We realized less than two weeks before our scheduled weekend in New York that we had neglected to finalize a hotel room. Unfortunately, by that time the usually expensive rates had gone thru the roof and in addition, we had limited options. I was insistent on wanting a place with at least a continental breakfast. After reading the reviews on tripadvisor we settled on the Pearl.
For the most part our experience was quite good. The front desk was friendly and efficient. We were given a very clean, nicely appointed room including a mini frig and microwave on the 10th floor with a view into the interior area toward the buildings next door. The room was a comfortable size for NYC and was nicely laid out. It was very quiet except for the obnoxious drunk people staying on our floor who returned to their room between 1-3:00 am both nights we were there who were impossible to sleep through. We did not feel like getting up to complain to the front desk but for the price we paid for the room ($600+/night), you would think the night desk clerk might have been on top of managing late night drunken revelers when they returned to insure they didn't disturb other guests...
We thought the continental breakfast was fine. It is after all, a continental breakfast! If what you're looking for is a hot buffet, this is the not the hotel for you. If all you need is coffee, a piece of fruit, some muffins, and a yogurt or cereal, this will work nicely. I do agree with other reviewers that the breakfast/happy hour space is awkward as there are not real tables to eat at only coffee tables. We were happy just to take the food back to our room, however. (And that was easy to do since the silverware and plates were disposable.) The wine and cheese happy hour is exactly what it says "wine and cheese". I did think perhaps they would have additional appetizers but it was limited to wine and cheese. That was fine for us though as we just wanted a little snack before heading out to an early pre-theater dinner.
We liked the Pearl because it was quiet and secure and included some extra features like the frig, microwave, breakfast and wine hour. It was a little hard for us to locate initially (the sign is small, dark gray and not well lit) but it is immediately across the street from the Eugene O'Neill theater where Book of Mormon is playing so once you find that landmark, it's hard to miss! The location is ideal and very close to Times Square, Broadway, and many restaurants and shops. It is easy walking distance to just about everything. We even walked down to the USS Intrepid Museum.
I do think we overpaid for the room ($100-200 more than it would ordinarily cost) but that is our own fault for not securing reservations well ahead of time. If you could get a decent price for the room, I think it would be an excellent value for the money and you can't beat the location.
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