hotel 2 stars for the price we paid and the location (near Times Square, Central Park, and the subway), and that is IT. This hotel worked out nicely for my husband and i because we were hardly there.
We pricelined this hotel, and it came up as a 4-star and got an unbeatable rate for Manhattan, at about $130/night. However, when my husband and I checked in we were given two Full beds so we requested a King. The receptionist stated there were no Kings left, and then proceeded to discriminate against us because we were "priceliners" and nothing was guaranteed for the rate we got...I mean, Chamone! A hotel guest is a hotel guest, is it not?
As the other reviews have stated, the rooms are quite a disappointment. Based on the pictures shown, I am wondering if I even stayed in the same hotel. The furniture is awkwardly placed, and there is no dresser to put your clothes in, so I had to place everything on the desk. It was such a mess. The lobby and elevators are always busy and crowded. The gym costs $10 a day to use, and for that price I can perspire outside in Central Park since it is only 4 blocks away. I probably enjoyed it more anyway.
On top of all of this, on our last night in NYC, we were out late and returned to our hotel early in the morning and our room key would not work. The front desk had to send someone from security up to unlock our door and it took at least 15-20 minutes for them to arrive, needless to say I kept calling the front desk during that time to bug them. Then the next morning the maids were practically beating down our door to get us out (and that is before the noon check out time). It was really unacceptable. If it were not for the price and location, I would give this hotel 1 star.
I stayed in a 37th floor room for one night on SPG points. The hotel and the room looked quite nice at first, since I had been a bit worried after reading reviews here.
After a few hours, I noticed that the middle wooden blind on the window was kind of broke, and I couldn't lift it open.
Also, the alarm radio was not working for the radio - ipod part, so I couldn't listen to my ipod. It was already very late at night, so I didn't care to request a change.
The cleaning lady just walked in around 10am, without even saying 'Housekeeping!' which was awkward, but it was okay.
I could feel that the room was not cleaned very well, since there were lots of dust in the air and on the floor. But I guess this is common to hotels in the U.S. (at least as I observed). For example, when I stayed in Japan on SPG points, the room was perfectly clean and the air in the room was fresh. By the way, I was using 3000 or 7000 points in those nice hotels, while this one I was using 12000 points. But, of course, this is Manhattan and it's natural to be overpriced.
The computers in the lobby were quite nice, it had Windows 7 and was working very fast.
There was a check room where I could put my bags ($ 3.25 for each piece) and enjoy the city for several more hours before my flight out.
Some staff were okay but some others were rude and it just didn't make sense in a place where people pay something like $300 a night, and treated like that. But again, I see this is very common in hotels in the U.S.
I hear they've renovated but pre-that it was the pits. The facilities are sub-standard and there are better places at these rates.
The more I travel, the more selective I get. This is a mid-tiered hotel for a reason.
The rooms have been remodeled and are quite decent. My ungraded room had a refreshing view of Central Park and glimmers of the Hudson and George Washington Bridge over the upper east side. Nice new HD flatscreen as well.
But the upgraded facade is still supported by the old operations. There are too many rooms to be maintained by the front desk, the phone operator was uneducated about the television service and unapologetic about it, and the cleaning staff was noisy and uncouth.
The location is great if you want to spend your time as a tourist. Carnegie Hall, Moma, Times Square, and Broadway shows are all a short walk away. But you'll be staying with tourists and feeling like a tourist which imho isn't a good way to experience nyc.
Stay here if you must and it won't be too bad. But I'd advise you to move down to the Soho Grand, any of the W Hotels, or try one of the many boutique hotels and leave the Sheraton Towers to the non-Yelp! masses.
Considering the midtown location, I thought the room sizes were good for the price. We arrived a bit before noon on a Thursday and the king rooms wasn't ready yet, but I was glad that my coworker and I were each able to get rooms with two double beds each so that we could leave our bags before the day's meetings. The Internet connection is fast and the bar area downstairs is comfortable. I thought the granite desktop facing the windows in the room I was in was a nice touch.
Clean and nice hotel. Beds were very comfortable. I would've rated it 4 stars if the "incident" wouldn't have occurred! The ac in the room didn't work so I called for the tech to come fix it. The lady tech came, fixed it and everything was fine. But for some reason or another she came back a while later WITHOUT KNOCKING!!! WTF! To make things worse I was in sleeping in my B-Day suit! (don't judge me, I like to sleep comfortably!). So if you do stay here, don't sleep naked!
Oh by the way the location is prime, plus there is a subway 15 feet away from the hotel, that was pretty awesome. Times Square is a couple blocks away too.
I just finished spending 2 nights at this hotel. I am surprised by all of the negative reviews, as one can stand to do far worse in this part of town. And the prices/fees were all consistent with nearby hotels.
The lobby is really nice and spread out, and while the check-in line was quite long, I passed through the line quite quickly due to the very organized system they have in place. All of the staff members were very cordial and helpful.
The size of my room was normal, but I thought the bathroom was a bit too small for comfort. The bed was very comfortable, and I really loved the pillows here too. The shower head had excellent pressure. But I was surprised that the heater did not seem to work during my stay, and the windows were really dirty on the outside which obfuscated the view of the city. And for midtown, this particular location is pretty nice being just off of Times Square enough for sanity.
Rack rates were $285/night during my stay. Recommend.
3.5 stars
Nice rooms but I had expected a better view of Times Square. The elevators are separated by floors so you have to wait if "your" elevator happens to have a lot of people that want to get to the same range of floors. There are always people hogging the computers in the internet lounge.
I had only hoped the LG flat screen TV would be at least in the middle of the two double beds because my dad kept hogging the TV...
The stupid thing is that they charge SO MUCH for watching your luggage. Even if you want to pick it up on a certain day in the morning, they charge you for the entire day. That was around $30 a bag!
We got a super deal for a room online. The reviews of this hotel are pretty harsh. I had no problems with our room at all. Our room was not the size of a closet. We have been in much smaller rooms in much more expensive hotels. The room was spotless and so was the bathroom. We even had a nice flat screen tv in our room.
Now here are the bad things. There are no early checkins which means when it is checkin time the line is soooooooooooo loooooooooong. It took forever.
The one thing that annoyed me the most is the fact that they charge $3.25 to stowe each bag. I have never been in a hotel where there was an actual fee at the bellhop. This was really annoying. And of course there was a super long line.
So all in all it was an ok hotel and I would probably stay again if the price is right. Its clean, the subway is right next too it, etc.
Good God...
Starwood members - avoid at all costs...it's on the lower price end of NYC Starwood properties for good reason: it's as crowded as hell! The lobby resembles the Port Authority Bus Terminal at rush hour, the elevators are woefully inadequate, and the neighborhood, well...the neighborhood...
If you're with your family of 8 in from Pennsyltucky, looking to take in Applebee's and Ripley's Believe It Or Not, this place is right up your alley...everyone else: stay downtown or on the east side...
Being a LONG time Marriott patron, switching is hard to do! Costs of hotels in NYC is the only reason I tried this hotel.
I have to say, we were very happy with our current hotel! As is found with most all hotels in NYC the rooms are very small, but extremely clean, quiet and friendly staff! I am not one to want to be located by Times Square but it is not that bad. We would recommend this hotel for anyone wanting to have a centrally located hotel with great service and price, stay here!
The spa and exercise facilities are fantastic too....
($15.00/day for wired internet is CRAP!)
The location is great and RIGHT next to the 7th Avenue and 53rd subway stop. The 6th and 53rd famous Halal cart is around the corner and the Moma is right there. David Letterman and all the Broadway shows are nearby too. Carnegie's is down the street and a walk to Bouchon at the Time Warner building is not too far. And you can see Times Square if you get the right room.
However, there are always people in the lobby for the free wireless internet, but they don't have wireless internet in the rooms. It's $14.95 per day per laptop (IP address) via ethernet cable so they can charge PER laptop. They nickel and dime you for everything. So you can't surf while you're in bed and have to always work at the desk. The decor is kinda tacky too - like cheap elegance? They do use Bliss products though, which was nice. But what's up with Mandarin Orange scents? I think Marriott had Bath and Body Mandarin Orange too.
The Atlantis gym on the lower level is not bad. They have the usual cardio machines and equipment. Their yoga class is semi-private with 3-4 people so that was nice to get personal attention. Natalia made me sweat (I never sweat in the 24-hour yoga classes back at home so I was surprised). The machines are newer and they provide a sauna, lemon water, towels, and simple amenities which was nice. It's $20 per stay so it's worth it. They have TKB classes too.
Other than that, the lobby people were nice and the management was just ok though. Minus three stars for BED BUGS. I couldn't sleep for three nights and waited for housekeeping the fourth day. The sheets tested positive for bedbugs and they wanted to comp me with useless Starwood points. They did comp my Internet and gym though and for those nights with the bugs. I was not pleased. Of course, they did all our drycleaning and laundry express same-day too. BF was not pleased b/c we had to bring this problem home and follow-up on payment.
Other than the bed bugs, you can't beat the location or gym deal. Just the yoga classes alone make it worth it and the gym is open until 11p. I would think twice about staying here next time. But it is near the famous Halal cart that we miss so dearly. =)
I love to hate this place. I stay here because I'm a points whore and it's better than the Sheraton Manhattan, closer to my office than the Westin Times Sq (which is on 8th and not really in Times Sq at all) and not $500/night like the W Times Sq, which is always so overloaded with scenester Metrosexual Tourist Robots that staying there isn't an option even if/when the budget does allow.
Why does this hotel suck? It's horribly maintained, mainly. The lobby is fine and probably impresses tourists from 3rd world countries or, worse, the Heartland, but once you get upstairs it all goes downhill. Wallpaper in the hallways and in the bedrooms is peeling all over. There is no wi-fi in the rooms, only a cabled connection that has a cable that averages about 2 feet in length. The walls are so thin that the first time you hear some lady scream "HIAWATHA!" as she's achieving a personal, err, 'victory', you'll plug in your earphones and pray for peace and quiet.
Still, I stay here because I want the points, and every once in a while I do get an upgrade to a ridiculously large suite (read: normal room with an extra key to an adjoined living room) and it's only one long block's walk away from the office, but as far as ambience and atmosphere go, this hotel is a total 1-star.
It does not feel good to be nickel-and-dimed at a place that already charges a few too many Benjamins. Room was okay, nothing special, and while lobby and all were nice, I can't get over the $6.50 charge per bag checked at the bell desk or the charge for gym use. Come now, really?
The ridiculously abused sockets that couldn't support the weight of my MacBook charger without some genius maneuvering were another big minus, especially since there was no in-room wireless and the sockets near the ethernet port were unusable. I would not stay here again.
Why 4 stars?
4-5 blocks south of Central Park
4-5 blocks north of Times Square and Broadway
3-4 blocks to Rockefeller Center
Subway is on the corner, the B, D & E. Easy access, great little food cart across the street on 52nd street.
For those that are mad that the room is small and "run down", yeah I wouldnt consider it a gem in the city, but hell we were there just to sleep. Not enough room for your things? How much did y'all bring? Stop trying to pack 8 people into a double room. My gf and I were there for 6 nights and we felt comfortable and thought we had ample space. Bathroom too small? Who cares, you go there to shower and do what you have to do. They had a nice sized TV, we stayed on the 24th floor and we did not have a problem whatsoever with noise.
Maybe its because we only paid about $130 a night with taxes included due to priceline that i felt this was a great deal, for thos that paid $300+ or more, do your research on prices first, you get what you paid for and I am happy as heck with this hotel. Would I recommend this hotel to my friends? Heck yes, in New York its all about location location and more location. This hotel suited my needs, only thing I had against this hotel was that the towels were a bit rough, a little fabric softener wouldnt have hurt. Haha, all in all great freaking value!
TO BE FAIR, this is a review of my stay a couple of years back. I have not returned for a reason and let me tell you what that reason is. COCKROACH! As a new yelp-er, I contemplated whether or no to review this particular Sheraton or not, but as I browse through some of the recent comments I feel that I should say my peace as well because they have not cleaned up their act. The room looked clean enough to me when I checked in and but as I was working in the room I notice something crawling across the table and first thing that comes to mind spider, no biggie but after really looking at it I realized it was a cockroach and all hell let loose. I'm fine with many creepy crawlers but cockroach is not okay. Needless to say i didn't stay the night I found other lodging.
Very nice hotel, right in the heart of everything in Manhattan. 5 minute walk to Times square. We had a standard room and asked for a higher floor, got floor 48... amazing view. Clean room, good size for 2 of us, king size bed, 46" LCD TV. We would stay there again for sure. The last day we checked out at 12 noon and left our 2 suit cases in the storage room downstairs till evening time for a very reasonable price of $3.50 each piece.
Compared with the Sheraton Manhattan across the street, this is better... but not by a startling amount. It's not bad, but not spectacular... at least not for SPG standards. Still, the location is helpful, which may prompt an eventual return to this location!
I bid on priceline for a 4 star hotel in the theatre district. I don't know if you know about priceline's bidding guidelines...but you bid on a hotel, for me i bid $122/night and you choose the star rating and desired area. You input your credit card and once you click on bid, you wait until a hotel accepts your offer (catch-you don't know which one will take your bid). I was excited to see that the Sheraton Towers took my price offer. I was a little concerned of the reviews but there is a no refund policy on priceline. As we arrived at the hotel, I was awed to see that the building is tall, way taller than the other Sheraton across the street. The lobby was nice, there was an area for free internet and many chairs to lounge in. We got up to our room and we were pleasantly surprised to see that the room is clean, the bed comfy, window with a view and a nice flat screen tv. The only negative I would say is how very small the bathroom was. But the plus is that the hotel is so close to Times Square, lots of places to eat around the area, safe place to stay and a short walking distance to Hell's Kitchen. It is also very close (2-3 blocks) to the Rockefeller Center and so many other must see sights.
All in all, we had a fun time here and even if the room is on the small side, we will definitely stay here again. I love NYC!
I stayed here for a few days while in NYC for business. The location is convenient, but everything else about the hotel was pretty lousy. The one exception was the doormen. They were great. It was once I got in the hotel that things fell apart.
The staff at the front desk weren't particularly helpful.
The CARPET, the SHEETS, and the TOWELS all had stains.
The doors to the hotel rooms are too small so you can't roll in a 24" suitcase without turning it sideways.
The rooms are small and the desks are almost unusable for business travel.
The heaters are either FULL BLAST or off completely and the heating units themselves haven't been updated in about 20 years.
The bathrooms were tiny and pretty sparse.
The windows aren't double paned glass meaning you can hear traffic on the lower levels.
Protip: the Hilton around the corner is infinitely better. Stay there instead.
I'm not sure why people are so negative about this hotel. Our experience was fabulous. The location was perfect (53rd and 7th), the staff was wonderful. The price was unreal for Manhattan ($195). I was there with my two boys for a visit. The hotel was perfect for us. Yes, the rooms are small but they were fine (have you been to London?!). The beds were amazing!!! It was a great experience and I would recommend this hotel to anyone!
For me the bottom line on this place is that if you're a Platinum member of Starwood Preferred Guest it's a pretty good place to stay - you get free gym access, club lounge access during the week which includes a pretty good breakfast, and, since it's so large, a fairly good chance of being upgraded to a suite.
If not, I think it's a bit pricey - the Doubletrees and Hampton Inns in Manhattan are probably a better value
We just returned from another stay in NYC and we enjoyed the Sheraton New York yet again. Free Wi-Fi in the lobby and it's centrally located to EVERYTHING!
Yes, the rooms are small. Hello, it's New York City....and a small room is to be expected. The beds are comfy and the staff is personable and responsive. What's not to like?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2008
We've stayed at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers several times now, and each time we are more… Read more »
I booked a weekend stay at this hotel because I saw a special on Orbitz for Sheraton hotels. Without thinking twice I hit the book button and I was locked in. It then occurred to me that I should check the Yelp reviews on this place. I ventured over to our dandy Yelp and read the reviews on this particular Sheraton only to be horrified by the things I read. Bad service, bed bugs, no early check in, long lines, I thought OH MY! Why didn't I think to read yelp before... I was not looking forward to the stay. We arrived a few hours before check in with the intention of leaving our luggage with the hotel and I was prepared to pay the fee that all the disgruntled yelp users complained about, but to my surprise our room was ready and so instead of leaving the luggage up at the front, I was pleasantly surprised to be acquainted with our room right at that moment. The room was clean and the king sized bed was nice and fluffy, reminding me of the heavenly beds I love so much. Most reviewers complained that the rooms were small but it seemed a decent size and besides unless you are on business, who stays in their room when there is a grand city out there like NYC to be explored. While I could hear other doors on our floor close, we had a decent nights sleep and were not bothered by the paper thin walls other reviewers hated. The only thing that did bother me was that we bought a turkey sandwhich and made room for it in the mini fridge where they keep the over priced beverages and we came back to the room to find that after cleaning, the maids intentionally took the sandwhich out of the fridge. Like really, was that sandwhich bothering anyone in there. Overall our experince was pleasant, although next time I think I'll book something in Brooklyn. The moral of the story here is don't believe everything you read, a lot of times it depends on your own luck and experience.
Stay away if you can. Overpriced, run-down hotel in the theater district. I only stayed here because it's where the company I work for had rooms.
The rooms are small. The heaters heat the room to, like, 100 degrees and there's no in-between; it's either hot or not.
Some mornings the showers ran cold, even when cranked to the hottest setting.
They didn't have a full service restaurant open. The Library Bar was closed and we had to make do with a crappy alternate set up.
The staff could care less about customer service. The Bell Desk was rude, check-in/out was rude, luggage storage was rude.
Stay at the Marriott or Hilton instead.
I don't mind the place. Other than during the summer when it's much, much too crowded. The upgraded suites are pretty nice. The standard rooms are well, standard.
Small rooms, but clean and nice.
Stayed here for conference that was downstairs, so it was convenient.
The food is good too.
Staff was OK.
Conveniently located to great restaurants.
In summary, rundown and overpriced.
I've stayed here a dozen times over the last 4-5 years, but at $485/night ($425+taxes) the lack of maintenance becomes really apparent.
During my summer stays, the in-room AC is not sufficient to cool the room.
I stay here for business when I'm working out of my company's NYC office (which is on 52nd and 5th). Most of my co-workers are Starwood Rewards people, so this is our preferred hotel. And yeah, there's a lot of Not Great things about it, like the crappy electrical outlets below the desk with the ethernet cable. But I was able to move a foot over and plug into the wall where my laptop charger didn't fall out, so it doesn't make much difference. And yes, they do charge for the gym - which seems petty at a $270 a night hotel - but seriously, it's a ten minute walk to Central Park, so screw the gym anyways.
The reason I'm giving this hotel four stars is simple: they provided me with a fridge. Seriously. I'm still nursing my baby boy, which means I have to transport milk. And because I am such a naive small-town type of girl, it never occurred to me to ask for a damn fridge. I didn't learn that some hotels will provide minifridges in the room until one was brought to my room a few weeks ago at the St Francis in San Francisco, in response to my question about whether I would get charged for using the minibar for milk storage.
Anyways. The Sheraton brought me up a tiny fridge, which is the sort of crappy thing you find in a roadside motel, but still better than storing milk in buckets of ice. Seriously, that's what I used to do: fill the sink with ice from the machine, and keep milk in that. I had to fill it before I went to bed, and when I woke up in the morning, and I had to brush my teeth using the bathtub taps.
But not this trip! This trip, I learned that the Sheraton has mini-fridges on hand, AND they WAIVED THE $25 that they usually charge per stay, because it's a biological need for me to have it. A tiny fridge is a godsend when you're in my situation, especially one that, like this one, even has a tiny freezer compartment. Not only can I freeze the cold pack for transporting my baby's lunch home, but I'm able to keep a pint of Tasti-D-Lite in there!
There's some other reasons I actually like this hotel that will apply to everyone who is NOT a working mom traveling for business:
1) The rooms are clean. A little worn, but clean. I'm not afraid to touch the comforters, the sheets are sparkling white, and the bathroom is spotless.
2) The pillows and bed are darn comfortable
3) The bathroom products are from Bliss' low-end line
4) It's less than seven blocks to Central Park, and I can see it from my window
5) It's five blocks to Times Square, if you like that sort of tourist trap
6) The staff is really nice, which goes a long way
7) It's not THAT small a room. I always thought NYC hotels rooms were barely big enough to contain a bed, but this one actually has a few feet of space around the bed. The bathroom is tiny, but it's still bigger than I thought a hotel room in Midtown would be.
8) There are a lot of lights in the room, which makes it moderately cheery at night. I stayed in a Holiday Inn last week that was horribly dim and dreary, and this place looks cheery and well-lit by comparison.
The things I do NOT like about this hotel include the thin walls, because, when you are in a tourist trap zone, you get stupid tourists who do things like TALK IN THE HALLWAYS WHEN I AM TRYING TO SLEEP. But for the most part, it's a fine place to stay, and if I was here for personal reasons, not work, I would probably still stay here.
This is hands down the worst value for your money in NYC. The rooms are tiny, and the prices outrageous. One bonus star for my man Warren at the Library bar who makes the best damn Manhattan in Manhattan. I'm thinking New York is sort of just becoming a European vacation destination. I don't see how any Americans can afford, and further why they'd want to, and hell, if they did, they certainly should steer clear of this abysmal hotel.
Rooms are tiny and smell like chemicals. Sinks and tubs don't drain. TV's don't work. Walls are paper thin. Seriously Starwood.. Step it up!
The reviews of this hotel were scathing so I expected the worst. To be honest, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised. The location was ideal for us because we wanted to see lots of musicals and nearby sights. Having Carnegie Deli down the street was ideal because we ordered take-out, which allowed us to go to the head of the line, and take the food back to our room to eat. The previously mentioned inconveniences such as the small rooms, the charge for wireless internet, and $3.25/bag storage fee was a drag, but we expected these bumps in the road going in and weren't as disappointed as other reviewers.
The location is great for this hotel. Everything else sucks. I stayed here for a work conference last summer, but my coworkers stayed at the Marriott (which was full.) I would say if you are on business travel, stay anywhere else. The room service is not very good. However, if you are a student or Spring Breaker or whatever and just looking to party in NYC near Times Square, this isn't a bad location but you can find cheaper and similar quality elsewhere. Use your expense account wisely and stay somewhere else!
Never stayed at this hotel. My review is strictly of the lobby and strictly so I can add this to my free wi-fi list.
Yes, kids, they have free wifi in the lobby (turbonet). (Why they don't have it in the rooms is a mystery to me.) There are places where you can take advantage of said free wifi for many hours at a time. And those places are right outside of the Library Bar.
You have to hunt for the outlets. They're found in a few places along the wall that separates the bar proper from the lobby. But the seats on the other side of that wall are considered part of the bar, so while you're sitting someone may come up and ask you if you want a drink. To avoid this, sit in the chairs by the window. Nice view of the street, a plant to hide behind, and an outlet close enough that people won't trip over your cord.
And as it's a hotel lobby, it's open 24 hours.
I've had a hit-or-miss time here mooching off wifi. Sometimes the waitress just won't leave me alone, even if I order a ridiculously-priced drink (but the toasted almond is very yummy). Sometimes no one seems to know I exist.
I sometimes go there to write if I'm in the area. The lobby is rarely too noisy, and, like I said, the window provides a nice view of the street and people-watching opportunities.
If you're in need of free wifi in the Time Square area, this isn't a bad place to mooch some.
I don't know why all the bad reviews...this was the cheapest 3/4 star hotel I could find for my parents' weekend in the city at $270/night for a Saturday and Sunday stay. Yeah it's pricey...but what do you expect? There's nothing you can do about the price of hotels in NYC. Drop a star or two and you'll save a couple dollars for sure, but who knows what your hotel room may bring....a toilet and shower in one, bed bugs...eeeks...why take the chance?
The lobby is beautiful and very elegant. There are two bars downstairs...but beware: they close at 1am...very unlike the New York style. Of course there are plenty of bars to choose from just outside their doors.
The room was smaller than what I'm used to seeing, but it still held a queen bed and a plasma TV and had room for you to move around...just not much. Don't expect a view at this price, but do expect it to be clean, as it was. Nicely decorated too.
So basically, you're going to come to NYC and you're going to spend a lot of money on a hotel and you'll probably stay in the smallest room you've ever stayed in. Out of all the expensive and small hotel rooms I've stayed in NYC, this has been my least favorite.
This is a pricey hotel that is less remarkable than other hotels in the area. I stayed at the Time Hotel which is a few blocks closer to Time Square for $200 a night, and those rooms are small, but remarkable and the whole place was just neat and hip. I'd stay there again any day.
Here's a rundown of this hotel:
Cons: The beds are too firm and uncomfortable, there's wallpaper peeling, my room was left half-cleaned when I checked in (and I got two double beds instead of the Queen I requested), the big flat-screen TV is extremely fuzzy, the wifi is incredibly weak on the 16th floor (1 to 2 bars at any given time), the walls are PAPER THIN, I can hear everything my neighbors are doing and saying. Oh and you can't adjust the thermostat (I need some COLD dammit). Just a big old eh to the whole place.
Pros: The view is nice, and the location is great (but so are most of the other hotels in this area).
Expect to pay $10 for crappy wifi, or $15 to connect to the wall. Expect to pay as much at any place nearby for food as you will for room service (about $20 a plate, even at the greasy diner next door. $16 for a grilled cheese!!!). Expect to get some ear-poppage on the elevators. Expect Starbucks coffee in your room with not nearly enough powdered sugar. Expect to walk a couple blocks and be in the middle of Times Square.
Also, it's 6:45pm on my first full day in the room (I arrived yesterday, when it ALSO was only half clean) and no one has come to clean it yet. What? Am I paying for a dead-zone room or something?
Yup that's it. a big eh. If you can get it for really cheap, like under $200 I say go for it. Otherwise, check out some other hotels first. The place isn't grubby and I wouldn't recommend to STAY AWAY or anything, it's just pretty unimpressive for the cash you pay for NYC hotels.
Also, just as a side note, if you're coming to the city for a conference at the Javits Center, plan on taking a taxi unless you feel like walking 2 miles.
I really have no serious complaints about this hotel. It was decent for the price. I stayed here because my sister's company booked the place for her business trip, which turned out really well because it was super close to the Avis rental car place. The only problem was that they do not deliver packages to the room when you are not there, so we had a problem getting those delivered when they were needed. They were very accommodating about letting us check in really early. The room was average in size. The bathroom was a bit small. The tv made me sad.
The location is ideal if you want to visit a lot of the sights in Midtown. It's close enough to the hub of TImes Square that you can see it down the street, but far enough that you don't get the congestion from tourists on the sidewalks. I also stayed here during low tourist season, so I can imagine this hotel would get over priced for what it is. Location is the main reason I am giving this place 4 stars.
