ive just returned from a trip to nyc and had a fabulous time! im from scotland, and had never been to the states before so wasnt quite sure what to expect - but it was a blast from start to finish! :D
i arrived at the hotel around 12.30 and although check in time wasnt until 2pm according to the paperwork i had, the gentleman at reception said this was no problem, and would we like either a quiet room, or a room with a view :D it was nice to have the option and we selected the view - as we were on the 9th floor it was pretty quiet anyway so a win-win situation! :D i imagine during the high season the early check in and room choice will not be available, but as we were there during the quieter time of year it was very much appreciated.
the room we had (902) was a twin room. the beds were roomy, VERY comfortable and had loads of pillows, so no sore neck! lol! there was also a desk/dressing table, tv with a good selection of channels, hair drier, iron and walk in wardrobe/closet. there was also a well stocked mini bar and on top of that was a selection of chocolate/pringles/1st aid kit etc. all these however are on pressure pads, which if the item is off its pad for more than 20secs, is automatically added to your room bill. we accidently knocked the pringles over and you woulda thought a grenade was about to go off the way we chased after it to return it to its rightful place! lol! the en-suite bathroom was very clean and had soft towels, nice complementary toiletries and also a sewing kit.
if you wish to avoid the mini bar (note: no prices are stated for these items) there are vending machines on some floors - these are listed on the back of your room card holder. you can buy juice/soda or snacks, chocolate, biscuits etc. these vending machines also carry a few essentials such as toothbrush and tampons which is handy, esp if you arrive late and dont fancy venturing out for some toothpaste! lol! the drinks from the machines are $2 and the foodstuffs vary between $1 and $2 so not expensive compared to some other hotel vending machines ive seen in the past.
as we were staying on a room-only basis i cant comment on the in-house food. there is a sort of flashy jazz bar/restaurant that can be accessed from reception. however, this is not attached to the hotel so you cannot take drinks from there to your room. we never bothered to see if there was another bar in the hotel as despite the prices, we just loved the atmosphere at the jazz bar :D the staff in there were also amazing people to chat to, and didnt mind if you nursed your $10 beer a little longer than usual to make it last! lol!
outside the hotel, you have a subway approx 30secs walk east, as well as central park, museum and planetarium. head west to columbus ave and you have a bar/grill, newstand, bagel/grocer shop and off-sales/liquor store. take the 2min stroll west along w 81st street after columbus and you will find amsterdam ave, which has loads of restaurants/bars/shops etc. ovbiously being further uptown, there isint a huge amount to do in the immediate area of the hotel, but by taking 2mins to walk a block or two and there is plenty places to eat and drink, and with the subway being at the end of the street, the city is yours for the taking! :D
at the end of our stay, check out time was 12. as we werent flying til the evening and didnt fancy lugging our bags around the city we asked if there was some kind of place we could dump our stuff. we were told the hotel had a strong room where our bags could be left free of charge and we were given tickets for them so no-one else could accidently take the wrong ones. this was great as it allowed us to have a few precious extra hours enjoying the city, safe in the knowledge that our stuff was safe.
the doorman, bellboy, housekeeping and front desk staff are all very friendly at the excelsior and nothing was too much trouble. im not sure what happened to previous posters, but our experience of the staff here was a good one - either the hotel have improved things or we were just lucky, im not sure. but either way ive no complaints about the excelsior hotel :D
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