If you arrive with low expectations you might be pleased. I booked based on ratings on TripAdvisor and other sites, realizing the Salisbury might be a little dowdy but the good rate in Mid-Town would seem to make up for that. But everything turned out to be less than met the eye. We did not get the room we had booked (a king) and ended up with two doubles. The suite was very large, but everything about it was incredibly tired. Both the manager, when we checked in, and an NYC guidebook in the room touted the fact that the place had been renovated ten years ago. Dog years? If anything has been installed since the Carter administration, I'd be surprised. The carpeting was old, furniture was tatty and stained, and the mattress on the pull-out couch was torn and all of an inch thick. Our bathroom looked liked it had been fitted out from a surplus warehouse. Three or four different types of tile, cheap fixtures and a slow draining sink took me back to college living. Two old elevators service the entire building and one morning one of them was being serviced. The window unit air conditioners were passable, but of course they're just like having a window open the way they let sound in, so you can expect to hear every honk, every screeching tire, and every construction sound (of which there is no shortage) on 57th Street.
Again, I didn't book this place expecting the Ritz, but it did not live up to the hype. The location is very good, just a few short blocks from Columbus Circle. The housekeeping service was excellent especially given the challenge they have to put up with. Bell hops were also pleasant and helpful. The front desk staff seemed rather indifferent.
While this place may be a relative bargain, I doubt we'll be back.
hotel reviews