Unbelievably bad
This hotel is the worst I have stayed at in the developed world. My first experience was in July 2011, and it was horrid. I wrote shortly after my visit, and was persuaded to "try us again" when I next visited NYC. Foolishly, I did try again in august 2012 as the mid town location is excellent. Despite being upgraded to an so-called Executive Room, the room was small, with tired and substandard amenities. Management had recently removed in-house tea/coffee facilities, however dust and grime in their previous location had not been removed. Very tacky .... Upon querying with reception the absence of in-room tea/coffee facilities, I was told that they'd been removed a few weeks ago, but that I could be issued with a Starbucks voucher. The in-lobby Starbucks was closed at the time. And I'm not so cheap that I will not buy a cup of coffee, but expect the privacy in-room facilities offer.
The king sized bed was reasonably comfortable, and was clean. The bathroom was so tiny I could barely turn around. and I'm a small person. The Executive Lounge is like a railway cafe, teeming with noisy ill-mannered people and their even noisier children. Breakfast is like a bun fight - why I do not know as the very ordinary cereals etc. are certainly not worth fighting over.
The Hilton New York is a large hotel, and it could be argued that its sheer size mitigates against good service and amenity, however I do not believe this is so. I have stayed at larger hotels in the Hilton chain in Chicago and in New Orleans, and each manage to maintain high standards despite similar size and high occupancy rates. There is no excuse for the off handed attitude displayed by the majority of staff (particularly concierge and doormen) and the lack of care shown to maintenance of the hotel. Management clearly do not manage.
There are many good hotels in mid-town Manhattan, and I will certainly never venture near the doors of this facility again. I checked out early.