The Gallivant Times Square

The staff were incredibly friendly, and the location right in the heart of Times Square was hard to beat. It gave us a comfortable place to crash between outings. The rooms are small and the hotel feels dated and a bit neglected, but it was by far the cheapest option. If you just need somewhere to sleep for a few nights, it worked well for us. I was nervous after reading all the terrible reviews, though I may have lower standards than some people.

The staff were kind and welcoming, and the price is much lower than other hotels in this part of Manhattan. You can head out and enjoy the city until midnight, then come back and sleep off the beer and wine. The hotel's WiFi is painfully slow, though, so you might want to get a fast wireless plan. I posted what I saw in room 402 on the first day, and I suspect I'll notice more during my stay. The location is excellent, and I don't see why the room decor is worth getting upset over. The low price does come with some compromises.

We found cockroaches running over our toothbrushes and clothes, so I had to throw everything away. The receptionist moved us to another room and said we would get one night's money back, but neither that $198 refund nor our $150 deposit ever came back. That's $348 total. We waited a week, then tried to reach them after returning from vacation two weeks ago, but they never picked up the phone. The room was very small for two people in a queen bed, though we had paid almost $900 for four nights and I didn't mind the size. The only working elevator took forever. There was also no reliable warm water for showers, which were time limited. We went in November, so cold showers were especially miserable. I wouldn't stay here again, even for the location, and would choose another nearby hotel. I didn't believe the reviews before we went because I'd never seen cockroaches in a hotel in my life. I'd give zero stars if I could, instead of one. This hotel totally sucked.

The first room was tiny, felt like a jail cell, and had roaches. They moved me to a larger room, but it was even dirtier. The wall switches were grimy, there were stains in the closet, the bathroom had bugs, and the desk chair was so filthy I had to put a towel over it before sitting down. It was a nightmare. I had things to do in the city and couldn't spend time arguing or moving again. I had arrived early in October and agreed to pay an extra $100 to get into a room ahead of check-in. After seeing the roach, I went back to the desk and said I'd wait for the regular check-in time and no longer wanted the room. They refused to refund the $100 they'd just charged, blaming Expedia. Expedia later confirmed that wasn't true. I also tried calling after I got home, but nobody answered. I eventually reached an operator and never heard back. I reported the property to Expedia too. The negative reviews seem accurate, and this feels like shady business. I'll never stay there again. Skip it. It needs new management.