I travel quite a bit on business and always bid for my hotel rooms online. I’ve never been disappointed with the results of my bidding, but last December, ‘naming my price’ got me the Comfort Inn, Manhattan, which was quite 'ho-hum'.
Starting with location, this hotel is perfectly appointed for those indulging in serious retail therapy as it is just around the corner from Macy’s and near 5th Avenue. It’s also close to all the touristy sights like the Empire State Building, and there’s a subway entrance at the bottom of the block.
This location didn’t work for me personally as I prefer to get away from the crowds but you don't always get what you want when you bid on your rooms. I would recommend that if you’ve already been to New York and you’ve done all the tourist stuff, try and get out of 'Midtown hell' and try and stay near the East Village, Central Park or the downtown. It’s much more interesting and diverse, and Midtown is only a few stops away on the subway if you simply must head for Times Square etc.
As for the hotel itself, my overwhelming impression of the room was… darkness. The room had a tiny window overlooking a flat roof, and most of the window was taken up by the air conditioning unit. The glass clearly hadn’t been cleaned in several years as it was coated in a very thick layer of grime. There wasn’t enough wall on either side to properly open the curtain, which didn’t help. The décor was slightly worn, and felt quite heavy with (if memory serves me) dark greens, browns and a little pink. This only added to the gloom. And yes, as you’ve probably guessed, the various bedside lights and lamps were all sub 40 watts...
On the plus side, the room was surprisingly large by New York Standards, with two comfortable, if slightly soft queen-sized beds, a table and a couple of chairs. You could swing a cat comfortably in the room! There was adequate place for clothes in drawers and a cloest (which had a room safe). This was a real plus, as oftentimes upscale hotels have a surprising lack of storage. The ensuite bathroom was functional and clean, although water pressure was a little on the low side. Ironically, there was a nice big window in the bathroom, so I would go in there for light therapy when things got too bad in the bedroom!
The room was clean and was serviced well, but it had a very slightly damp feeling to it – I’m willing to put that down to the New York winter though.
Public areas of the hotel were light and bright and safe and the staff were all very friendly and courteous. I had a look at the continental breakfast but didn’t sample it. It looked nice enough. I'm a fan of a big New York breakfast, so I wound up going out in the mornings for my hotcakes and eggs.
Security was good, with guards in the lobby, and I felt comfortable leaving my luggage there for most of the day after I checked out.
I can’t say I’m overwhelmed by this hotel, but I think it’s a good choice if you’re on a budget. It's not a bad hotel, I was just a little diappointed with the room given that it's a nationally known chain.
If you bid for your room, you’ll probably wind up paying a similar amount as you would for one of those nasty one star/no star New York hotels that you hear horror stories about and the Comfort Inn is way better than those. It’s also a great location for those on shopping and sightseeing trips.
One more thing. If you have to get somewhere in a hurry, factor in a few minutes extra journey time for the lifts. They have to be the slowest in the whole of Manhattan!
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I am sure the lifts are not that bad... I have had really bad ones at the Helmsley... both had a tendency to break down so you had to walk. If they worked, they were overfilled and very very slow. Desiree x
torr 12.06.2004 18:47
Always good to hear of places to stay in NYC. Nice review. Duncan
Karnage 05.06.2004 01:25
Certainly sounds like a great place to stay....great review :)
- Karl
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Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Jun 3rd, 2004
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