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The Alex
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Midtown East
205 E 45th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
(212) 867-5100
205 E 45th St
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
(212) 867-5100
- Nearest Transit:
-
Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
- Price Range:
-
$$$
21 reviews for The Alex
I dont know how to rate this exactly as I did not arrange the itinerary
Its a nice enough place in a modern type of place. It sems to be the Schlager modern, small room, high fashion chic type of place, but it loses the feel, because the lobby is rather claustrophibic. There is no destination bar /restaurant with people hanging out in black shirts sipping designer cocktails
Its a great place for the Monday-Thursday set....from 5-9
It also is the middle of nowhere...You cant walk to anything noteworthy or jog in the Park...So for the weekenders...it isn't the place to be
I booked with The Alex because the Waldorf, the Marriott East Side, the Barclay, and the Radisson were sold out, for some bizarre reason, and The Alex was the only decent hotel for less than $300 within a five-block radius of my office that had any vacancies.
It's fine. It's adequate. It is somewhere to sleep (poorly).
I was assigned what may possibly have been the worst room in the house. I believe it was 306 or 304, but I can't quite remember. It's on the third floor, obviously, facing the [quiet, for New York, which means really noisy] road and down the hall from the gym. The 24-hour gym. The 24-hour gym with a heavy door that slams loudly so that the walls shake.
Apparently some of the more well-disciplined travellers of this world start their days at 4:30am with a vigorous work out.
I don't.
Especially when I've been working 12-13 hour days for the past week.
The bed is strange and square. I am about 5'6", give or take a few, and my feet almost reached the end of the bed. The bed is not as comfortable as those of the Marriotts and Hiltons of this world. The sheets aren't as nice. It is fine for its purpose, which is to provide me with a surface that is softer than the floor to sleep on. No more, no less.
The rooms are larger, and less worn and depressing than the Waldorf.
Two things that were good about this hotel, both bathroom-oriented:
1) TV in the bathroom. YES. Nothing says luxury like watching TV while you shower. I watched "Evolution" starring David Duchovny and that guy from "My Name is Earl". It is an awesome movie.
2) Frederic Fekkai toiletries. Nice, very stealable.
On the other hand, the shower is so complicated to use that they have a little card with instructions on its usage. Why. Even with the instructions, it took me three tries to get it to work.
Also, it's pretty close to some great Japanese restaurants, including Sushi Yasuda (which has been edged out by Sushi of Gari in my personal list of great sushi) and Udon West.
Here's a tip: make sure you poke around the "Deals" part of their website BEFORE you reserve, if you book directly with them. They're not super-cooperative about changing your reservation to match deals on their website when you show up.
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Wow! Really? How could so many other people give the hotel such average/low ratings?
I just stayed here this past weekend with a friend for 3 nights and we were both completely impressed! I've stayed in Ritz-Carltons, Westins, Fairmonts, and a few international 5-star hotels, and I have to say, this was an exceptional hotel for the money.
I scored a great deal on Expedia that amounted to about $1k for 3 nights. If a cheap hotel in NY is about $150 and I paid only twice that for a luxury boutique hotel, that's a bargain! The hotel upgraded us to a junior suite and we were ecstatic with it! The room had every amenity to make for a comfortable stay. We were happy at the end of each day to come back to such a comfy hotel. The room is nicer than most New Yorkers' apartments, so I have no idea why everyone else is complaining.
I loved the compactness, efficiency, and styling of the hotel. It made me think of a European hotel. The elevators are computerized so that was really cool. We never had to wait long for an elevator. The staff were very polite, professional, and quick to please. The room was very nicely appointed with a flat-screen TV in the bathroom as well as a phone. The kitchenette was fully equipped with glass-top stove, microwave, and even dishwasher! The bed was heaven to sleep in after each long day of walking and sightseeing! Also, we had no problems with noise, but that might be because we were in a room at the end of a hall.
The hotel was also very conveniently located about 3 blocks away from Grand Central Station, and a 20 minute walk to Times Square.
I would definitely stay there again and recommend to anyone who visits New York.
We stayed here last weekend. I found a good deal, actually on the hotels website, if you a AAA member $204 night (includes parking and continental breakfast, neither of which we took advantage of :(
We were greeted by friendly staff, they 'upgraded' us to a junior suite...it was a nice size with kitchen area, couch and table.
The bed wasn't very comfortable...and I it seemed really small, like a Full vs. a Queen.
Couldn't figure out how to work the shower...huh?! That's what we both said...apparently you have to make sure something is pulled up and then you turn it on...something like that.
We had a problem with our thermostat, our room was in the mid 50s, they had to send someone up to replace it.
I didn't have a bad experience at this hotel, I just wouldn't choose to stay here again.
The location was what we wanted and the price was good.
i really heart this hotel. it is going to be my go-to hotel in NY from now on. because of this hotel my trip to NY was that much better. we were upgraded to one bedroom suite when we checked in and it was just fantastic. i wanted to live there and just stay in the room. the staff are super nice and the doorman is just fabulous (the bald guy). it is situated in a very convenient location with transportation close by at the grand central station.
great staff
awesome bed
fabulous shower
clean big room
central location
i heart alex.
We stayed here for 1 night in a 2-bedroom suite on the 23rd floor in April 2008. Would definitely stay here again.
We liked that it's a cool modern hip hotel with a compact room that was immaculately clean. Great location on E. 45th Street. The room was VERY quiet and good for sleep. The only time we heard other people was when in the bathroom. Maybe air vents allow noise to travel between rooms or floors?
We gave a little feedback to the front desk and they listened nicely. Our only feedback was that on a Sunday morning the cleaning service knocked on our door at 9am, 10am, and then knocked and just walked into the room at 10:30am...even though we hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign after the first knock and explained each time that we'd be checking out at the normal time, 11am. This was pretty minor though. The hotel was excellent.
For breakfast or lunch, turn east for 1/2 block and try the Amish Food Market. I doubt that a true Amish would step foot in this pricey market (or park his buggy nearby), but it's a New York type of Whole Foods Supermarket.
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I checked into the Alex on a Tuesday night in November, planning to stay 3 nights. I was put in a room close to the street, in the back of the building. I went to bed relatively early, and had no issue with my stay that night.
On the night of the 14th, I went to bed around 10:00 p.m. Unfortunately, I could not fall asleep. The building next door was generating a loud buzzing noise (machinery), interspersed with massive crashing sounds. I could not only hear this, I could feel each crash in the floor and walls of my room.
At midnight, I called the front desk to speak to the night manager. He informed me the noise next door was the building doing its garbage processing, and that it would be over "soon". He apologized for my situation. I agreed to give it some time to see if the noise stopped. However, at 2:30 a.m., the noise continued unabated.
At this point, I phoned the night manager and asked to be moved to another room. He told me the hotel was full, and they had no other rooms. I then asked to be moved to another hotel. He said he would still have to charge me for this night, to which I responded he could deal with my credit card company on that. He found me a room at the Waldorf, and at 3 a.m. I was packed and out the door. The Waldorf was quiet and uneventful (albeit old), and I stayed there through Friday morning.
When I reviewed my bill, I discovered that not only was I charged for the 14th, but for the 15th as well. I phoned the Alex, explained my situation and asked to be charged just for the 13th. The manager refused, saying no other guest complained about noise that night.
I am now letting my card company handle this, but wanted to let other travelers know about this experience.
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Modern, Small Hotel, Walk to Grand Central / Bryant Park / Empire State Building.
THE HOTEL:
This is a smaller hotel that requires each guest and or visitor to present their ID at the front desk (which can get a little backed up around check in 4:00pm). Once they see your ID they wont ask for it again.
The bar downstairs is quaint and in the wintertime there is a roaring fire behind glass in the lobby. It's actually warm if you sit in front of it!! Very trendy and hip.
THE ROOMS:
My Uncle had a room here when he came into town to visit for work and I'm not sure if all of the rooms are small suites but his was pretty spacious.
When you walked in the front door there was a table with two chairs a couch and a comfy chair to your right. The television was in a nice wooden modern cabinet that covered the wall that it was on, and the kitchen was to the left.
YES a fully functional KITCHEN with a normal fridge including plenty of things to drink, and a tray on the counter full of snacks! You can actually cook in this kitchen if you don't want to eat out every day/night (a great option especially for late night snacks!).
The bathroom was a little small but it had a full tub, shower and a very modern simple toilet and sink.
My Aunt seemed to like the spacious closet it was where she was able to hang all of their clothes for the week.
The bed was pretty comfortable and there was a television in the bedroom as well.
Date Rating: 8
Pick up Scale: 2
Strong Suggestions:
If you're interested in staying here call at least 3 weeks to a month ahead of time as it is a small hotel and they tend to book up pretty quick. The rooms are rather generous for the price for a NYC hotel and it's a great neighborhood.
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Moderately priced when booked through an internet site. The Alex showed me how a small room could still be packed with amenities, like a ship's cabin. The most impressive feature was the staff attentiveness. They were all over the place with helpfulness, and I was dropping Hamiltons like Aaron Burr. Still, I was only there one night, and didn't try the restaurant or the gym, so that restrains the rating I can give. Plus, had we not had our own little fan/noisemaker, we might have heard our neighbor's TV all night. Be warned about thin walls.
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A trendy hotel on the east side. It's trendy and chic but it's not trying, it just kind of falls all together and happens naturally.
The room layouts are magnificent and planned out in detail. There are little hiding places for the TV and other things like dishes and what not that makes the room feel less cluttered. I like the studio and one bedroom with eat in kitchen.
The views are nothing to remember, but I don't really care - the rooms are nice. There is a gym and a restaurant - everything you need right there.
Plus - they offered complimentary car service to the financial center, considering their location I suppose.
i have mixed feelings about hotels in general.
i feel dishonest giving this hotel more than three stars, even though i have to say it was pretty nice. i always feel bait-and-switched when i compare the reality of the hotel to the pictures on their website. whoever did the photography for the Alex hotel's website was very smart in their choice of super-wide-angle/borderline-fisheye lens... making the lobby and the rooms look big and roomy when they are as much of a matchbox as everything else in manhattan.
the lobby was very fresh and clean and modern though, can't deny that. and the staff was very nice, for the most part.
i found a discounted rate through expedia for the weekend, but even with that rate it was expensive. including valet parking, tax, one lapse of judgement where i ordered room service, and internet (which is NOT free, don't let anyone mislead you.. if you go to their business center its free but in-room wifi is $15 a day) the tab came to almost $700. this is for 2 nights. maybe i'm cheap and don't know what a "good" hotel should cost but for this i'd expect them to wipe my ass.
anyway. when i mentioned earlier that i have mixed feelings about hotels, i mean it in the sense that i always find something to be annoyed about no matter how great it is. the room at the Alex was nice, but i wouldn't have chosen a brown theme as the color... looks dirty. also, i hate looking at the tv remotes for example - and seeing the buttons are all worn and faded and sticky. at an expensive boutique hotel.
the leather chaise was also grungy looking kind of. i understand that these things get worn over time, but put some Lexol on it, or something!
what really blew my mind though was the cost of room service food. i know it's always a rip-off, but exqueeze me? baking powder? $25 for a burger? tchyea, right... $12 for a bowl of cereal, $6 for a can of coke, the list goes on. go to the deli at 45th and 2nd and save yourself a million dollars.
the bed was fucking incredibly comfortable, i gotta give them mad props for that. it was like lying down on a cloud, not that i know what that is like... but the frette linens were unbelievably soft and i slept like a baby. the frederic fekkai toiletries didn't bother me either, i enjoyed every handwashing and every shower.
speaking of the bathroom, i hated the toilet... holy mother.. that thing was LOUD and i hate the flush button. oh well.
flat screen tv was cool but the remote was nasty. stereo and dvd player are nice options, next time i'll remember to bring movies.
but anyways i duno, i give it 3 stars still. bed was awesome, location was great, but the room was small, prices were a little too high for what it is. that said, i'll probably go back there next time i hit NYC.
*this may not be directly related, and most people lack morals, but the valet attendant (who may or may not work for the hotel) definitely stole my friend's wallet. that sucked major ass. nothing's more of a hassle than losing all your cards, cash, and drivers license... bleh.
In New York I've stayed at the Hudson, which has a cool lounge, I've stayed at the W The Court which was ok. This place is really great! The staff was nice and helpful and there is always internet access for free.
I didn't get to go to the spa but I hear it's top notch. In any case there were a few minor details such as some headboard rips (I'm very picky, call me a hotel snob) and some minor flaws, overall it was a great place. The bathroom was nicer than the W the Courts (felt like a dorm bathroom) and the space was nice.
This Hotel is very trendy, but not all that I truly expected. Everything in New York is Nano-sized, and The Alex is no exception! The lobby is extremely small, and hard to get around, especially with luggage everywhere. The rooms are small as well, but super trendy. As I walked through the hotel, while waiting on the elevator, and in my room, I noticed a few "industrial" looking doors--not pleasant, and in my room, a lock was busted out of one of the doors!! The Riingo restaurant inside the Hotel was just OK. The staff was friendly and helpful-but shady when it came to car services....
Overall, it was a cool place to check out, but for the price, I expected a little bit more.
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Wow, I expected better reviews for this place. I give it 3.75 stars.
My sister and I stayed here during one of our Everyone-gets-on-my-nerves-and-I-need-some-new-sce nery-anyway-so-let's-get-the-hell-on-out vacations!
PROS:
Modern, upscale, flatscreens in bedroom and bathroom, nice couch next to windowsill, Frederic Fekkai bathroom products, LOCATION (you can't beat mid-town Manhattan, it's close to everything!) Affordable pricing. Comfy beds. Cool lobby.
CONS:
Rooms are great, but kinda crowded with everything. I think there was less than 2 ft. of space between the foot of my bed and the tv/entertainment center.
EH:
Restaurant was nice, trendy, but small. Same for the bar. Staff there was cool.
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The Alex was exactly what I expected. Modern hotel with the basic amenities and small rooms (Although my friend said it was bigger than the rooms at the W). By "king size" bed they must have meant "king size for midgets". The bed was wide but very short, nonetheless it was very comfortable. The fitness room had everything you need (2 treadmills, 2 ellipticals, 2 bikes, weights and machines). The rooms had Internet but you needed to request an ethernet cable from the front desk..it was rather surprising they didn't have wireless.
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One word comes to mind whenever I think about The Alex.
Class.
If you have the funds, do check out this boutique hotel in NYC. Forget about those chains where service is so-so and bedrooms look like they belong in the 80's.
One of my girlfriends wanted to celebrate her birthday in NYC, so we spent a weekend here shopping, enjoying fine dining and of course dancing the nights away!
Why you should stay here:
1. It's a small hotel, so it's quiet and you don't have to deal with long waits for the elevator, crowds, etc.
2. The lobby staff is very friendly and courteous and can always recommend a good party at the clubs.
3. The rooms themselves have a modern and fresh look. We stayed in a one bedroom suite. The furniture and set up of the room somewhat resembles the style of Japanese hotels. In the living room - White/beige couches. Flat-screen tv. Dining table (with Starbursts spread out under the glass top...interesting, I know). Mini kitchen with fridge. Inside the bedroom - King size bed with white comforter/sheets. Chaise. Flat-screen tv.
4. The hotel features Frederic Fekkai bath amenities (shampoo/conditioner/soap/lotion, etc.). Good stuff!
5. It's right next door to Riingo, restaurant and bar. We didn't get to try it, but it looks like a snazzy little place.
6. Closely located to Serendipity 3, in case you have a craving for some frozen Hot Chocolate! :)
Why you may think twice:
1. It's not close to Times Square like other hotels.
2. The staff seems concerned if you bring visitors after a certain time. Probably crowd control.
If given the opportunity, I'd definitely stay here again. Yes, it's not close to Times Square, but if you want to get away from the chaos, this hotel is ideal. Plus, I always tend to think boutique hotels have much more personality and style as compared to those chains.
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Excellent boutique hotel located in Midtown East. I stayed in their one bedroom suite... and they only have one unit with a balcony. Make sure you ask for its availability. The decor is modern and comfortable, and you get a kitchen as well. Great place, and the large balcony was a great place to host an after-party.
I would love to stay here again on my next trip to NYC but it hurts the wallet. The double suite was the size of a small condo, separate bedroom area, living room w/ Italian leather sofas, full kitchen (the Sub Zero fridge was impressive). The dining table is pretty cool too - there's storage for plates underneath the round glass top. This was 4yrs ago when a 30" Sharp Aquos LCD went for $2600. There were two of them - one in the living room and bedroom. Then there was a 13" in the bathroom right next to the toilet, perfect for those extra long dump sessions. This place introduced me to Frederic Fekkai body lotions with the little bottles on the sink, which has become my favorite ever since. Two blocks from Grand Central but short on the late night eateries you find in Times Square. I would be satisfied living in a place like this.
Booked it through http://Hotels.com, good value. Small, but nice comfortable rooms. Didn't spend lots of time in the place, but the staff were polite and professional. Lots of gadgets in the rooms. Convenient to places, caught a cab quickly.
Modern and minimalistic. A few blocks walking distance to Grand Central Station. Across the street from one of the most beautiful supermarkets in Manhattan. Small, chic lobby area. The rooms are modern to the point of being borderline not comfy. The elevator wait can be a drag at times and the service was friendly but could be a notch more professional.
well, well, well, what do you call a hotel that steals your belongings? is it possible to give this a negative star rating? i didn't know you needed to put your shoes in the safe when you left the room to ensure they would still be there when you returned. yeah the room was gorgeous and the bathroom sublime but none of that really matters when your favorite pair of shoes from a foreign country go missing while you are out for the evening. the hotel manager was seemingly uninterested in the case of the missing shoes and thought we must be a bit too attached to our shoes to carry on the way we did. i love yelp if for no other reason than to perhaps prevent other people from patronizing this organized crime ring.
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