Good location, polite staff, but in dire need of a refurb.
The Good Points:
- Fantastic Location (Unbeatable)
- Polite Staff (Which I found hard to find in NYC, generally).
- Reasonably quiet.
- Comfortable beds.
- Adequately speedy WiFi.
The Bad Points:
- Not entirely transparent on the price, i.e. the price you see on booking is not the price you pay at the end. That is more of a state issue than a hotel issue.
- The decor was probably last updated in around 1985 in my room, the finishes on the desks were chipped, the tiles cracked, peeling wallpaper, imperfections painted over, and the faucets had missing parts.
- Cleanliness was lacking. The coffee/tea machine in a family member's room still had a used teabag in it when we arrived, so we weren't too keen to use the facilities. Hairs looked like they had been there decades, with a faint smell of stale smoke and urea in the bathrooms.
Advisories (Considering How Much We Paid):
- The rooms are in desperate need of a deep clean.
- The 1980's decor doesn't pass for shabby chic, the rooms are just shabby and sorely need a thorough overhaul.
- Your staff are a valuable asset, and do a great job in view of what they have to work with. Keep hold of them.
Overall I paid for my room about £850(?) for the room once taxes were slapped on top and I don't believe that is particularly good value. Consider that a similarly-located Travelodge in central London is going for £400 (the price you see is the price you pay) for the same duration with a room that will be modern, well-tidied and will do everything the Manhattan does (and much more besides), I'm afraid the value proposition looks quite poor.
Until the hotel sorts out the issues which we were not alone in commenting upon, I don't think I could recommend staying - at least not for the price charged.
