Beyond Expectations
I booked three rooms at the hotel for my brothers wedding in the city. Since they were having a very low maintenance wedding to celebrate their 10th anniversary this location seemed central. Reaching out prior to the hotel for recommendations, Taralyn had some really great ideas to share. I travel a lot, and my expectation is that the staff at the hotel will recommend something "local" and unique. In many cases I am disappointed with what they come up with but not here. Taralyn listened to every word I said and offered thoughtful suggestions to meet our needs. My brother arrived Thursday before anyone else. The General Manager had personally upgraded their accomodations and sent a lovely amenity to welcome and congratulate them. He did not stop there, he had done the same for me! What a great way to begin my first trip to the Big Apple.
However, there are three elements that set this hotel appart and that have me wanting to return already...
First, the design. Both the architecture and the thoughtful touches in the hotel make you feel at home. The fireplace in the lobby between both front desk pods was a really nice focal point. The rooms were spacious compared to most in NYC. Keep in mind we were not in the Cozy Room category. The bathrooms were really well thought our and the beds are amazing.
Second, the roof top terrace. The hotel started opening the roof top lounge last year to test it out and had moderate success. This year the owners invested some money to put cool furniture and decor up there and this was the place my brother decided to get married 24 hours before the vows. The best part was once they decided this the entire staff offered all they could to make it memorable. The space was great and I hear they filmed a portion of Sex and the City up there. Either way, if I lived in the city I would be up there weekly! Great cocktails and excellent service provided by Vinny.
Finally, it's all about the service here. Without a doubt this hotel has the best customer service I have ever recieved in NYC. Nicole and Chanel at the Front Desk in the evenings were TOP NOTCH. They recognized us everytime we walked in the hotel and offered assistance at every turn. These ladies truly get it. The part that amazed me the most is that even the bellmen knew that my brother was getting married in the hotel and asked because of my last name if I was in "the wedding party", that blew me away. Danny and Daniel were on point with everything from arranging cabs to delivering room service and even giving directions. They were friendly and engaging at every turn. The restaurant Opia threw together a pre-fixe menu with less than 24 hours notice, placed us in a private room and even had custom linen, specially printed menus on the table with fresh cut flowers.
Bottom line, you can not go wrong at this hotel. Clearly they love their jobs and it shows!