I've just returned from a week staying at Hotel 17 in New York. I found it so hard to know whether to book this hotel based on reading some of the other reviews on this website, they all seemed to contradict each other. I'm a natural born worrier, so naturally I worried.....
Turns out, nothing to worry about. Hotel 17 is in a great location for the subway and places to eat and its away from all the hustle and bustle in a safe area.
To pick up on some of the things other people have commented on:
1) Yes the lift is a bit slow, but its an antique - and why is everyone always in a hurry.
2) The desk staff were generally very helpful, apart from one 'vacant' guy, but I guess some people aren't born with customer service skills - he needs to work on acknowledging people. None of them were rude though.
3) Bed bugs - load of rubbish, I saw no evidence of them.
4) Shared bathrooms were nothing to worry about as they were always spotless and there was always plenty of hot water even after everyone else in the building had showered.
5) The central heating - our room was always warm enough even when it snowed, there were only 2 nights when it was making a funny hissing noise, but not loud enough to keep us awake.
If you're expecting the Ritz then you're going to be dissappointed, but I think its great value for money (about £180 for 7 nights).
Tips for food places - go downtown from the hotel along 1st or 2nd Avenue a few blocks and there's loads of places.
To sum it up - I wouldn't suggest coming here on a romantic weekend (unless you're on a really tight budget) as the ecclectic decor may put you off, but as a young female student it suited perfectly. Here is a pic of the bathroom, in case you want a peek.
Thanks for reading my review, I hope it helped you make your decision - enjoy your holiday - I did!
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