How Horrible....
 

....is the Sheraton Hotel and Towers on 53rd and 7th? I did a Priceline bid convinced I would get the Milennium and got the Sheraton, the reviews on Trip Advisor are a mixed bag. I have used Priceline many many times, this time I am nervous, LOL.

Is there any particular floor/view I should request? Everytime I book on Priceline I send the front desk a personal note in advance stating my preferences and I almost always get a great room.

You'll be fine. You've paid a small amount of money for a more than fine hotel. Given that $125 in NYC would get you a bare mattress with a shared bathroom down in Alphabet City on the open market, the Sheraton will be more than fine.

I stayed there in December. It really isnt all that bad. It's a Sheraton, nothing more or less. The beds and location are a bonus. I was suprisingly impressed.

What do you mean you send the front desk a note? Handwritten, snailmail? Or do you email them? I usually call and ask for preferences.

While I think sending a note is fine, I guess I wonder whether Priceline customers being high maintenance hurts Priceline's reputation generally. I am always a little embarassed to use Priceline knowing how high maintenance and demanding other customer's are. I am always thinking the desk clerk is thinking: "Uh oh, here's another one of THOSE people who expects to be treated like royalty when they've paid pennies on the dollar."

Mike, you hit the nail on the head. Hotel staffs generally despite Priceline guests because of the attitude you mentioned. I worked in a large hotel for years and, per capita, we had far more complaints from Priceline guests paying $60 than our "regular" guests paying $150!

Dan, I've always wondered about that.

stayed at sheraton last weekend it's fine was clean & location good. avoid their brkfst in restaurant it's bad & overpriced. there was a place across street.

OK, thanks for the "head's up" on the Sheraton.

FYI: It does often pay off to send a pleasant note to the front desk manager before arrival, I have really gotten some great upgrades by stating that we are first time visitors (not a lie) and hope to get a room with a view. Who knows, maybe it's because we coming from Hawaii. I am a frequent traveler and a good tipper. On occasion I have written the manager after a particularly nice stay to compliment the staff.

I don't know what people expect, but the Sheraton New York (I assume you mean that one and not the Sheraton Manhattan diagonally across the street) is a decent big-city hotel. And, especially at the price you are paying, it more than fills the bill!

Don't be fooled with all this "high maintenance" stuff and don't shed any tears for ANY establishment which allows their rooms to be discounted by Priceline..they use them to move the rooms they might not be able to sell otherwise. Everybody wins and if you don;t ask for something you will never get it. People ask for upgrades, etc., from hotels all the time and the staff expects it.

If you mean the Millennium Times Square, the Sheraton New York is much nicer. The decor in our room, including the bedspread, at the Millennium was nearly shabby.

There's a fabulous convenience store right across the street with a deli, fabulous salads (you choose, they assemble), bakery, hot sandwiches, hot/cold entrees, even chocolates.

And, Maison, with that fabulous terrace, is on the opposite corner.

We have stayed at both Sheratons in the past 2 years ($80 on Priceline). Both times were pleasant--requested and received 2 beds/non-smoking at check-in. There is nothing to fear.

djkbooks, do you mean Brasserie across the street? Fun place to sit outside for a meal...

vivi, I am still not sure if you mean a snail mail note or e-mail. I would think a snail mail note might get lost within the hotel system. But then I don't often stay in US hotels.
I have reservations at a NOLA hotel and prefer not to share a king bed with my sister, but Priceline, or the equivalent, wouldn't guarantee 2 beds. I thought I'd call about a week before and beg. Should I say she has a communicable disease? :-)

Elisabet- sorry, I meant snail mail but I am sure you can make your requests via e-mail.

For example: recently we toured the Canadian Rockies, I got some terrific rates (under $200 a night) at very expensive hotels at an online discount site (not Priceline.) In advance I wrote the front desk manager at all 3 places to say we were celebrating our 25th anniversary (we were, on the trip.) At the Jasper Park Lodge we were upgraded from a standard room for a full blown lakefront suite that rents for $800+ a night. Ditto at Banff Springs and the Palliser. It was a fantastic trip; I did write all 3 managers a Thank-You note when we returned. This strategy has also worked for me this year in Chicago, San Diego, and Philadelphia on 4* Priceline bids. Doesn't work in Honolulu where I have stayed in the crappy wing of the Sheraton Princess at least 5 times in a row, but no complaints at $50 a night (tho one time I was upgraded to a corner suite overlooking the pool.)

If the city we are visiting has Marriott we book a cheap room and always get a great upgrade as my husband has Platinum status.

Sheraton Manhattan is a fine hotel. I have stayed there 4 times. Great club level for the free breakfast- best I've had in any Starwood hotel anywhere- but it is currently closed for renovation, and of course you wouldn't get that w/a Priceline stay anyway. The only thing I will comment on, and I do this to get you prepared for it, is that you really need to give yourself a solid 10 minutes time to catch the elevator on your floor. They are notoriously slow, and then full when they come. They don't have enough elevators for the size and number of floors in the hotel. But aside from that, no complaints at all. Very nice and large indoor pool (I have met people swimming there who have memberships to swim there and live close by). We were given good service by the concierge (arranged last minute theater tickets and gave us discount coupons for the wax museum), good service by housekeeping (for extra towels and ice delivery) and good service by maintenance (who delivered the rollaway bed and moved some furniture to accomodate it within fire code constraints- I was pleasantly surprised that they cared about that, showing us where we could and couldn't set up the bed). They gave us us a quiet room away from the ice machine and elevators, as I had requested.
Re your nice note strategy: I have never emailed before a stay, I call the front desk and be sure what I am requesting is on my reservation. But I have gotten nice results twice when I have written notes afterwards. Both times I wrote the GM of the hotels (both Starwood properties) and congratulated them on such good hotel experience, and sincerely complimented particular staff members by name. There were not fluff from me; both times were special birthday and anniversary stays and we got great service from everyone we encountered. Both times I recd. a reply. In one of them, the GM said he was using the letter as an example to his staff of what a difference good service can make. A week later, I got a certificate from Starwood for a free one night stay at that hotel, to be used in the next year. Guess what? It was the Sheraton Manhattan.

Whenever I use Priceline I call directly to the hotel to confirm my reservation and politely ask if it's possible to get my bed preference. I've never gotten the feeling they thought my request was annoying.

I'm curious why Priceline users would automatically be perceived as high maintenance.

I just realized that I think you are talking about the Sheraton that is right across the street from the Sheraton Manhattan. But if that is so, my understanding from prior research on both of those hotels is that you will have access to the pool in the Sheraton Manhattan. However, I have not stayed at that Sheraton across the street. Sorry about the confusion.

vivi, thanks for explaining. I did call the NOLA hotel, Maison Dupuy, where I have a reservation for the end of June. The discount website where I booked did not guarantee 2 double beds, which my sister and I prefer over a king. The person at the desk confirmed that we will have 2 beds and was most gracious--although I do not think we got a great discount.
Now I wonder about further upgrade or requesting a specific room or wing. I do not often spend money for nice hotels, prefering to eat well, or send my kids to summer sports camp--which is also a vacation for me!

MikeT, how did you know that the bid was 125? Unless I am missing something, vivi never mentions what she is paying...
vivi, the Sheraton is fine. It is not one of my favorites because it is so impersonal and crowded but heck, if that's the only complaint it is just fine.
:)

OK, thanks for the comments about the Sheraton. I feel better, LOL. I booked via Priceline for $130/night for mid-July.

Last December I stayed in a room the size of a small closet for $235 (Broadway Inn, loved it but glad aI was solo on that trip!)) so I think $130 is an OK price tho some people were getting the Millennium for $110.

TTP, I just pulled a random number out of the air, knowing basically what the Sheraton goes for.

I am planning a trip to NYC over Christmas Holdiays (first time) this year with my two kids. Since I will be using Starwood points and also for the great location I am going to book with either the Sheraton Manhattan or the NY Towers. I have never stayed at either and would appreciate any advice on which to choose. Is one any better than the other? They both look about the same on Starwood's website.

Also to the posters who wrote re sending notes to the GM's for special requests, do you actually find out the Manager's name and personally address the letter or just send it generic to General Manager? just wondering.

I have stayed at Sheraton Manhattan and have gone inside the Sheraton Hotel and Towers but haven't stayed there (had breakfast in the club level there w/a colleague who was staying there, and saw her room). The rooms are comparable. But the big difference is that if you want to swim, the Manhattan has that great big nice indoor pool. You can use it if you stay at the one across the street, but it's not as convenient as being able to just put on your robe and walk to your room after the swim. Also, the Manhattan has a much nicer club level- it is really worth it to spend extra points and get the club lvel for the breakfast there, as it is very very good. But note that the club level at Manhattan is closed for renovations and no word on when it is to open. You can get the club level at the Towers but it is the standard Starwood club breakfast, nothing special. Also, find out if the Towers has the same s-l-o-w elevators the Manhattan has. You have to give yourself 10 minutes to catch the elevator at Manhattan. But I stay there anyway, due to the pool and the club level (when it is open for breakfast).