Pike County Holidays

It’s definitely a motel level of hospitality, which hurts when you’re paying a premium but the location is right in Times Square so it’s perfect for doing tourist things. Furniture is cheap and rickety (think Walmart college apartment) mattress is unsubstantial and you can feel the slats from the frame through it. AC was definitely loud but otherwise it was surprisingly very quiet considering where we were. Checkin was painfully slow (35 min) but overall it’s a sensible choice compared to nearby hotels. If you’re easy going and not fussy about receiving no luxury when paying several hundred for a single night you’ll be fine here.

Conceal

I travel worldwide and visit NYC several times a year. Ink 48 was one of my worst hotel experiences. Before booking, I asked about breakfast. The hotel replied: “Hudson Local serves breakfast daily from 7am–11am. The options I have listed are a continental breakfast with coffee, orange juice, croissant, and toast, and the Bed and Breakfast package includes one entree per person with coffee, tea, or fresh orange juice. I don’t have buffet details.” “One entree per person” was very misleading: we received only coffee, juice, a croissant, and toast. The room had dirty, rusty bathroom fixtures. The broken handle on the glass sliding bathroom door made it hard to open and extremely noisy. Twice the front desk promised repairs; nobody came. Poor shower drainage flooded the bathroom floor. Our second-floor room faced a bar. On Saturday, loud music, police sirens, and amplified warnings continued from around 9–10 p.m. until 4 a.m. Poor window soundproofing and light blocking made sleep nearly impossible. Equally disappointing was management's response. When I raised these concerns at checkout, the manager dismissed the complaints, claiming that the inadequate breakfast and outside noise were not the hotel's responsibility. This attitude, combined with the repeated failure to address the broken door, reflected extremely poor management and customer service. A hotel should provide a clean, functional room where guests can sleep and rest well. Ink 48 failed on all these counts.

We had an incredible stay at the Essex House last week with our two kids (one is 7 and the other turned 4 on our trip). We booked the king suite, thinking that even though it's NYC and the room will likely be small, it would be the best option for a family of 4. We were SHOCKED at the size of the suite! Not only was it enough room for all of us, it was downright roomy! We had plenty of space for our stay. The amenities and cleanliness of the hotel are superior, room service was delicious (if expensive), and best of all...the guest relations team sent a special surprise gift to our room for our 4 year olds birthday. They sent him balloons, two pieces of cake, and a bag full of stuffies and goodies. He was THRILLED and we were so touched by the thoughtfulness. Both of our kids have already asked if - not only can we go back to New York - but can we stay at the Essex House again! The location was incredible and overall the Essex House played a big part in how wonderful and effortless our trip was. Already looking at dates in the Spring to visit again! Thank you Essex House and your wonderful staff!