easytraveler

Wasn't there a similar type of incident a year or two ago?

Something like "Woogoo" Apartments in NY, which was actually an apartment that was illegally run as a hotel?

I seem to recall it was also booked on Expedia and Ex. did nothing to help this person, who kinda went ballistic and kept posting and posting on Fodors and pursued the whole nine yards with the City of New York.

Does anyone else remember something similar?

doug_stallings

I remember the Woogo apartments, but I don't remember exactly what the details were. But that was just a company offering sub-standard illegal rentals ... i.e., they did actually exist and when people showed up they did get to stay in the apartments; they were just awful and illegal (not unlike the Hotel Marrakesh, which is apparently not so bad now yet still equally illegal).

easytraveler

You're right Doug! There were actually apartments.

I just googled "145 Mulberry New York" and google maps shows an actual building with an awning that displays "145" very prominently:

http://tinyurl.com/y9mc7lo

Maybe the OP just went to the wrong address?

MichelleY

I think it is odd the OP has not come back.

321go

easytraveler, the minute I saw this I thought: "Woogo."

For those of you who weren't around a few years ago, this had to do with a company that was apparently renting rooms in New York apartment buildings and calling them hotels. They were listed on Expedia or Travelocity or other sites. This article explains: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...elscams09.html I don't think I ever read what the resolution to this story was or who was right.

MFNYC

Even though the OP seems to have disappeared, this 'hotel' sounds truly shady and should be avoided.

nytraveler

The 145 on the awning is for the Taormina Ristorante. It's not over the door to the apartments upstairs. There are also listing for somoen trying to rent out apartments - a one bedroom for $3500 and a 2 bedroom for somewhat more.

It does appear that someone is trying to rent apartments. Perhaps if they succeeded (after renting the place as a hotel) they just disconnected the phone and left with the money.

In any case, the credit card should provide a refund.

If it were me I might call the restaurant and see if they knew anything about who owned the entire building.

easytraveler

321go: That terrible incident really stuck in a great many people's memories, didn't it? Thanks for the link. My faulty memory seems to recall that the Woogo Apartments was finally closed down in New York but that these shady people were also operating another illegal apartment in London. Seems like they just transferred their illegal activities from New York to somewhere.

Wow, I just did some googling and they are still in business and in New York:

http://www.woogo.com/index.html

From the tripadvisor reviews, Woogo seems to be just as bad as before:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._New_York.html

You can just tell that the positive reviews were probably written by the Woogo operators themselves.

How do they get away with things like this?


nytraveler: You're correct, the address does apply to the restaurant. I was just deceived by OP's use of the phrase "doesn't exist" and thought there was no building, just an empty lot.

It's too bad that there are scammers taking advantage of people who are trying to have a vacation and still save a bit of money.

JeanH

It seems to me that travel agencies such as Expedia and Travelocity need to take some responsibility about checking out places that they list on their sites.

michelleNYC

This is pathetic. This building is currently for sale (well, as of August 1st it was - highly doubt it's been sold since). Seems that owners first did a condo conversion, couldn't sell, then did rentals and couldn't rent enough of them, ran out of money and, in desperation, tried to do the illegal quasi-hotel thing. That's why there isn't a website, no real phone number and, unfortunately, no actual "hotel". The LLC took the money and said bye.

321go

And yet, according to the OP, Expedia had it listed on their site! I think JeanH is right; the online travel agencies need to do some level of screening - ask to see a CO or business license at least.

doug_stallings

Actually both Expedia and Hotels.com still have Mulberry Suites listed on their sites. I suspect there's more to this story than what the OP is letting on, but I have no idea.

MFNYC

Well there are NO listings under Switchboard or superpages. You would think, whatever screening process expedia, hotels, etc may have, that they'd at least check for a valid phone number!

BTW, the OP has 1 other post, not related to NYC. I do believe he/she was scammed here. I'm just curious what came out of it all.