We live in the greater NYC area and have stayed at several hotels in the city, many in midtown. So we'd been very excited about staying at RSH as it looked like something more unique among NYC hotels; photos and reviews gave it an artistic air and class.
Unfortunately, the building is not remotely suited for noise reduction and this is our biggest complaint. We stayed near the top of the hotel and heard car horns through the single-pane windows all night long. (This is not traditional of NYC hotels in midtown on the whole. We've stayed at several others, including one just 2 blocks away, where this was not a concern.) Also, the room doors are heavy and set in metal frames, so every time another hotel guest closes their door, its clang echoes through the walls.
Too, the temperature control (2 "wallbanger" units) left something to be desired. (It was a high of 85 outside in the day, and I doubt the temperature dipped below 80 inside during the night.)
The staff was kind enough. Visually, the room was fantastic - but upon use, the majority of lamps did not work, only one of the two TV's had cable (which was in the bedroom, and had a shoddy cable connection).
My recommendations: Grab a few drinks in the bar on the ground floor (the drinks and bar staff were great), but don't stay over unless your goal is just having a place to take some cool facebook photos. It's pretty to look at, but it isn't practical. If you do stay over, and you intend to sleep, hit the Duane Reade across the street and pay $6 for some earplugs - but it's smarter to stay at one of the other comparable hotels in the area.
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