We booked a park view junior suite at the Helmsley Park Lane for a four day stay.
At check in the staff were friendly but slightly condescending, which only got worse throughout the stay. I have to say that on the whole, the level of service form the reception and concierge was below average and delivered in a way that was verging on snooty. It was almost as if the doorman would see us coming and run the other way. This continued throughout the entire length of our stay, I couldn't help but feel like they would see us and wonder what we were doing there. Not a very pleasant way to be greeted on the way in and out.
The room was extremely spacious (especially for NYC) with breathtaking views of the park, and everything was very clean. The room was a bit tired and the decor very dated but for the money we paid, the size of the room was more than value for money. We were frowned upon for buying bottles of wine in from outside, and charged for the usage of the corkscrew in the room, not once - but twice! they charged $12 a day for wifi, which I thought was a bit steep, but you come to expect that.
The only good thing I can say about the hotel service was the housekeeping who kept everything spotless, provided a chocolates and turndown service and replenished towels twice daily. They were the only staff who got a tip at the end of our stay.
I would recommend this hotel for visitors to NYC who value their space over everything else. I think the space and location was a fair trade for the shortfalls in service and dated decor.
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