Four Points Midtown, New York [Master Thread]
Jan 5, 2010, 2:22 am
#31
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Clearly you misread that thread then. The reviews of the hotel itself all seem fairly positive. It is in fact the location (which yes, is next to the Port Authority) that people have gripes over, not the rooms, not the amenities, not the service.
Again, this is Midtown West, on the block between Times Square and Hell's Kitchen/Clinton. The area certainly may not be the nicest to look at now, and reminiscient of "Old Dangerous New York" but the area is much safer than say Harlem or Inwood and the Hell's Kitchen area is quickly gentrifying with many fine and excellent restaurants opening up. If you're wanting to talk crime statistics though, how about the recent shooting in the heart of Times Square outside of the Marriott Marquis?
Again, this is Midtown West, on the block between Times Square and Hell's Kitchen/Clinton. The area certainly may not be the nicest to look at now, and reminiscient of "Old Dangerous New York" but the area is much safer than say Harlem or Inwood and the Hell's Kitchen area is quickly gentrifying with many fine and excellent restaurants opening up. If you're wanting to talk crime statistics though, how about the recent shooting in the heart of Times Square outside of the Marriott Marquis?
Jan 5, 2010, 2:55 am
#32
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It doesn't look like the Times Square one has much better reviews than the Chelsea one. And whatever neighborhood it is technically in, it is right around the corner from Port Authority, which is not where I'd like to stay.
So what I do know is that Four Points is usually not great, and the location isn't ideal. So that's my insight.
So what I do know is that Four Points is usually not great, and the location isn't ideal. So that's my insight.
Last edited by SanDiego1K; Jan 5, 2010 at 8:56 am Reason: Moved several posts above from another thread
Feb 8, 2010, 11:03 am
#33
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Just stayed at this hotel this past weekend and while the area may be "seedy" as some say, it didn't trouble me too much...then again I'm in NYC about once a month and I usually stay in the HK area and prefer to walk rather than cab/subway unless it's freezing. Super convenient to Times Square and the A/C/E...and if you have an issue walking outside at night down 8th and you're coming from the subway, you can easily pop out the SW/NW corner of 40th and walk that half avenue or so to the hotel.
Anyway my friend and I checked in and got upgraded to a suite. Staff was super friendly and the suite was nice and big, lots of room to move around, a pretty decent comfy bed (pillows were, IMHO, too soft/fluffy -- I like more firm ones), bathroom was pretty well lit, etc. I also really liked the wood floors in there...I can't recall any other hotels I've been in lately that had wood floors.
My only gripes were that when I roll in late in the morning after a night of going out and request a late check-out, I don't want to be woken up. I put the door "chain" (flap...whatever it's called) on and the do not disturb "NO" sign on the door handle and someone from the hotel staff still went about knocking and went so far to even open the door. I'm not sure if this was to drop off the zero balance "bill" but if so I'm sure they could have easily slid it under the door as the Hilton properties I have stayed at before do. In addition, apparently there was roof-top construction going on and we heard hammering, construction sounds, etc. fairly early in the morning. We weren't warned about this nor was this mentioned under the "Special Conditions".
Other than that, I probably would stay at this location again as it was a decent price/location/room.
Anyway my friend and I checked in and got upgraded to a suite. Staff was super friendly and the suite was nice and big, lots of room to move around, a pretty decent comfy bed (pillows were, IMHO, too soft/fluffy -- I like more firm ones), bathroom was pretty well lit, etc. I also really liked the wood floors in there...I can't recall any other hotels I've been in lately that had wood floors.
My only gripes were that when I roll in late in the morning after a night of going out and request a late check-out, I don't want to be woken up. I put the door "chain" (flap...whatever it's called) on and the do not disturb "NO" sign on the door handle and someone from the hotel staff still went about knocking and went so far to even open the door. I'm not sure if this was to drop off the zero balance "bill" but if so I'm sure they could have easily slid it under the door as the Hilton properties I have stayed at before do. In addition, apparently there was roof-top construction going on and we heard hammering, construction sounds, etc. fairly early in the morning. We weren't warned about this nor was this mentioned under the "Special Conditions".
Other than that, I probably would stay at this location again as it was a decent price/location/room.
Feb 27, 2010, 9:19 am
#34
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I liked it
I ended up staying here after rejecting my room at the Sheraton Manhattan. I was very impressed with the hotel. At check in, I was asked about the Plat amenity and also given a coupon for the restaurant that is good for either a glass of wine/beer or a cup of coffee. I was put in an upgraded room on the 32nd floor. It had a nice view of Times Square - as others mentioned, I could see the W from my window.
The room was a little small but everything was very new, clean, and functional. The bed was extremely comfortable and in excellent condition. The desk was useful and I found the bathroom perfectly adequate. The room service at the hotel was fantastic. It was among the best I'd ever had (and I have it all the time). It had a large selection with many interesting items for dinner, dessert, and breakfast, and was priced extremely well. The tv was also a nice (but small) flat screen with real HD channels.
Overall, I was extremely pleased with this hotel and plan to come back again.
The room was a little small but everything was very new, clean, and functional. The bed was extremely comfortable and in excellent condition. The desk was useful and I found the bathroom perfectly adequate. The room service at the hotel was fantastic. It was among the best I'd ever had (and I have it all the time). It had a large selection with many interesting items for dinner, dessert, and breakfast, and was priced extremely well. The tv was also a nice (but small) flat screen with real HD channels.
Overall, I was extremely pleased with this hotel and plan to come back again.
Mar 29, 2010, 4:29 pm
#35
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I can also report good things. Stayed there last week for a ridiculously low $169. Staff was very nice and the building is in nice shape.
The room actually seemed larger than the rooms at the FP Chelsea, which I've always liked. I was up very high, facing south. The hotel is very clean and there seems to be a lot of staff.
The block is "seedy" but not awful. The block where the FP Chelsea is used to be pretty seedy--without the adult bookstores--but look how that neighborhood is changed. Port Authority isn't inspiring, but the hotel is a half-block from the brand new New York Times building and the rest of the Fashion District. I'd definitely stay here again.
The room actually seemed larger than the rooms at the FP Chelsea, which I've always liked. I was up very high, facing south. The hotel is very clean and there seems to be a lot of staff.
The block is "seedy" but not awful. The block where the FP Chelsea is used to be pretty seedy--without the adult bookstores--but look how that neighborhood is changed. Port Authority isn't inspiring, but the hotel is a half-block from the brand new New York Times building and the rest of the Fashion District. I'd definitely stay here again.
Mar 29, 2010, 8:41 pm
#36
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I stayed there a whole lot last year and got used to the smallish rooms and cloggy toilets. I'm planning a week-long points stay for May and am wondering whether Plats get suite upgrades. Last year, the suites weren't ready... now I'm wondering how many and how often people get them. The additional space would be welcome!
Mar 30, 2010, 7:43 am
#37
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I've stayed here twice since it opened and overall the hotel has met my needs. Rooms are small but I think they are much nicer and feel less cramped than at the 4Pts. Chelsea. Only thing I wish they had layed out differently is the bathroom since in both rooms the door seems to be in the way of the sink. Location doesn't really bother me that much. As a platinum no suite upgrades here! I did get a free drink coupon on my last stay there two weeks ago.
Sep 6, 2010, 6:11 pm
#38
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Just spent two nights here for the holiday weekend (Fri/Sat). We usually stay at the Westin (when we go to NYC we are usually there for theater, so Times Square is where we need to stay), but the Four Points was more than $100 less/night (damn US Open), so we decided to stay there instead and check it out.
Called the hotel on the way down, asked if they validate parking anywhere (Westin validates for $27/night at a garage between 43rd and 44th, across 8th avenue), desk clerk directed us to a garage on 40th, across 8th (so a full block east of the hotel) for "$24 for 25 hours". We were sure we heard wrong (that it was $25 for 24 hours), but when we checked out today, parking cost $48, so that was nice!
Got to the hotel at 11:15AM on Saturday, couldn't check in as "we were full last night and rooms aren't yet clean". We're fine with that, left the bags with two very nice people at the desk. They said they "don't take coolers, as one fell and something broke and ruined other people's suitcases", but they ended up taking it anyway, and stored it "in the office" instead.
We had a show at 2PM, called the hotel at 1PM (OK, from the lobby of the Westin which is a much nicer place to hang out than the 4 Points lobby), and the room still wasn't ready, so we went to the show. Got back to the hotel just before 5, got keys to our room on the 22nd floor (we're just Gold) and went up after a long wait for one of the three elevators (that was the only wait).
The room: Small, but decently appointed. A "real" King sized bed (we've had mock kings at the old Sheraton Manhattan), desk, desk chair and comfy chair, flat screen TV (with a whole bunch of channels that came in SD and HD), and barely enough room to walk between the bed and desk chair. Nice view of Port Authority parking lot and the Westin and W in the distance. Bed was very comfortable.
The bathroom: The sink is cool to look at -- very deep, but that means you can't put stuff on it. It also only has one faucet, we couldn't tell if there is actually cold and hot water, or just warmish. Small shelf in the back, small shelf over it, and that's it for storage. Towels are inside the shower, as previously mentioned. And the shower! Glass, double sized, but if you want to turn on the water, you have to go into the shower and good luck not getting the initial cold water on you -- it's impossible to avoid! The door opens out, into the bathroom, and bangs into the bathroom door, which opens in. That bathroom door also covers up the hook for a hand towel, and due to the narrowness of the bathroom, it's very hard to close the bathroom door unless you move all the way into the bathroom. They seriously need to redesign the bathroom! The AC is a window unit with digital temp setting (I think it automatically shuts off after 24 hours or so as we had to restart it twice). It's on then off then on then off, without a continuous fan option, so the on/off was annoying during the night. But other than that, we didn't hear a sound from the street or hallway either night, so noise wasn't a problem.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned, is that the adjacent Fairfield Inn & Suites property has a new "Sky Room", which is a lounge on the 33rd floor, that stretches the length of the building (so, over the Four Points, the Distrikt, and the Summerfield Suites that share the building). And you can go upstairs from their to a great outdoor patio (North side is non-smoking, South is smoking) where you have terrific views of the city (Empire State Building on the South Side, as well as the Hudson). I expect this place will be hopping next year -- they are in a "soft opening" right now, official opening is next week, I think.
The Neighborhood: Great $1 pizza a few steps away from the hotel ($1.50 with mushrooms or pepperoni), and the bad Chinese food and DVD places as mentioned. Really, though, about the same number of bums as outside the Westin. Hell, if you leave the Westin and head East on 43rd, that street is pretty darn empty and full of the same type of potentially unsavory folks as 40th is full of. And once you get to 9th or 8th from the Four Points, it's just good old New York City in all it's glory.
I can't see this street getting much better -- it is what it is, which is a super affordable *wood property in the neighborhood we wanted to be in, with very friendly and helpful staff. Would we go back? Not if it's $50 less than the Westin, but if it's $75-$100 less? Absolutely.
Called the hotel on the way down, asked if they validate parking anywhere (Westin validates for $27/night at a garage between 43rd and 44th, across 8th avenue), desk clerk directed us to a garage on 40th, across 8th (so a full block east of the hotel) for "$24 for 25 hours". We were sure we heard wrong (that it was $25 for 24 hours), but when we checked out today, parking cost $48, so that was nice!
Got to the hotel at 11:15AM on Saturday, couldn't check in as "we were full last night and rooms aren't yet clean". We're fine with that, left the bags with two very nice people at the desk. They said they "don't take coolers, as one fell and something broke and ruined other people's suitcases", but they ended up taking it anyway, and stored it "in the office" instead.
We had a show at 2PM, called the hotel at 1PM (OK, from the lobby of the Westin which is a much nicer place to hang out than the 4 Points lobby), and the room still wasn't ready, so we went to the show. Got back to the hotel just before 5, got keys to our room on the 22nd floor (we're just Gold) and went up after a long wait for one of the three elevators (that was the only wait).
The room: Small, but decently appointed. A "real" King sized bed (we've had mock kings at the old Sheraton Manhattan), desk, desk chair and comfy chair, flat screen TV (with a whole bunch of channels that came in SD and HD), and barely enough room to walk between the bed and desk chair. Nice view of Port Authority parking lot and the Westin and W in the distance. Bed was very comfortable.
The bathroom: The sink is cool to look at -- very deep, but that means you can't put stuff on it. It also only has one faucet, we couldn't tell if there is actually cold and hot water, or just warmish. Small shelf in the back, small shelf over it, and that's it for storage. Towels are inside the shower, as previously mentioned. And the shower! Glass, double sized, but if you want to turn on the water, you have to go into the shower and good luck not getting the initial cold water on you -- it's impossible to avoid! The door opens out, into the bathroom, and bangs into the bathroom door, which opens in. That bathroom door also covers up the hook for a hand towel, and due to the narrowness of the bathroom, it's very hard to close the bathroom door unless you move all the way into the bathroom. They seriously need to redesign the bathroom! The AC is a window unit with digital temp setting (I think it automatically shuts off after 24 hours or so as we had to restart it twice). It's on then off then on then off, without a continuous fan option, so the on/off was annoying during the night. But other than that, we didn't hear a sound from the street or hallway either night, so noise wasn't a problem.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned, is that the adjacent Fairfield Inn & Suites property has a new "Sky Room", which is a lounge on the 33rd floor, that stretches the length of the building (so, over the Four Points, the Distrikt, and the Summerfield Suites that share the building). And you can go upstairs from their to a great outdoor patio (North side is non-smoking, South is smoking) where you have terrific views of the city (Empire State Building on the South Side, as well as the Hudson). I expect this place will be hopping next year -- they are in a "soft opening" right now, official opening is next week, I think.
The Neighborhood: Great $1 pizza a few steps away from the hotel ($1.50 with mushrooms or pepperoni), and the bad Chinese food and DVD places as mentioned. Really, though, about the same number of bums as outside the Westin. Hell, if you leave the Westin and head East on 43rd, that street is pretty darn empty and full of the same type of potentially unsavory folks as 40th is full of. And once you get to 9th or 8th from the Four Points, it's just good old New York City in all it's glory.
I can't see this street getting much better -- it is what it is, which is a super affordable *wood property in the neighborhood we wanted to be in, with very friendly and helpful staff. Would we go back? Not if it's $50 less than the Westin, but if it's $75-$100 less? Absolutely.
Jan 29, 2011, 10:45 am
#41
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Feb 8, 2011, 5:38 am
#42
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Just spent my first night here, very nice. Got upgraded to a suite at check in without asking. Suite is nice on 32nd floor views to the east of ny times building and edge of times square and to the south of not much. Suite has living room with couch, comfy chair, coffee table and desk. Separate good sized bedroom with bath off that. Plenty of room in bathroom. Free water, free Internet, slippers and robe I'd wardrobe. I did order some room service and have to say what I got was horrible but service was quick (10 mins) and friendly. Also as plat given voucher for free coffee in bistro will try that on way out.
Comparisons to Parker meridien, westin, w etc are ludicrously unfair IMHO. This is a basic 4points so gonna be an off center location with basic facilities. When traveling alone midweek this suits me fine and for the price this is excellent. I paid 148 and had the option of doing w lex for 219 and have no regrets about coming here. Parker meridien would have been even more and i would not have had any better wednesday. Element is currently 20 more and inferior, though I'm comparing the suite. They are pretty similar though and just one block apart.
It is not a pleasant part of town, nice view of adult DVD store from the room here, but it is not dangerous and well located for tourists. Its not a bad walk to subways either.
I will be back at these rates for sure.
Bedroom:
Living room/lounge:
Bedroom with bathroom to side:
View towards NE (Times Square direction):
Comparisons to Parker meridien, westin, w etc are ludicrously unfair IMHO. This is a basic 4points so gonna be an off center location with basic facilities. When traveling alone midweek this suits me fine and for the price this is excellent. I paid 148 and had the option of doing w lex for 219 and have no regrets about coming here. Parker meridien would have been even more and i would not have had any better wednesday. Element is currently 20 more and inferior, though I'm comparing the suite. They are pretty similar though and just one block apart.
It is not a pleasant part of town, nice view of adult DVD store from the room here, but it is not dangerous and well located for tourists. Its not a bad walk to subways either.
I will be back at these rates for sure.
Bedroom:
Living room/lounge:
Bedroom with bathroom to side:
View towards NE (Times Square direction):
Last edited by ma91pmh; Feb 13, 2011 at 9:44 am Reason: added pictures
Nov 2, 2011, 12:28 pm
#45
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the website seems to suggest that they don't offer c&p....there have been other properties that didn't offer it as well but some have obliged after i sent in a request....has anyone stayed here on a c&p rate????