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W Hotels NY Coffee Pricing Miffs Web Entrepreneur

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 201 Park Avenue South [map], New York, ny, United States, 10003
April 25, 2007 at 3:10 PM | by markj | 3 Comments

W Hotels is having a tough time with the Web 2.0 leaders of late.  First, Nick Denton calls W San Francisco a "complete shit hole." Now, Jason Calacanis is taking an unnamed New York W hotel to task for charging him $2.80 for an eight ounce drip coffee.

Today when I left the W Hotel in New York I hit the coffee bar in the lobby for an eight ounce cup of coffee. I thought they gave this for free to their customers (paying $400 a night), but they don't. So, I went to pay for my eight ounces and the women told me $2.80 to which I told her "really?!" She said yes, I said "that's abusive. That's $1.30 more than Starbucks!" If you coffee is twice the price of Starbucks--the kings of abusive pricing--you're really abusing people.

I left the coffee at the counter--after I had put in milk and sugar--in disgust. Come on W Hotel... be NICE to your customers, don't abuse them.

While Jason didn't say which W he was at, our guess is the W Union Square. We highly doubt it was the Times Square W, and if he paid $400 for a room at the old W on Lex, well, he should be reading the best and worst W hotels thread.

Related Stories:
·Where is the best W Hotel?[HotelChatter]
·Abusive Pricing at W [Calacanis.com]

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The Latest Worst Hotel in the World Nominee

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 356 West 58th Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10019
May 17, 2006 at 10:58 AM | by markj | 0 Comments

Via his blog, AOL blogging executive Jason Calacanis has nominated the Hudson Hotel as the worst hotel in the world:

This is the worst experience I've ever had in my life. My window was broken for two nights and wouldn't close and my heat has be broken as well. There is dirt and dust balls everywhere. Also, the room is tiny for the price--but whatever.

When you call the front desk no one picks up for 30-40 rings. It took me five phone calls tonight to get a manager on the phone.

When I did he offered me a free drink. I told him thanks but no thanks and he got all upset with me and was like "what do you want?"

We will gladly put the Hudson on our Worst Hotel in the World nominee list. However, the bigger question here is why-oh-why is a giant money printing company like AOL putting its top executives up in a has been hotel? Our guess? This might be a good sign for New York's already overheated hotel market heading into the summer.  The message?  Better book early and often or your hotel choices will dwindle.  The price is bound to be in the stratosphere no matter where you stay in NY, of course.  

Despite the above woes it could have been much worse--Jason could have stayed at Pomeranc's "new" Six Columbus, in its present state.

Related Stories:
·   Hudson Hotel is the Worst Hotel in the World [Calacanis.com]
·   Hudson Hotel Coverage [HotelChatter]
·   Hudson Hotel Reviews Reviews [TripAdvisor]
·   Jason Calacanis Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

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Chambers Hotel: High Speed/High Design Office For A Day

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 15 West 56 Street [map], New York, ny, United States, 10019
February 9, 2005 at 1:41 PM | by markj | 0 Comments

Blogger Jason Calacanis let's us know that he has turned the Chambers Hotel into his own office for a day:

My office today is the lobby of the Chambers Hotel on 56th street between 5th and 6th. I'm in the back in an amazingly designed room (TOWN), drinking amazing coffee, fresh cut flowers all around (Gordon loves them), and eating some pain au chocolate while I surf the free high-speed wifi. I love my life!

Note: You have to scroll to the bottom of the this really long entry to see the part about the Chambers Hotel.