I should stop reading the "excellent" and "terrible" hotel rating reviews, as they rarely help due to being extreme...
Mela is average at best and not nearly close to a four-star property.
Positive:
Good location, just half a block off Times Square and theaters;
Clean and neat;
Nice bedding.
Free Internet service.
Negative:
Rooms are small. Not "on the smaller or cozy side". They are VERY small. I estimated our room to be 160 sq.ft. (approx 16 sq.m) in total, including washroom. See the photo.
Check-in was slow. We asked for a queen-size bed a month in advance; the room was not available and we're given a room with a double bed instead. It actually turned out better to have a smaller bed due to the room size. Moving around room with a larger bed would have been more difficult.
No lobby to speak about;
No restaurant;
Elevators are slow and VERY small as well.
Washroom - the sink is just a sink with practically no ledges (I took a picture). No hooks to hang a travel necessities bag on. Our shower stall had a corner build-out in it. I hit my elbow on it a few times. Plus, the glass door can hit your fingers against the sharp corner if you happen to hold a handle when you open it inside.
Internet service is slow.
$50 for a valet was a bit of a ripoff with overnight parking rates at $17 (we're silly enough to rent a car for one day and had to park it somewhere).
Some reviewers dismiss the importance of Manhattan hotel comfort (or rather a lack thereof) as something that you have to accept, because it's New York. I don't accept it. We paid almost $360 per night for this room incl. taxes and that's still a lot of money where I come from. My wife and I wanted to spend a nice weekend in Manhattan. Mela hotel didn't add much to our New York experience.
If you're traveling alone Mela could be an alternative. We would not be staying here again.
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