Not as nice as it used to be
My parents stayed at On the Ave all the time when my husband and I lived in NYC, and we were pleased to get a good deal on a room now that we're visitors ourselves. Back in 2008, the last time I was there with my parents, I remember the hotel being friendly, well-designed and clean. Sadly, this doesn't seem to be true any longer. On checking in, we found we were put directly across from the elevator in a room with heavily scuffed walls and dingy-looking carpeting. The bed itself was comfortable and appeared clean, and there was no evidence of bed bugs (believe me, I checked!), but there were also no accessible outlets (without unplugging the lamp) and the lighting was exceedingly poor. The bathroom was in need of an upgrade, with cracked shower tiles and no towel bar (!)...overall, it gave the impression of place that had fallen on hard times. For the price, I won't be going back.
The staff, it should be noted, was friendly, if a little rumpled.