Insignia Hotel Brooklyn, an Ascend Collection Hotel

I chose this hotel for a one-night stay before my morning flight, and it covered what I needed. I arrived around 7-8p and check-in went smoothly. The receptionist on duty was polite and patiently explained the process. We paid a $100 deposit, which was returned after checkout. The room matched the photos, felt clean and tidy, and had no odd smell. All the appliances worked. I checked the mattress and sheets closely as I do at hotels, and found no insects. There wasn’t a mini fridge, but one is available if you ask. I didn’t need it for one night. The room was a little tight, though fine for one or two people. There’s a paid lot right beside the hotel. I found street parking whenever I went out, so I didn’t use it, but it was handy to have the option. I’d be happy to stay here again.

The bed had a strong urine-like odor, which made sleeping there really unpleasant. I asked the front desk to move me, but the staff didn’t seem interested in helping or fixing the problem. I’d also been given an accessible room without being told beforehand. I understand why those rooms are important, but its layout was quite different from a standard room and wasn’t comfortable for me. For the price, the cleanliness and service fell short of basic expectations. I wouldn’t come back.

Chinatown is a great base, with the N-line just steps away, plenty of restaurants nearby, and more Mandarin than English in the streets and shops. Some Irish bars with a long history are also about a 15-minute walk away. The location is superb, and the rooms are clean with friendly staff. A couple of things could be better: there’s no gym, breakfast is quite minimal (though still a nice extra), and the mattress sags in the middle and feels lopsided.

The area is great and the room itself is decent, which makes the cleaning problems especially frustrating. The curtains were dusty, the floor didn’t seem to get mopped, and neither did the shower glass doors. Housekeeping would move things around the bed, and somehow leave the room dustier and smellier. They don’t change the bedding daily, and this room doesn’t feel clean enough for that arrangement. I pretty much had to shower and go straight to bed without moving around. I wish they’d explained the service setup at check-in, since it isn’t on the website. The front desk is basically staffed during the day, and between 11pm and 7am guests are on their own. There are no towels or help available then, which is a problem if you need to shower before an early checkout. Breakfast pastries were very dry and overly sweet, not in a good way, just poorly made. It surprised me given how many Chinese bakeries are nearby with better choices at very low prices. Maybe the hotel has a corporate supplier from elsewhere. The room is pretty decent and the location is great, but these are things you should know before booking. Otherwise you might find yourself in a dusty room with no clean bed or even a towel.