Stayed here for couple of nights, first - the pros. The location is stone throw from Times Square, Broadway and Rockefeller Centre and the like, shopping also healthy walking distance, including 5th Ave etc. It is a pleasant 3 star hotel, which is very clean and judging from normal NY hotel prices, very good value for money. However, there are some issues to note and take care off to ensure better experience.
Firsly, whatever you do - do yourself a favour and book an executive room, or in the very least insist at all costs to be given a renovated room. I stayed on the 15th floor, but was first shown unrenovated room on the 12th, which although very clean, had rather shabby old furniture and carpets, old fashioned weird red tiled long corridor, old bath, yukki bed, and most appalingly awful, inefficient and unbelievably loud square box aircon stuck inside your window. It was so loud it made uncomfortable to stay in the room, leave alone hear anything on TV or radio, or another person, leave alone sleep. I moved immediately for an additonal cost of $25 - well worth it! The beds in renovated executive rooms are comfy. Furnishings pleasant, nice chandelliers, and the touch of llight dimmers everywhere, including the bathroom was a very nice relaxing touch. Bring your bathie things and enjoy a nice bath in what is a lovely marble bathroom with lovely controllable light.
If you stay here in the height of summer or winter, even in the new rooms, bring your ear plugs - the floor level aircon next to window (see pic) is ridiculously oldfashioned, even in remodelled rooms - none of them have any fan speed control AT ALL and sounds like a very very loud tractor. I slept with earplugs for that reason, turned up temperature to 75F so that aircondoes not cut in all night long, and still had very poor sleep. There is also no double-glazing and with my room facing onto the 49th one could hear everyting. Curtains are not blockout, so if you have trouble with that, bring your eye mask. The hotel is busy, lifts are painfully slow. If you are in the hurry, do allow 10min to get down at times.
Choice of pillows is only one - lumps of plasticky foam, one size fits all, no alternatives offered, if you like your pillows flat, be prepared for neck ache or sleep pillowless. The request to provide a flat or alternative pillow was answered in friendly manner... with exactly the same pillow that I already had. Another thing you must prepare for - amenities are poor, so bring your own. There is no shaver, toothpaste or any of the basics, if you forget it, you will be directed to their Gift Shop downstairs, a tiny hole of a shop charging obscene prices for essentials. Go to 7/11 down the street or bring your own to avoid this most ludicruous state of affairs. There is no room service, no minibar, not even glass of water in the room, you will be directed to purchase a bottle from one of the floors or downstairs. I put a bottle in small room fridge, it was ice frozen overnight. Business centre was appaling and freezing, I didnt even bother with small fitness room they had.
Lastly, staff service levels are spasmodic to say the least, front desk staff vary from hostile to super friendly, but mostly disinterested, and any reasonable request (líke blood dripping finger cut, instead of offering first aid bo bandaid, I was met with direction to the aforementioned "Gift Shop", Concierge, however, always courteous, friendly and with excellent recommendations, including Blue Fin on Broadway, and Natsumi Japanese, which were both very good. Overall, probably good value for money, for New York, but do yourself a favour and address issues above (if they matter to you) and you will have a nice stay in what is an absolutely splendid city.
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