Nice hotel, great location, hit or miss on the staff
I stayed here two nights on business. It's a full-service hotel in a great location (Union Square/Downtown) with tons of shopping & dining. Saks & Macy's are just one block away, great sushi, Indian, Thai, pub food, etc. all within a block or two. Cabs are very easy to come by. Nice lobby & decor (marble & columns & such). There's a small bar with seating both inside & on the sidewalk. It's open to the lobby & doubles as a breakfast area serving baked goods in the morning (for a fee - this is upscale & NOT a free breakfast kind of place). There's a restaurant visible to the lobby (glass wall) that appeared to be upscale dining - I didn't check out the menu. No valet is available, so I don't know what you do for parking if you bring a car as there doesn't appear to be any nearby. Garages? A business center with two or three workstations is available downstairs near the elevators, including a printer. The rooms are small, as is completely expected in an older hotel. Beds & pillows are comfy, linens are decent, but I thought the comforter was a bit thin. There did not appear to be any deferred maintenance issues & they definitely keep this looking nice. I liked the room decor - it was old-school class with modern touches married together perfectly - understated elegance done quite well. I requested a room facing the street as I like to hear the trolley bell (it's right on the trolley line), street musicians (LOTS of that), & street noise, but be forewarned that if you are a light sleeper or need peace & quiet, you DO NOT want to stay on the street side. It's noisy at all times of day & night. The other side should be just fine. The bathrooms are tiny with pedestal sinks. The main issue I had with the bathroom was that there's no counter space or shelving on the sink side - shelves are above the toilet, which makes getting ready a bit less convenient. Rooms have free wifi that's pretty fast & reliable. Window opens only a crack, and you have a window unit AC/heater. There's no gift shop in the hotel, but there is a little store just across the street that will have the basics a traveler might need. Room service only goes 'til 10 PM, and there's no late night dining. There is a mini bar with snacks, soda & alcohol in the room, as well as an in-room safe & a decent desk. Staff was hit or miss. I found the front desk staff to be very helpful & extremely friendly. Half of the time, there was no doorman to be found. They have one, but when I came & went (which was often over a three day period) he was rarely at his post. I think this may be because he doubles as a bellman, so may be gone at times hauling bags, but this is just a guess. I think they need a separate bellman and at least two people at the door. The waitress at the bar was fine at times, at other times snippy. When they were closing up (at 10 PM mind you), we were sitting outside at the sidewalk tables & basically invited to leave while we still had drinks. If you sit outside, you'll be accosted by panhandlers about every three minutes - they are mostly friendly but very aggressive with their efforts. I noted other hotels & restaurants had large men stationed outside who kept the pandhandlers from bothering patrons, but not so here (another reason they need two people at the front door). Overall, a good property, a decent stay, but it didn't wow me. I would stay here again.