West Park Hotel, New York City

Advantages: Location, cleanliness, friendliness
Disadvantages: Price

...The Helmsley Park Lane is ideally located - in particular for the first time New York tourist who wants to experience the city's charme. Opposite the hotel lies Central Park and to its right the infamous 5th Avenue with Tiffany's, FAO Schwarz and Saks no more than 5 minutes away. Close to the hotel is also a wealth of good restaurants -the Hard Rock Cafe and the Harley Davidson Cafe, as well as some more unique and fancy establishments on 57th Street. The outside decor of the hotel is disappointing compared to the other places on Central Park South. The hotel lacks the large and luxurious entrance that one may expect to be overwhelmed with by a hotel of its class. The standards rooms are superbly clean (with twice daily maid service). If you are looking for a true 5 star experience, however, you may be a little disappointed... Read review

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Advantages: During the Horse Drawn Ride, you are taken to safe areas but are given a feel for the park's atmosphere.
Disadvantages: You only see a very small part of the park, in the horse drawn carridge.

...the air. I knew the park was huge (like many things in New York City). Central Park is 843 acres of green, lush parkland, open to the residence and visitors of New York City. It is free too! On arriving at the park entrance, by the Plaza Hotel, a pleasant sight met our eyes as drivers with theirs horse and traps were being prepared for the day. In New York cars are not allowed to enter the park on Sundays so it is an ideal time to take the half our ride through a small part of the park. The driver was friendly and gave us a guided tour as we past sites of interest: The Zoo, The Ice Rink use in the Films Love Story and Home Alone 2. He also pointed out other site such as Jackie Onasis's apartments and the building used in Ghostbusters. By the way, cars are band from entering the park during the weekend, allowing the cyclist, right of way... Read review

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Advantages: The location is OK
Disadvantages: Unhelpful staff, poor customer service. No guarantee of a room even with booking

...was not provided but after 11 hours of flying, trying to find the hotel in an unfamiliar city and carrying two large suitcases I was expected to walk for 30 minutes, late at night and through uptown New York to find a hotel whose address they had scribbled onto the back of a business card. Further to this, when I finally arrived at the alternate hotel they had not received information regarding the room transfer. After booking and paying for a double room in a hostel 'steps away from' Central Park, we were given a cupboard of a room with bunk beds miles away from anything. Needless to say the pictures of the hotel are not actually of the hotel and are extremely misleading. But this doesn't matter, because like hundreds of other reviewers I never got to stay there because after taking my booking they simply gave my room away despite sending them 3... Read review

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