We stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel from June 28-30, 2006. It was our first time to New York City as part of an extended private tour of the northeast, and getting to the hotel was a task (the streets are nuts). Once we found the hotel, checking in was a rushed event. First, you must circle the hotel until a spot opens up in front for the bellhop to clear our bags from our car. Then, one person must check in while the other is manuvering the car around the neighborhood to find long term parking. We checked in around 7pm. The desk was manned by latino americans, who spoke heavily accented english. I had requested a room with a loft and sofa, but what I got was not that. Don't be fooled by the pictures of the rooms you find on the internet, the room is probably 100 square feet, barely enough room for two small twin beds and not much else. The bathroom was smaller than any I have ever seen with a tub; one of us had a hard time moving around, nevermind anyone else getting in there. We had brought our own coffeemaker, just in case one any of the hotels we were staying in did not have one. We asked the bellhop, as he was unloading our car, if there was one- he said there was. Nope.
However, after checking in and getting aclimated, the city turned out to be the best segment of our trip. The subway is literally in front of the hotel and goes anywhere you want to go on Manhattan Island and beyond, while being real safe to travel in (ever hear that old wives tale to never look another person in the eye while on the subway? nonsense; the riders were just like the people back home, normal people not nutbags). We saw all the usual attractions (Tip: take the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty. It's free to ride), plus Greenwich Village ( a tad overpriced), the Stardust Diner (the wait staff sings with our dinner; fantastic), and North America's largest TGI Fridays (like a normal Fridays, but bigger, lol).
Avoid the $40 price and one hour wait to the top of the Empire State Building, it's a jip. Later, we discovered you get the same level view from the Rockefeller Building for far less.
Overall, a very nice trip, but I will look longer next time to find a more spacious hotel room.
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