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NY hotel confirmation says No Hot Water (post-Sandy)

NY hotel confirmation says No Hot Water (post-Sandy)

Old Nov 1, 2012, 6:05 pm
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NY hotel confirmation says No Hot Water (post-Sandy)

My nephew works for a government agency and is being sent to NYC to oversee an afterstorm cleanup. Confirmation email for a non smoking, king room says No Hot Water. Really? $1400. for five nights with no hot water? How can they even operate without it? Linens can be washed in cold water, but what about dishes and food service? All those people in town for the NY marathon on Sunday are not going to be happy.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 6:25 pm
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In fairness, there are some rather unique circumstances going on in the Northeast these days.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 6:33 pm
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Cool

Those guv'mint boys need to take a few cold showers.....
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 7:21 pm
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Originally Posted by Night Owl
My nephew works for a government agency and is being sent to NYC to oversee an afterstorm cleanup. Confirmation email for a non smoking, king room says No Hot Water. Really? $1400. for five nights with no hot water? How can they even operate without it? Linens can be washed in cold water, but what about dishes and food service? All those people in town for the NY marathon on Sunday are not going to be happy.
Do you have the slightest idea of how many thousands of New Yorkers have been in the dark for days?

If the hotel is in the powerless zone, they may have a generator to keep the lights on but not enough for hot water. Hotel rooms are impossible to come by, he should be happy to have a room at all. I've had no power since Monday night and what water there is in my building is cold. Anyone who can't handle the after effects of the storm shouldn't come here.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 7:28 pm
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I'd say a dry bed to sleep in, lights to turn on and off, and something clean to wear are pretty good things to have in the grand scheme of people's lives in the greater NYC/NJ area right now.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 7:37 pm
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Originally Posted by ShopAround
Do you have the slightest idea of how many thousands of New Yorkers have been in the dark for days?

If the hotel is in the powerless zone, they may have a generator to keep the lights on but not enough for hot water. Hotel rooms are impossible to come by, he should be happy to have a room at all. I've had no power since Monday night and what water there is in my building is cold. Anyone who can't handle the after effects of the storm shouldn't come here.
+1 (bolding mine)

Today I heard the announcement that Philly's search and rescue team, the same one that responded to NYC after 9/11, is being sent to NYC again to help locate and recover the bodies of those killed by the storm.

I'm in the Philly area, not NYC, and today ventured into City Center and University City for the first time since the storm. While not nearly as hard hit as NYC, there are still many areas (like my neighborhood) with no power, trees across the roads, reductions in public transit, businesses still closed, shortages of various items in the stores, etc. The storm may be over, but the damage is not.

Last edited by CDTraveler; Nov 1, 2012 at 7:38 pm Reason: Spelling
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 7:51 pm
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Please follow the thread on its move to the Destination->NY forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 8:00 pm
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Why are you asking us?

The agency sets the terms with the hotel. They are obviously ok with it. I'm sure the hotel told them you can stay, but we may not have any hot water, and they said That's OK, we need the rooms.

It's totally possible they have emergency hot water (yes they have such things, they are all over the city) for hot water for the dishes, etc. The linens can be sent out.

Don't blame the hotel, you think they should just close and he can sleep in a shelter?

Not every hotel in the city is in an area where they don't have steam or electricity, so it's questionable how many of those marathon people will even notice. The marathoners have nothing to complain about, they are taking away valuable services that should be used in the relief efforts.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 8:29 pm
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Originally Posted by ShopAround
Do you have the slightest idea of how many thousands of New Yorkers have been in the dark for days?

If the hotel is in the powerless zone, they may have a generator to keep the lights on but not enough for hot water. Hotel rooms are impossible to come by, he should be happy to have a room at all. I've had no power since Monday night and what water there is in my building is cold. Anyone who can't handle the after effects of the storm shouldn't come here.
Well said! ^
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 8:33 pm
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Originally Posted by cordelli

Don't blame the hotel, you think they should just close and he can sleep in a shelter?
If, however, the hotel has jacked up rates to take advantage of the disaster, then they should suffer severe consequences. Don't know if this is the case here.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 9:31 pm
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Depending on where your nephew is staying, there are a few major issues about which you and he should be aware:

1) In highrise buildings, water must be pumped up to the roof reservoir to provide water pressure for the entire building. Those pumps are often electric. Power is still out in most of Manhattan below 39th Street and will not be restored until Saturday.

2) In many buildings, both heat and hot water are provide by steam. Steam service has been out in Manhattan below 42nd Street and it's not clear when that will be restored.

3) Many building basements have been flooded and until they are pumped out, electricity and steam may not be restored to the building even if they have been restored to the neighborhood. Some basements include parking garages that reportedly cannot be pumped out until Dept of Environmental Protection approval is obtained.

4) Many hotels are full of displaced New Yorkers who have no power, water, heat in their homes, or no homes at all. Some hotels are reportedly not honoring reservations by visitors in order to avoid having to evict displaced New Yorkers.

In short, while we can understand your concerns, and appreciate your nephew's service, you and he need to keep in mind that many here in NYC have it much, much worse.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 9:34 pm
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Originally Posted by Night Owl
My nephew works for a government agency and is being sent to NYC to oversee an afterstorm cleanup. Confirmation email for a non smoking, king room says No Hot Water. Really? $1400. for five nights with no hot water? How can they even operate without it? Linens can be washed in cold water, but what about dishes and food service? All those people in town for the NY marathon on Sunday are not going to be happy.
I hope you will give us a Trip Report when your nephew returns home.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 10:01 pm
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New York Sports Clubs is effectively open to all non-members for showers and even a workout, if you bring your own towel.

http://www.mysportsclubs.com/Default.aspx

Most if not all clubs above 34th-ish St. should be open.
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Old Nov 1, 2012, 11:27 pm
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Aren't those official Federal gov't approved/official rates for travelers and/or contractors as negotiated by OMB/GSA/DOD ? It must be FEMA-approved, now just go to Staten Island already ...

Shelter with a roof with most creature comfort, bed w. mattress not exposed to potential biohazards (flooded salt water mixed w. sewage & unknown fluids, etc.) per diem allowances for meals - there are many New Yorkers with newly acquired "homeless" status that would be glad to trade places with your nephew. Try a Red Cross shelter here in NYC, most likely a public school with hot shower facilities - it should be close to his duty station for those 5 days.

As for all those out-of-town paid pro NYC Marathon runners that might be unhappy with the flooded downtown subway stations or what not, tough! My bad for getting off topics here - I worry about our less fortunate fellow New Yorkers as this weekend's night time temperature will be dipping into the 30's - and it will be dark earlier with DST change this Sunday morning ...

Sorry, the sentiments around here look fairly uniform - we aren't of much help at the moment. We are usually very resourceful, creative, innovative - suffice to say, I personally prefer to render help to the neediest of the needy as this historic disaster continue to unfold. I will NOT be available to assist at one of the runner's tent or along the route volunteering my services this year.

Over n Out, K.
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Old Nov 2, 2012, 2:44 am
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Originally Posted by Night Owl
My nephew works for a government agency and is being sent to NYC to oversee an afterstorm cleanup.
"Afterstorm?" News Flash:This was a hurricane.

Originally Posted by Night Owl
All those people in town for the NY marathon on Sunday are not going to be happy.
Heavens! What will we do? I have an idea: they can stay home.

Reality check: In a few hours, I'm having friends over. They live in another part of Brooklyn. They're coming to do their laundry!
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