Wow, how things can change in the hotel business! The hotel staff who used to be friendly, warm and welcoming have become distant, cold and arrogant. I'm talking about the front desk staff. Not at all helpful. Not at all concerned about the quality of interaction or serving the customer.
The room was not at all acceptable: slow drains in the both the sink and the tub. Uncomfortable bed. HVAC system not yet set to air-conditioning so even the "coolest" setting pumped out heat. We had the windows open 24/7 during our visit but the room was STILL like a sauna.
I stopped by the front desk the morning after checking in and asked if the drains could be snaked. I was assured this would be taken care of, but it was not.
That evening, I asked if we could be moved to another room because of the standing water in the tub and the sink AND the sauna-like conditions of the room. "We'll get back to you" was the reply. Never heard back.
I avoided the restaurant completely as I remembered the $35 breakfast buffet from my last visit. Too many good breakfast options within two blocks to pay that kind of money.
Noise. I realize that NYC hotels must cater to groups in order to fill rooms, but the noise in the lobbies from the hundreds of kids swarming the place was just wrong. There was never an attempt to control this hysteria.
On the way out this morning, one of the concierge staff members followed me across the lobby trying to get me to accept the "offer" of a car service to the airport. He kept insisting that $50 was the same price as a cab. Ha! I'm not some first-time tourist to NYC. Finally I said, "Does that include tip and tolls, and will the driver accept a credit card?" "No, no and no" was the reply. Yea, right. I ended up at LaGuardia with a $30 trip charge and $5 toll charge. With tip: $42. I know that extra money is a great motivator, but having the concierge staff pimp for the car service drivers is an annoyance, not a service.
On the good side, the housekeepers are wonderful.
I need to find a new Times Square hotel. As I say in the title, I felt like I had revisited an old friend/relative who had suddenly stepped over that line into a death spiral. I can't help but wonder if the Park Central is spiraling down. It had been such a reasonably priced hotel option with decent service and a good atmosphere.
It's very disappointing.
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