10025 Travel Guide
Tags: HotelChatter Reader Deals / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
HotelChatter Reader Deals :: $38 a Night at NYC's Broadway Hotel & Hostel
Hostel Chic for Cheap
$38 a night
Financially, New York is utterly and completely depressed, thanks to the "Crisis on Wall Street." Thousands of people are now out of jobs and even more are walking around with worthless stock.
But stocks aren't the only thing going for cheap in this town. The Broadway Hotel & Hostel is offering a special deal on its four-bedded dorm rooms, starting at $38 a night.
For 10 days, starting at 9 a.m. on September 22 and ending at midnight on October 1st, the promotion is available exclusively through the Broadway Hotel & Hostel's website. Those who book their reservations during this period will also be offered a complimentary drink at the Kazbar, a trendy bar and lounge located within the Marrakech Hotel NYC, the Broadway's nearby sister property, just two blocks away.
Yes, keep in mind that it's a hostel and not the Four Seasons, nor is it The Jane. It's also way up on the Upper West Side. We suggest getting three of your friends to stay the same night, so you aren't sleeping with strangers. And if the shared baths creep you out, the Broadway does have hotel rooms. We found a double bed with a private bath for $209 a night.
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Tags: Tryst Hotels / Eliot Spitzer / Hotel Sex / Political Hotels / → All Tags
Do Politicos' Rendezvous Hotels Mirror Their Personalities?
Eliot Spitzer was widely known for his overly aggressive personality during his tenure as governor of New York--who can forget his "I'm a f***ing steamroller" comment, uttered when he wasn't getting what he wanted out of the New York State Legislature during his first few months as governor? So it makes sense that a man so entitled would choose one of Washington's most prestigious (and scandalous) hotel addresses, the Mayflower Hotel, to conduct an extra-marital affair.
Spitzer's replacement, David Paterson, has yet to outline his agenda as the state's new governor, but The New York Times has taken the liberty of reviewing the hotel where Paterson held his rendezvous with a woman who was not his wife: The Days Hotel Broadway on Broadway and 94th Street. If the property provides similar insight into Paterson's political personality, New Yorkers are in for an interesting tenure.
The Times reporter was only allowed to inspect the lobby--apparently all 250 rooms were booked full for the Easter holiday--and came up with this assessment:
"...[I]n light of the hotel's recent brush with fame, [the lobby] seemed rich with metaphors of deceit. The fake fireplace has an imitation stone mantle and sits near vases filled with plastic flowers. And among the faux books in the sham library were the disembodied spines of several copies of the politician's bible, 'The Prince' by Niccolò Machiavelli."
Now, we don't know which is worse: A governor who hires a high-class prostitute for a tryst in a $400-per-night hotel room in Washington's Mayfair Hotel, or a governor who takes his mistress to a Days Inn in the less tony section of New York's Upper West Side?
[Photo: dbking & Ashley]
Tags: Snapshots / Manhattan Hotel Reviews / Hotel Bars / → All Tags
Snapshot: Kazbar at the Marrakech Hotel
Last year, we snooped around the Marrakech Hotel on the upper Upper West Side as it was undergoing renovations from its previous life as the Malibu Hotel.
But it sounds like the hotel's renovations have been completed with the finishing touch being the presence of flat-screen TVs. And no "budget chic" hotel catering to the young international set would be without a trendy bar and lounge set in the hotel lobby, like the Marrakech's Kazbar.
From the press release:
Kazbar has a completely unique menu of specialty drinks, including the signature "Marrakech Martini" courtesy of its resident Doctor of Mixology. Also on the menu are a wide range of microbrews and wines. All liquor that is poured is top shelf.
Additionally, Kazbar has a light fare menu of appetizers for when the munchies strike. Rates at the hotel are "seasonably adjusted" (i.e. holidays and Summer will cost more) from $129 to $205 per night. The hotel also has a hostel annex where you share rooms and bath so make sure you specify which experience you want.
Related Stories:
· Marrakech Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
· 'Affordable Chic' at Marrakech Hotel [HotelChatter]
Tags: Hotel Reviews / Hotel Openings / → All Tags
Clarification:: Marrakech Hotel is Not the Four Seasons
Last month, we trekked up to the upper part of the Upper West Side to check-out a newly renovated hotel, The Marrakech Hotel.
In its former life as the Hotel Malibu, this place was pretty much a hotel for vermin, according to past reviews on TripAdvisor. But the new owners have stripped the place clean, renovating the rooms and all the public spaces. Still, not all the upgrades are complete which is why the hotel is offering a deal of $129 a night.
However, we have recently received some very concerned emails about the reviews on TripAdvisor and whether or not this place is actually good to visit.
Here is the most recent review from June 24, 2006 of a guest who stayed five nights this month.
The room was not a hell hole as many of you describe, it was small, but we had four of us in the same room and we managed just fine. Linens were all frech and bathroom was tidy. No bugs, definately not! We had to ask more towels and got them right away, staff was very kind and helpful also. Location is exellent, metro is just few steps away. Security staff standing outside the hotel all times, front door locked during night time. I felt safe and comfortable.
Another guest who also stayed there in the month of June had this to say:
The staff is extremely helpful and nice. It is very reasonably priced and even though it is not finished and some of the hallways are in bad shape I would stay there again, the rooms are clean and comfortable.
Two of the recent negative reviews center around the lack of elevator in the hotel (which we warned you about) and the lack of modern amenities (which we also mentioned since the hotel doesn't expect to be fully furnished until September.) Another review mentioned bedbugs but we could not figure out when this actually happened. Our guess is sometime when it was still the Malibu or at least in transistion. While we were there we didn't see any rats or bugs.
In the end, this place is probably for the younger set, who's been backpacking through Europe and crashed in hostels before. People on a budget who can "rough it" for a night or two might also be interested in this place since $129 is a great deal for NYC in the summer.
But the Four Seasons this is not. So if you feel uncomfortable taking a risk on the Marrakech, we recommend you book somewhere else. Or at the very least, call the hotel (212-222-2954) to see what rooms are still under renovation. And if you do stay at the Marrakech, then let us know how it went.
Related Stories:
· 'Affordable Chic' at Hotel Marrakech [HotelChatter]
· Marrakech reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Interviews / → All Tags
Interview with ICrave's Lionel Ohayon
Lionel Ohayon of ICrave Design is responsible for the sexy and hip designs of several successful nightclubs and restaurants (Aer, Crobar, Hyde Los Angeles, Koi restaurant inside Bryant Park Hotel.)
Now he's making his first foray into hotel design, starting with the Upper West Side's Marrakech Hotel. Here, Ohayon relied on Morrocan flair and other North African touches to provide a stylish but comfortable and open atmosphere.
HotelChatter's got the scoop on Ohayon's design plan for the Marrakech and beyond.
HotelChatter:
What was your intent design-wise for the Marrakech?
Lionel Ohayon:
We wanted a comfortable environment where people could break away from the city. We wanted an easy kind of feel. And our guests are probably first time visitors to the city, making their way around so we also wanted the lobby to facilitate interaction between the guests. We don't want them to be stuck in their rooms.
More of the interview after the jump
Tags: Hotel Openings / Hotel Deals / → All Tags
'Affordable Chic' at Marrakech Hotel
One of the greatest hotel challenges today is finding a room in New York City for under $200. Often times, getting that price means compromising location, like staying in New Jersey.
Yet this summer, under $200 for a Manhattan hotel room is do-able. Hotel Marrakech on the Upper West Side is offering a bit of downtown's boutique cool for an affordable $129 during its soft opening phase.
The hotel compromises a bit on location at 103rd and Broadway, but the area is experiencing a bit of a rebirth with new restaurants and swank residential spaces popping up nearby. Central Park is only a few blocks away and there's both a major subway and bus line in the area.
Soft opening does mean the Marrakech is still adding the final touches to their overhaul of what was once the Malibu Hotel. But forget the reviews on TripAdvisor about the Malibu's rodent and general cleanliness problems.
The folks behind Marrakech have given the building a total facelift hiring hip designer Lionel Ohayon, who has done the designs for nightclubs and restaurants such as Aer, Crobar and Hyde Los Angeles, to implement the hotel's authentic Moroccan design and ambience.
More on Marrakech Hotel after the jump
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