So, here's the scoop on this place:
Rooms: The basic rooms are a good deal at $ 200.00 or under. The suites are above average deals, if that's your thing, at $ 500.00 & up. Hotel is very popular with Europeans & Brits.
Service: very good, very responsive, very friendly.
Neighborhood: safe, residential area known as Murray Hill, plenty of local restaurants around that are open all hours on the weekends, walking distance to basics such as the Empire State Bldg, Herald Square, Grand Central, much more; plenty of cabs cruising Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave.
Room service: prompt, fairly accurate (forgot all the condiments & the salad dressing), expensive as hell (I get it, this is NYC, but $ 80.00 for a salad, 2 burgers & 3 drinks was interesting).
My Experience: our visit began oddly, as the amenity package that I had paid for wasn't in the room & had to be requested (2x); then, it was discovered that the sink wouldn't drain; up to our room came a maintenance gent who worked diligently for 90 minutes to resolve the issue on a Friday night; with my help, issue resolved. Not exactly what you want to do after traveling all day, but stuff happens. Next day, the flat screen television failed; ended up watching Winbledon tennis finals on a dilapidated, old tv in the hotel-affiliated bar named 'Rare.'
Front Desk Manager Warren Herrera came through for us - - re-located us on Saturday to the suite up on 12. Suite was very roomy & had the feel of an apartment. The AC struggled to keep up with a 95 degree day, though, and didn't cool the living room area until well after dark.
BTW, the hotel doesn't AC the hallways. You come out of your room on a hot summer's day & wait a few minutes for an elevator & trust me, you melt. Just thought that no AC in the hallway of a major hotel in mid-town, especially after renovations, was odd - - and off-putting.
Staff: Very professional, very friendly, very responsive to issues.
Eats: recommend Zengo's on 3rd Ave for Asian Latin fusion (try the duck appetizer, very good); recommend Scottie's Diner on Lex (open 24-7 & the best corned beef hash I've ever tasted); Nirvana is Indian food on Lex, basic nothing special; Sushi Yasuda a few blocks away for excellent sushi & great service; the little corner deli on the corner of 40th & Lex for that NYC classic, the egg, bacon & cheese on a hard roll sandwich, damn, now that's a tasty & inexpensive item for a quick breakfast. The little pizzeria around the corner from the hotel (Royal Pizza? Imperial Pizza?) on 3rd Ave isn't very good. Two Boots in Grand Central is much better, as are many other places for pizza in NYC than Royal or Imperial whatever the name.
Kips Bay movie theatres are only a short cab ride away on 2nd Ave @ 31st, or walk to it if weather permits.
The towels in the basic rooms aren't as plush or new as the towels in the suites. Toiletries are above average, can't recall the brand.
'Rare' is the restaurant next to the hotel lobby. Known for their burgers, which are quite good & which will set you back $ 15.00 or more per burger. Pricey food, drinks are good & priced like the rest of the area.
Would recommend staying here because the management strives to get it right.
hotel reviews