Avalon hotel - NYC - Opinions?
 

Just found a too-good-to-be true rate at this establishment. Can anyone who's stayed there give me the details? Is it clean? What about the location -- convenient for walking/public trans/restaurants? Decent service?

thanks!

Well - it's at 32nd right off Fifth - a primarliy business neighborhood that's quite dreary at night. But relatively convenient for subways to get where you would want to go. And not far from Macy's for shopping. For a lot of restaurants you would need to go further east to a more residential neighborhood.

Have you checked tripadvisor.com for reviews?

We stayed there last October. The room was fairly large and it had a very nice/large bathroom. It appears that the hotel caters to tour groups, but it was fairly quiet. It's a bit old, not sparkling clean, but I thought it was great for what we paid for it. It ended up being about 1.5 blocks from Artisanal which was a big bonus for us - had brunch there the day we checked out and Avalon allowed a late check-out without a charge. It's a short walk from Empire State Bldg as well. Great location, IMO, even though it is in a more "business" location.

NYT -- Yes I did check Tripadvisor, but I always like to get the opinion of Fodorites too. Ever notice how so many of Tripadvisors reviews are either raves, or of the "I'll-never-stay-there-again!" variety? Hard to trust, IMO. Fodorites seem more to give a clearer picture of what I can honestly expect.

When I'm evaluating a hotel, I need clear, objective reports, which, btw, both you and Bean provided. Thanks -- exactly what I was looking for!

Brookside, after you make your reservations, would you mind sharing where you found the great rate? I'm looking for something reasonable for the end of June. Thanks!

Hi Margie --

The rate I found was on quikbook.com and it was for mid-July. They were quoting $190 for a Junior suite, which is considerably less than any other all-suite hotel I've come across.

Haven't decided to book yet -- still weighing my options. Good luck!

Thanks for sharing the information, I appreciate it!