After reading the reviews on Trip Advisor I expected the Hotel Bedford to be an acceptable hotel and a suitable venue for my girlfriend and I to relax on our one and only night in NYC after a week of travel around the USA. I couldn't have made a worse choice!
Despite the fact I had a confirmed reservation guaranteed with my credit card I arrived at the hotel around 10pm only to be told by a rather agitated receptionist they had no record of my booking, everybody had already checked in and the hotel was now full. However, after 30 minutes of debating this it seemed a miracle had happened and some rooms might be possible but sadly at a yet to be disclosed higher price. At this point I was highly suspicious so I said "no problem, I'll go to another hotel" but before leaving I requested some kind of written confirmation from the reception I had tried to use my reservation and they wouldn't charge my credit card for a "no show". Funnily enough the chap at reception suddenly became rather aggressive and point blank refused to give me anything. The story now changed and he said he'd "do me a special favour" and give me a room reserved for a corporate client that was yet to arrive but I'd have to pay a much higher price - strange seeing as he told me on arrival everybody had already checked in. At this point I felt like I was being held to ransom so I refused his kind offer and said for me there were only 3 options: 1: I have my room as booked for the agreed price of "only" $295, 2: No room, so I have a written confirmation they won't charge me for a no show, or failing this 3: I'll ask the 2 police officers at the foot of the road to witness the situation so my card wouldn't be charged.
At this point the chap at reception decided he would disappear to "the office" for almost an hour only to return with yet another offer for a room at a higher price. I repeated my list and said he had another 10 minutes before I had no option but to leave. Amazingly just before this deadline a room had suddenly freed itself up and my reservation was found.
It certainly wasn't worth the trouble! Instead of the one double bed the room had 2 of the most uncomfortable single beds I've ever experienced, the TV was ancient and only showed one channel with so much interference it was unwatchable, the wallpaper was peeling from the corners of the walls, the toilet seat was an interesting shade of dark brown at the rear, the shower was dirty etc... Basically the room was run down and very badly cleaned. However, my 2 hour check in was obviously rather tiring for the reception as he had vanished so there was no possibility for complaints so I had no choice but to accept this awful room. Overall this experience essentially ruined our night in NYC and if the attitude of the receptionist and the bellboy are anything to go by I suspect is kind of the norm for late check-ins at this hotel.
An absolute disgrace for a hotel in this price range and a complete waste of an otherwise good location. Avoid!
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