My friend and I stayed for one night. We spent less than 12 hours in the hotel, but easily discovered it was overrated and not worth the money (I wouldn't pay more than $50/night, I get better service at Motel 6). We decided to change hotels from lower manhattan to central park and asked same-day of our stay if there were any rooms available. The front desk manager said they were booked solid. Literally 5 minutes later we walked outside and called the helmsley chain asking for available rooms and they quoted us a price of 230 at Park Lane and we booked. 10 minutes after being declined we walked back in with a reservation! Why on earth would a desk manager LIE about vacancies? After requesting a non-smoking room, sure enough our room reeks of dingy tobacco with dirty ash trays. We call the front desk to be moved to a non-smoking room. Displaying quite the attitude, he moved us to a new room that was equally abysmal but without the tobacco smell(We learn now that there were at least 2 available rooms as opposed to the zero we were first told about). Upon checkout I asked the concierge about cab fare to LaGuardia. He said it would be about $50, of course after myself directing the cabbie where to go, the TOTAL price of the drive was $22. I have spent less than a week of my life in New York and it seems I am more fit for the concierge position than him! Obviously the Helmsley Park Lane is an island of complete incompetence, unjustified arrogance, and complete ineptness in an otherwise wonderful city. Location was great, but the uppity snootiness and rudeness of the employees seemed to be a futile attempt to compensate for a rubbish hotel, comparable to a holiday inn (which would have bigger rooms I might add). The chic pictures and font on their website is decieving. We stayed at the Hilton in the desolate Ground Zero area of lower manhattan and had a much better experience. The staff at Park Lane made us feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Quite frankly, I hope the workers at this hotel go out of business and find themselves homeless like the people right outside the door of the hotel's 58th street entrance! Living on the street may help curtail their arrogance. I have stayed at some budget RedRoof type hotels, but this is certainly THE WORST HOTEL I HAVE EVER VISITED! I wouldn't reccomend this even if all other hotels are booked, stay in Queens or the Bronx before staying here.
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