I stayed here for the 1st time in October 2010 and the hotel would have got 5/5 however what a lot can change in that time, when we checked in we were told that they did not have our reservation and the lady that was dealing with us was quite abrupt until we showed her all our documentation showing the booking, then her attitude changed up a gear and she was very nice and polite, I may add that I did not book this through any of those cheap websites I booked through Virgin holidays and paid quite a substantial amount, anyway when she finally found our reservation it turns out it was for April not February all this coming on top of nearly 24hours travelling is not good for the nerves so we had to wait until someone else re-entered the booking, eventually we were given our room.
Where do I start with that room, well it had a view of Times Square which was possibly the only good thing about it, the decor is dated, the walls are severely scuffed and marked, there are marks round the bed where they've moved the headboards, the window sills were filthy, the carpets looked like they needed a good vacuum and the fan would not turn off at all even though it was showing off on both control panels, it also had a connecting door which I personally cannot stand as there is no privacy on either side and this one was no exception we could hear everything, to me rooms with connecting doors should only be given to guests who know the people on the other side, ie families and groups of friends!! So I figured I was just tired and a little on edge from the check in so we went out to dinner to relax slightly.
On our return to the room we were confronted by a very very pungent chemical smell coming from the fan that smelled a lot like nail polish remover, this coupled with the fact that it wouldn't turn off therefore the wall and the bed were vibrating, lead to what can only be described as a vomit inducing experience. I went down to the front desk to complain to be told that he would send maintenance up to have a look, 15 minutes later I was still waiting and desperate to get some sleep so went down again to see what was happening only to be told that he had no idea what time someone would be up as they were very busy, as I was desperate to get some sleep I explained this and the gentleman asked if I would like to move rooms, he gave me another key to go and have a look at it to see if it was any better, we did and on entering the room the difference was incredible it was quieter, no connecting door and quite a bit cleaner, it didn't have a ''view'' but what there was was still essentially New York, we spent the rest of the holiday in this room and it was great!! I was very happy with the offer of another room and the efficiency of the gentleman that helped me, I wish I had got his name!
To me all this hotel needs to be perfect again is a room refurbish as they are quite dated and some are more shabby than others, unfortunately it is another example of the rooms not reflecting the ultra modern lobby which lulls you into a slightly false sense of security.
After the initial first night's disastrous experiences we had a great holiday and the hotel is perfectly located for everything, Times Square, shops, theatres are all on the doorstep and anything else is within walking distance or there is the subway nearby.
We never ate in the hotel restaurant but it always looked fairly busy, however I would recommend Cosmic diner on 52nd & 8th that place kept us in amazing breakfasts and coffee all week!!
We also visited the 9/11 memorial site as well and would recommend it, it is a very humbling and strangely peaceful experience, another thing I would recommend if you can afford it is the helicopter flight over Manhattan, it was amazing!!!!!!
Check out was a much smoother experience and the staff who dealt with keeping our luggage for us were very friendly and helpful.
All in all we had a good holiday and our issues were sorted very quickly and I love the location and ambience of this hotel I'm just a little unsure whether I would return again at least until the rooms have been updated!!!
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