I visit New York every year for personal theater trips, and I usually stay at The Michelangelo, which is a wonderful hotel with staff that treat their regular guests almost like family. But, I wanted to try something new on my last trip this past summer, and given the reviews and word of mouth about the Elysee, how could I refuse? I booked the hotel, and was really excited about staying here based on the glowing reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was anything but what I was expecting from a supposedly fine hotel.
The problems actually started the moment I walked in the front door. When I reserved my room, I also booked transportation service to pick me up at the airport and take me to the hotel. I was quoted a price for this that seemed quite reasonable. So, the car takes me to the hotel, and when I arrive at the lobby to check in, the guy at the desk quotes me an entirely different and much more expensive price than I was promised over the phone. I brought this up, showed them the price I was quoted, and the guy at the desk simply said he would "look into it". I never heard back on this matter again. Every time I brought it up, I got the same answer that they would "look into it".
I experienced a number of problems with the staff during the week that I stayed there. Many of them did not seem interested in helping me, or did not even seem to want to help at all. What follows are some examples of the "service" I received while staying at the Elysee.
-The first night, I return from a performance, only to find that there has been no turn down service in my room for the night. The housekeeping staff had completely skipped my room. I call down to the front desk, and they send someone up to do the turn down service. This wouldn't be so bad if it only happened once, but it happened again later on in the week. For some reason, the housekeeping staff kept on skipping my room, even though I had no "do not disturb" signs outside of my door. At one point, I talked to the woman who arrived after I had called down, and asked her why she had not come earlier. I was not confrontational with her. I was polite when I asked. She became very defensive, and lied to my face, saying she had spoken to me earlier, and I supposedly told her I did not want my room cleaned. She seemed angry with me. When I told the front desk about the woman's rude behavior, once again, all I got was "we'll look into it", only to never hear more on the subject.
-The first morning I'm there, I go to the area where the free breakfast is served each morning. (Which is quite good, I must admit, and probably the best part of the hotel.) I'm looking at the wide variety of pastries they have on display, and ask the woman behind the counter for help about identifying some of them, since they are not labeled. The woman responded by saying, "I'm sorry, I'm new here", and simply walked away. The least she could have done was find someone who could help me. That same morning, I was handed a bowl by another staff member for my cereal, only to find there was a dead fly inside it. She didn't even look to see if the bowl was clean, she just handed it to me. It's a good thing I wasn't an elderly person with poor eyesight or something, or I would have received some extra protein with my Cheerios.
-The overall attitude of the staff in general seemed to be one of indifference. I admit, some were polite and worked well with me, but there were a lot more who just seemed to think I wasn't worth their time. One day, the elevators broke down due to the fact there was a short energy problem in the city. (It was 100 degrees that day, and with everyone in the city blasting their AC units, there was bound to be problems.) I walked down the stairs to the front desk to ask what the problem was, and generally got the run around until I was able to find someone who was actually willing to talk to me and tell me about the situation. The elevator clearly was not the fault of the hotel's, it was the staff's attitude that bothered me.
As for the hotel itself, it really is nothing special. I knew going in that it was a very old building, and I admit, was looking forward to it. But, the hotel itself is not just old, it seems very dated, worn, and not that inviting with its dark hallways. The suite they put me in seemed very tired. Nothing really stood out about it, the furnishings looked out of date, and the individual rooms were somewhat small, especially the bathroom. I'm so glad I traveled alone, as there's no way more than one person could use that mini closet they call a bathroom at the same time.
So, why am I giving this place a 2 instead of a 1? Well, fortunately, the hotel's manager listened to a lot of my complaints. He had a private meeting with me in a room where he sympathized and agreed with many of the problems I had, was patient and understanding, and ultimately gave me a reduction on my bill due to the number of complaints I had with the staff. He was apologetic, and interested in what I had to say, which is something I had been missing the rest of my stay. I truly do appreciate his time and concern, and I hope it showed when I was speaking to him.
I really wanted to love the Elysee. I was so excited to stay here based on the reviews on this site. My greatest wish is that I could be joining the chorus of raves this hotel seems to get. But, I cannot in any good judgment recommend this hotel. I was severely disappointed by the service, the staff, and the hotel itself. There are bright spots to be found, obviously. The free breakfast is wonderful for the most part, and the free Internet is great when it works. During the week I was there, they kept on having problems with the computer. It seemed to be off with the "out of order" sign placed over the monitor more than it was on.
Needless to say, I will not be returning. I'll be sticking with The Michelangelo from now on, which not only has a much better location than the Elysee for theater and major attractions, but has a staff that actually makes you feel welcome, and "old hotel" charm without being tired or worn out. The free breakfast may not be as diverse as the one at the Elysee, but considering how superior it is in every other category, there's no question it's the place I belong, and not at the Elysee.
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