Oh dear. My husband and I have just gotten a room via Priceline at the Hudson Hotel on 58th St. Then we read the reviews about how ridiculously small the rooms are and we're now wondering what we've gotten ourselves into. We'll be there for 4 nights and it doesn't sound like much fun to have room that consists of only a " double-bed with a 1-ft perimeter" and a bathroom where your knees literally hit the wall when you're on the toilet.

My questions are this:

1)Has anyone with Priceline rooms at the Hudson been able to get an upgrade upon arrival?

2)Is there anyway to get out of a Priceline deal? (e.g. call the credit card company to stop payment?) I wouldn't normally consider this because a deal is a deal but it does seem outrageous that a hotel can actually put you up in a closet but call it a room!

Thanks for any help/suggestions...

Nancy, I totally understand you doubts about your Priceline hotel, I felt the same way about a different issue for another hotel recently. Although I didn't win it on Priceline, I have stayed at Hudson on 58th Street. It is part of the up-scale Ian Schalger (sp?) hotel line. The rooms are indeed small, however; ours was extremely clean, there was a decent sized storage closet in the room, and the decor was very sleek & modern. The bed was very low to the floor, but it was like sleeping on a huge marshmallow and they have wonderful sheets and comforters. Our bath was not huge, but I was in no danger of knee damage. There was a hairdryer, fluffy towels, a glass shower stall, and very nice "Hudson" bath amenities.

The hotel is very different from the places we usually stay - you enter on street level, (there is no signage for the hotel look for young people dressed in black standing on the sidewalk) enter the building and ride up a neon yellow elevator to a low-lit lobby with library paneling. The Library bar is very cool (but VERY pricey) but you might want to walk in just to check it out - nice billiard table, leather sofas, walls lined with books. There is an unusual outdoor courtyard that you should stroll out to at night (weather permitting) and sit down and relax (and people watch). Some guests have complained that the staff was snotty, we were kind & friendly to them and were treated the same in return. When we returned to the hotel in the evening we were asked to show our room card before we were allowed to enter the hotel; people who were coming just to go the popular "Library Bar" were being asked to wait outside. I liked this, it kept the Hotel's public areas from becoming a zoo.

I would suggest calling the hotel to confirm your reservation the week prior to your stay; at that time inquire about room size, etc. If you don't get anywhere at that point, politely inquire about an upgrade upon check-in, it can't hurt.

To the best of my knowledge you can not cancel your Priceline reservation (has anyone out there tried to cancel the credit card charges?) And, unfortunately Priceline customer service (although polite) doesn't want to hear ANYTHING about the fact that you are not happy with your winning bid. I know this from first hand experience; I won the Grand Hyatt and then read reviews about smelly rooms, I contacted them to inquire the possibility of moving my reservation, it was a no-go. (Since then some of you have put my fears to rest - somewhat!)

The rooms are small - but how much time will you REALLY spend there? The important thing is that it is clean and comfortable. I wish I had bid a different zone and won the Hudson! Have fun!

Hello,
I just saw a Travel Channel expose on the Hudson and it looks fabulous. My husband and I intend to book a stay sometime soon.
You will find most hotels in Manhattan are small compared to other cities, especially "boutique" hotels, a class which the Hudson falls into. I have stayed at several boutique selections booked over the net (not on Priceline...I don't use any service that has a no refusal policy) and found them all wonderfully service oriented, clean albeit tiny. I wouldn't worry.

A tip for future reservation shopping, specials can be had on several different hotel discounters on the net. Search "hotel discounts" and then select your destination.

P.S. I know someone who canceled a trip booked over the net by calling their credit card company. Apparently there is always a 24-48 hr. cooling off period in which any credit card sale can be reversed. Worth a try if you are truly concerned.

I have stayed in a room at the Hudson and although it is indeed a small room size the supposed 1 ft perimiter around the bed is exaggerated, as is the "knees hit the wall" bathroom. For those of us accustomed to larger rooms it is a bit of an adjustment but if you're like most folks who get to NYC only on occasion, you'll find yourself spending very little time in the room. The Hudson is a relatively large hotel (about 1,000 rooms) and like most NYC hotels, occupancy has been significantly lower since 9/11 and has not fully recovered. Any smart business welcomes any and all additional revenue (Ian Schrager is a VERY smart businessman)... I suspect that if larger rooms are available they may well be willing to upgrade you. I'd check on what the price difference is between the standard room and one that's a bit larger and see if they'll upgrade you for some extra $$ (they might even do it for less than the standard rate difference if they have a number of empty rooms). I've read far more positive reviews than negative of the Hudson - it's also in a great location - very convenient and not in the thick of Times Square tourist traffic. Priceline definitely does not allow refunds but I think this will lwork out just fine for you regardless.

Thank you all so much for your responses - they have really helped ease my concerns. Since it sounds like rooms vary in size, we will call ahead to request a larger room (or at least one with a closet - apparently some have no closet or dresser!)

The idea of paying to upgrade if necessary is also a good one. We got a decent deal on Priceline, so it would be worth paying a bit more to increase the comfort of our stay.

I really appreciate the time you all took to share your experiences. Thanks!

Topping for Tim!