Hotel Hayden

I came with my husband and our 8 and 9 year old, and I don’t think these rooms are really set up for a family. They seem more suited to solo travelers wanting a quick, cheap stay. The room was small, and the listing says it sleeps four on two doubles. I’m used to two queens in a hotel, so the beds felt cramped. They’re like old spring mattresses, and the pillows aren’t fluffy. If you sleep on your back, are thin, and don’t move much, two people might be okay in them. With lots of bags or more than one night, the small room gets extra crowded. There’s a tiny mini fridge, a small safe, an armoire for hanging clothes, a full-length mirror, and an ironing board. The furniture is beat up, with big scuffs on the walls and cabinets, and some doors don’t close all the way. The bathroom has a low toilet, one sink with little counter space, and only a standing shower with half a glass door. Water pressure was decent, and the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash smelled nice. Breakfast was limited: apples, croissants, pastries, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The common room had a nice hanging rope wall design, but it was extremely cold. The location is good, though there are lots of nearby hotels if you want a more updated, spacious room with more amenities. Also, I smelled marijuana in the middle of the night, presumably from another room, but there’s no bathroom fan, so I’m not sure. I wouldn’t stay here again.

The worst part was the cold. Our room felt even colder than the lobby, and the thermostat, set to 81° on “auto,” blew cold air. We switched it to heat, left for eight hours, and came back to an even colder room. The desk said the heat was broken and their “engineer” wasn’t available. They offered a space heater, but we weren’t comfortable leaving it on while we slept. They refunded the $37 facility fee, but didn’t offer extra blankets. Even the front desk had a large space heater on the counter, which made it seem like the problem affected the whole hotel. We refused to pay for the second night and checked out after one night. We both felt sick from the cold. When we asked for a manager, we were told they were “out sick.” The room had other problems too. Sitting on the bed made a loud crinkling sound because the mattress was covered in plastic. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and the thin, rough sheets made the night worse. Calcium buildup covered the shower, and about half the shower head nozzles didn’t work, so even a quick shower was difficult. The lobby was freezing when we arrived, despite it being 23°F (-5°C) outside. The explanation at the desk was that the door kept opening. That was an early warning. Hotel Hayden is absolutely not a 4-star hotel. It’s poorly maintained and managed, and feels misrepresented, like someone is cutting corners at every turn. There are hundreds of better options nearby. I’d tell anyone asking about our NYC trip to stay somewhere else. I’d never recommend Hotel Hayden.

The staff were attentive, and the location was good. Those are the things that keep this from a 1 or 2 star rating. The beds were very uncomfortable, and the shower wasn’t enclosed, so water got all over the place. Breakfast, called “continental,” was yogurt and lots of bread, with no protein.

The location is great, but this is a very basic place. Our king bed was pretty stiff, with three standard pillows and one fleece blanket, plus a sheet above and below it. No comforter, and no extra pillows. The windows are thin enough that there’s a lot of street noise. At first I thought one was open, but they just don’t block sound well. Everything else was fine, acceptable for crashing for a night, though I wouldn’t want to stay long. It’s average, mid, fine. There are worse hotels, but plenty that are better too.