Poor level of service, staff underwhelming
I checked into the Dream Downtown yesterday upon the recommendation of two friends. I actually moved out of my other hotel (The Trump for this week) to try this place out for two nights. I was told the roof is a great place to hang out at night and that I would have a great experience there.
From the second I arrived, I was severely disappointed. I checked in and asked if any other rooms were available (my travel department booked for me) as I wanted to upgrade, even if for a fee. I was told no, the hotel is sold out for two nights. Fine, I accepted that and was given a bronze king room on the 5th floor with a balcony.
I jumped on my computer to just take a look at the website and decided to check the reservations log and saw a NUMBER of rooms available still. I am flabbergasted as to how a front desk employee lied to me with such a straight face.
Furthermore, I was given NO instructions or welcome upon entering the hotel. At a hotel that is supposedly middle to high end, one expects a certain level of service and accommodation, which was nowhere to be found - and on a Wednesday, when they weren't busy! I was not told how anything in the room works - e.g., the light controls, phones - nor was I told basic information such as where the gym is (I ended up wandering to the 3rd floor, as was stated in the guest services book, only to find no gym. Upon calling the front desk, I was informed it was actually in the north tower of the hotel, so I had to walk down, find the north tower elevators, and then go up.). Again, that's honestly ridiculous. The Holiday Inn tells their guests where things in the hotels are upon checking in. The guy at the front desk seemed like he was trying to get rid of me. I actually didn't know how to react considering that a real 4+ star hotel walks you through all of the hotel's offerings to make your stay easier. 
And, to top it all off, my luggage was brought in by the doorman, however, he left in the middle of the lobby, where, after checking in, I just grabbed it. It was COMPLETELY unsecured, anyone could have walked away with it as he just dropped it off and vanished after saying so and so would be taking care of it. This is actually unbelievable and should be a real concern for travelers.
On another note, with regards to the rooftop - it states that only until 9:30pm are guests guaranteed access. Fair, I can understand that. However, a private party was taking place till 11pm. One would imagine, then, that the hotel would reorganize the timeline to allow hotel guests access for a period of time after the private party ended. This, of course, was not the case and instead it was a HUGE hassle to get upstairs just to enjoy the view. The FORCE a charge of $175 onto one's credit card and then, without warning, add a 20% gratuity "for your convenience" - ludicrous considering the level of service.
In sum, I believe this place is a nightclub that happens to have rooms. Therefore, the behavior of the staff is also that of a nightclub, and most certainly not that of a real, highly rated hotel. They also place a preference on patrons of the club over guests (which, economically, makes NO sense) - e.g., every member of the staff I interacted with happened to be male - those same staff members were bending over backwards for every girl that walked in wearing high heels. It's almost comical.
As a 20-something guy in town on business, look elsewhere to have a good stay and enjoyable night in NYC. It is by FAR the worst hotel I've stayed at in NYC (probably anywhere), and I would recommend avoiding it unless you like being lied to, mistreated, and conned out of money. I look forward to checking out bright and early tomorrow.