Suberb and consistent treatment at a cozy and fun NYC property
We've never been treated better by hotel staff and we've stayed at a lot of hotels from hostels to ultra-fancy resorts. The hotel is inviting in many ways. The people are consistently friendly from the front desk to the bell boys, bar tenders, servers, and housecleaning. The whole hotel feels warm and cozy. The renovation is tasteful but not opulent.
On our drive up to NYC our car overheated and had to be towed to a local dealer in Princeton. The whole debacle cost us 7-8 hours and our poor dog suffered through it with us. In desperation I called the hotel to cancel thinking we'd never make into the city. They obliged without penalty but said only this once. I later called back begging to reinstate the reservation as we found a rental car at Newark that would ultimately get us to the hotel. The Algonquin front desk said sure.
When we arrived we were greated with an envelope with 4 drink chits and breakfast coupons (I'm a Marriott Platinum). In addition, they had standard set of Platinum arrival amenities. New chose the split of Chardonnay and cheese plate. They also upgraded us to the Wollacott suite which was cute and a perfect place to relax after a stressful day on the road. I never expect huge rooms in NYC, but this had a nice separate living room. The decor is fun and the backlit photo of 1930s At the head of the bed is a nice touch.
The hotel is also dog friendly. We called ahead to be sure that our 75 lb 10 month-old golden retriever would be welcome. He was greater as a guest! They brought bowls and a mat for him. I signed a waiver but there was no security deposit or sanitation fee required.
We're big Marriott people but we had never stayed in an Autograph Collection Hotel. We love the concept. You feel the history....