I chose the Rivington for a recent business trip to NY because I was intrigued by the idea of staying at a place that offered something different from the usual business hotel. The hotel is on the lower east side, a great spot for a weekend frolic; not so hot for most business purposes, including mine (but I knew that going in). The staff were friendly and efficient. The room was decent-sized, hip, and the floor to ceiling glass walls from my corner room made for wonderful views from the Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street all the way to the Empire State Building. The floor to ceiling glass shower was a bit off-putting (if I can see out, can't they see in?). I agree with one reviewer who commented that the quality of the workmanship in the rooms left something to be desired. I peeked behind the head board, for instance, and noticed that the wall was unpainted (no big deal, but tacky). Here's the rub: the room was populated with two high style chairs and an equally high style coffee table, plus a little number that had the appearance of a shaggy, knee-high, poodle dog badly in need of a shave (my best guess is it was some sort of table). No desk or work station. No ironing board or iron. I had spotty service from the wireless internet. Worst of all (particularly for a Seattleite), no in-room coffee, no coffee shop nearby, and the hotel doesn't begin serving until 7 a.m., woefully inadequate for the early-to-work crowd. All in all, a fine fun place to stay for a recreational trip to N.Y. Not so good for the business traveller.
hotel reviews