Irishgirl

Having just read recent reviews on Tripadvisor I'm having serious second-thoughts about my reservation at this hotel in November. The majority of the recent reviews are dire!! I know this is considered a budget hotel but it sounds like the place is still very much in the midst of renovations - when I enquired with the hotel in Feb I was informed that the refurb would be complete by the end of April.... hmmm doesn't seem to be! I have emailed the reservation desk for an update but won't be holding my breath for a frank account - they are hardly going to tell me the place is in bits! The 4 day trip I have booked (which includes Thanksgiving) is for a special occasion and the party is made up of my sister & her fiance, my boyfriend and I and my parents - all except boyf & I are first-time N.Y visitors and can't wait for the trip, so I don't want to find ourselves in a total dump when we get there. I know the location is good as I stayed at the hotel around 4 years ago when it was Loews and found it adequate, it's more the building work/ceiling hanging down part that is worrying me now. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has stayed there recently so I can decide if I need to change our plans - thanks in advance.

MikeT

Why not reserve a backup?

Irishgirl

Just a quick update to my original post - would you believe I received a reply from the hotel reservations manager almost immediately after sending the email. To be fair to them they didn't try to side-step the renovation issue and the negatives associate with it and they updated me on the current status, i.e, new restaurant opened last week and the lobby is nearly finished etc. They have offered to ensure we are put in nice rooms on the renovated floors... I think we may stick with it with this in mind (call me a cynic but if we do, I will be printing the email and bringing it with me just in case Would still appreciate your views if you have stayed there in the last month or so - thanks again.

Margie

I peeked into the lobby around the 3rd week in august and it was still under renovation, but it certainly could be completed by now. I have stayed there before and anytime I e-mailed reservations for any specific question or request, I always received truthful answers and good service. Thanksgiving will be a tough time to secure another reasonably priced reservation, if I were you I would keep the res. at the Metropolitan and re-confirm the renovated room before you leave, just so there is no "mix up" at check-in. I would think that by November they will have their act together down there.

mclaurie

I happened to walk by there yesterday and since people often ask about it, I had a peek in (from the street). The place really looks a mess. Unless you got some amazing discount, I can't imagine why you'd want to chance it to stay there. There are so many other options. What price did they quote you?

I agree with MikeT. Either switch or at least book a back up.

If you want to stay in that area because you're familiar with it, there are a bunch of other hotels. Plaza Fifty (owned by affiniahotels.com) is an all suites place and gets excellent reviews on tripadvisor. The Kimberly is also all suites. There's a Radisson Lexington right down the street.

abram

Friends stayed there about 10 days ago--not only was the place a mess, but the staff was awful.

Margie

wow - sorry to hear about the staff! We were treated very nicely last year, and the staff even went out of their way to accommodate some special requests. Maybe the renovations has gotten to them? Irishgirl,a backup hotel may not be a bad idea . . .

I just stayed at the Beekman last month and had a really nice stay. Hotel was very clean and quiet, the location is further east than the Metropolitan, but a cross-town bus stops across the street from the hotel. I booked a 1 bedroom suite through easyclicktravel.com for $99, but I do believe rates changed September 1st, and of course Thanksgiving week would be higher anyway.

mclaurie

I just checked easyclicktravel.com (a website I hadn't heard of before margie's post). Despite the fact that it looks exactly the same as lastminutetravel, the prices (at least on the Beekman) are substantially lower on lastminutetravel. The rate for the Beekman one bedroom is now $149 for Thanksgiving (it's over $200 on easyclick). They also have Plaza Fifty which is closer location to the Metropolitan and owned by the same co. as the Beekman.