Artel Hotel

The front desk woman eventually gave us a refund, which we appreciated. But we left and found another hotel in NY, since our room was so dirty and the area didn't feel safe, especially with children. There were no sheets, towels, or soap when we arrived. The floor looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in weeks or months, with strange, gross stains all over. The bathroom was worse: hair in the shower, toothpaste across the sink, and urine still in the toilet. I don't understand the reviews calling the place clean. This was the worst hotel stay I've had in over 15 years of travel. When we asked the woman at reception for towels and soap, she seemed annoyed. Online it looked like a cool, artsy place, but that wasn't what we found.

I was nervous after reading the reviews, but our stay was fine. The room was clean and ready, the AC worked well, and check-in was smooth. We had our keys in five minutes. We saw the cleaning crew working as we left, so they seemed to be looking after the place. There wasn't any furniture besides bean bags, but that didn't bother us. It had a fun vibe and was good for the price. No problems at all, and a great choice for my first visit to New York. I'd recommend it.

The area was noisy, and we didn't feel particularly safe there. The photos were misleading: they made the place look artsy and fun, but in person it felt like a poor hotel with spray paint on the walls. We won't stay again. The staff seemed bad at hospitality, which is the whole point of running a hotel. Our room was dirty, with spills on the walls, bits of trash, and dirt on the floor. The wall AC wouldn't go below 72 degrees, and the room never reached that temperature, so it stayed hot. At check-in we were missing toilet paper, body wash, and an iron and ironing board. The front desk acted as if every request was a nuisance and took ages to look. After we asked several times, we got the toilet paper, body wash, and iron, but no board.

The only good part was how the front desk and hotel staff treated me. From what I read in other reviews, not everyone got that luck. I booked directly on the hotel's website and got confirmation of a total price including taxes and fees, but they charged me well above it. The room was awful too. Its sink handle was broken, so I had to brush my teeth in the shower. I was told I'd have to move all my unpacked things for my weeklong stay in one trip or the door would lock. I didn't have time before my dinner reservation, so I had to spend another night there. Nobody offered an upgrade or discount for the broken sink. I eventually moved rooms after propping open the first door so I could make several trips. Why couldn't they just wait to cancel the first key until I was done? The second room was just as dirty, smelled a little, and had crumbs and hair, as though it hadn't been cleaned properly. I read on the HotelTonight app that there was no pet fee for dogs under 40lbs, but they charged me one for my 20lb pomsky. I was also charged amenity fees when all the amenities were closed. There wasn't even coffee in the coffee maker. I left my Bluetooth speaker in the room and have called every day trying to get it back. I live in DC and travel for work weekly, so I could easily stop by, but nobody answers the phone. The location isn't great either, and I wouldn't want to walk there alone at night. Save the cab money and stay in a better area with better service. It was crazy expensive for dirty, broken rooms and hidden charges. Don't leave anything behind, because you'll never get it back. I'm never staying here again.