Great place to stay in NY
I only had one night at the Excelsior but would have been happy to stay longer. There are a lot of positives, some of which are:
1. Location - on central park west this is a lovely spot to stay with the natural science museum an central park across the road. Good bars and restuarants nearby and the subway at the end of the street.
2. Rooms - I was fortunate to be upgraded to a suite which was nice and, for New York, spacious. What I did like was that the room was very clean and the shower was hot and strong.
3. Rates - I booked this from Australia on Wotif and got a great deal for New York . 
The only negative I had was that the night attendant (I arrived at 11.30pm) who was unhelpful and disinterested in me as a guest. I asked if they had a phone charger or an adaptor so I could charge my phone and he made no effort to help. They may not have these available but I go the impression he codnt be bothered. Overall though, this is a good place to stay in NY.