I booked the Jr. Suite at Ink48 for a girl’s weekend away. We were in town to see a show.
We drove into town and got a great deal on parking at a lot that was only 1 block away; it was ½ the price of what we would have paid for the hotel valet.
Upon entering the hotel, there was nobody to assist us with our bags or open the doors for us which is unusual for Kimpton service (This happened twice when entering the hotel. The one time there were people to open the door, one of them was smoking). There was also no revolving door so getting into the hotel with all of our bags was a bit awkward.
The two young gentlemen at the front desk were friendly but had to check to see if our room was ready even though we checked-in after 3pm.
We also weren’t given a mini-bar key but didn’t want to have to ask for it after we realized it.
The elevator situation is rather peculiar. There are four elevators available to go to the rooms (which fill up very quickly) but it can sometimes take up to 5 minutes to get one.
Additionally, the hotel staff and guests shared elevators. We had to wait additional time for elevators b/c they were full of service staff on a couple of occasions.
Upon entering our room, we were impressed. The Jr. Suite has an amazing amount of room. The living space is incredible with a fabulous bathroom to match.
However, the partial view of the Hudson is tainted by dirty rooftops and a fleet of telephone-service trucks parked in clear view.
The hotel hallways were stifling and didn’t seem to be air-conditioned (or were just considerably hotter than the rooms).
In the morning, we could smell cigarette smoke coming through the vents of the room even though it’s a non-smoking hotel.
Once settled in the room, we decided to explore the hotel to see what else it had to offer. Surprisingly, there was no business center (although the hotel does have wireless capabilities so be sure to bring your laptop).
We were going to be out all night and just wanted to see the rooftop bar but it was closed and the staff said it wasn’t accessible so we missed probably the best part of the hotel.
We were contemplating dining at the hotel but arrived a little early. When asked to see a menu, the young lady seemed a bit miffed at us and stated that the menu wasn’t yet available because the chef hadn’t produced it even though the restaurant was slated to open in 15 minutes. The rest of the lobby was decent with a small “Living Room” section where the evening’s wine reception was hosted (which started late) and where there is some additional seating in front of the building.
The hotel’s surrounding area in HK is very convenient. We were able to walk to a great restaurant (44 ½ ) just a couple of blocks away. Additionally, it’s VERY close to the Lincoln Tunnel, the convention center and several other go-to areas in the city. For location alone, I wouldn’t totally write-off Ink48 and would possibly give it another try.
Overall, the hotel is decent but the service was seriously lacking (there were too many little things to list). Based on other reviews, I would like to think of our experience as a fluke. However, there are other nearby Kimpton hotels which I would book first before ever returning to Ink48. If this were my first Kimpton experience, I probably wouldn’t have been too excited to see what else they had to offer.
PROS: Location, convenience, newer hotel, clean/large rooms
CONS: Service, waiting for elevators, no business center
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