Aloft by Marriott New York Chelsea

I’m in town for work often, usually for a night or two, and have stayed here twice already. I’ve booked another visit and look forward to coming back. The rooms are clean and quiet, with the usual NYC size, and despite the hotel being large, I’ve hardly ever waited more than a few minutes for the elevator. I appreciate having a clothes steamer in the room. The staff are the best part by far: front desk, management, and housekeeping have all been kind, friendly, and efficient.

My room stayed between 60 and 65 degrees throughout my winter stay because the heat didn’t work. The floors were so cold that walking barefoot actually hurt. When I called the front desk, they said all they could do was bring extra blankets. No room change, space heater, or other real fix was offered. Blankets don’t solve a room that can’t stay warm in the middle of winter. A hotel should be warm enough to sleep in without bundling up like you’re camping. This was a basic lodging problem, not a luxury request, and staff made it clear they didn’t think it was one. If you care about comfort, sleep, or management taking concerns seriously, choose another hotel in winter.

We were charged a luggage-holding fee on checkout day, with no notice or sign the day before. When I asked how the price differed by bag size, the male front desk staff member was condescending and said, “I know what I’m doing.” Even a small backpack or purse that fits on top of a carry-on is charged as a carry-on, at $3. For a four-star hotel, basic amenities were missing: no toothbrush, facial cotton pads, cotton buds, or room service. On some housekeeping days, they didn’t leave water bottles either.

I liked that the rooms were clean, well sized, and furnished with what looked like new or newly renovated furniture. The design felt professional, and we could walk to the main landmarks from the excellent location. Check-in and checkout were quick, and the staff were friendly and professional. The room service was good too. There’s no restaurant, but so many places are nearby that we didn’t need one. Breakfast was a bit disappointing, mostly fast-food-style items, and the rooms lacked some basic hotel amenities. Still, for my first stay here, things were pretty much as I expected and I was satisfied overall.