Upsetting!
I was stuck in Montreal while Sandy happened and was only able to get back home to NYC on Thursday. I had been trying to book a hotel but, no rooms were available anywhere! I had no power or water and started looking for a hotel for hours and then finally The St Gilles popped up and I immediately booked it. The room was priced at $700 and with taxes the final bill was over $800. At this point I did not care so me who travels about 60% of the year figured at this price it should be pretty decent! This is not going to be a good review but, what I want to say is that everyone on the staff was very kind and gracious and helpful however I was shocked to discover upon checking in that the hotel was running on a generator. So the Elevators were not working everyone used the service elevator, the phones and in some cases I overheard peoples tvs were not working although mine did. The restaurant was also closed so no food. The room was shockingly small maybe 150 square feet and the furnishings cheap and dated. The bathroom tub was a small refinished leftover from whatever the building was previous. Lets say the room was so small that when you sat at the desk the chair met the end of the bed. So the fact that they could charge $800. for this tiny room with basic amenities not even functioning was extremely upsetting to feel this taken advantage in a crisis situation like this. All around the hotel there was no power so you were surrounded with nothing open but, Grand Central was near. Today I have gladly checked into a one bedroom suite with a living room and dressing room that is well over 500 square feet, the hotel has Gordon Ramsey restaurant and room service and the total is $670.......I'm two blocks from Central Park and in the heart of shopping and theater and culture...I have no idea what the St Giles thinks they are but, a 4 star hotel they are not.