All you need, a place to sleep after an amazing day/night in the city!
After booking up to go with my boyfriend at the end of February 2012 for 6 nights I was a little worried having read the reviews on here!....... However on arrival I was so relieved!!!
Clearly the bad reviews for this hotel are from people expecting far too much for what they've paid. The hotel is huge and as you walk in the lobby is clean, the staff are welcoming and you can tell by how busy it is that it's a popular choice for tourists and people staying in the city for business.
The room was clean (we checked everywhere after seeing some of the photos) and the towels were changed and bed made on a daily basis. Yes, there are some parts of the room which could do with a bit of TLC..... chips in the door frames, marks on the ceiling and on the shower floor but its all cosmetic, everywhere is clean it could all just do with a lick of paint and a bit of updating.
There's enough space in the room for suitcases etc and a decent size double, along with a big tv and a dressing table. The only view out of the window was of a wall/windows to other rooms in the hotel but who wants to be stuck in the room looking out, anybody with any sense would be out there enjoying the city instead.
The staff were extremely helpful during our stay. Due to a problem we had with our flights it meant we needed to stay in the hotel an extra couple of nights and we thought this would mean us needing to move rooms part way through our stay! The staff were very helpful though and allowed us to stay in the same room for the whole of our trip. We were told when we booked we wouldn't be able to check in to the room until 3pm however we arrived at 12pm and were instantly checked in. There is also the option to leave your suitcase in the baggage room after you have checked out on the day of your departure for a small charge.
The hotels location is ideal. A block away from Macy's, opposite Madison Square Garden and Penn Station, and a 5 minute walk to times square. We bought tour bus passes for 3 days which also inlcuded tickets for other attractions which were great for getting around but alot of the sights were in walking distance from our hotel.
When we arrived at Newark airport we got a taxi to the hotel which cost about $80 because we were tired however on the way back we got a train from Penn station direct to the airport which cost $15 each, I would definitely advise doing this.
The only thing I would warn against is getting on the back of a bike. These are all around and initially don't look expensive at all. We got on one at the end of one of Friday night out as it was raining heavily and was hard to get a taxi. They charge $1 per block, $3 every avenue crossed, $5 initial charge and each price is per person. We ended up paying $40 for a trip that would have only cost $5 in a taxi.
Overall our stay in New York was amazing and I would definitely go back. The bad reviews for this hotel have come only from people who expect far more than what they have actually paid for. I am under no illusion that the hotel is five star as I've stayed in far better, but it's all you need, somewhere to sleep after an amazing day/night out in the city, clearly the people who have complained have spent far too much time in their room!!!
Hope this helps!