The High Line Hotel

A charming, relaxed place right in the city, and it felt welcoming as soon as I arrived. The High Line Hotel is perfectly located, with an easy-going atmosphere. It made a lovely base for enjoying New York at my own pace. I'd happily come back.

I won't return or recommend this groomer, and I'll tell my vet how she treated me since they were the ones who suggested her. When I picked up my cat, she was smiling and friendly. I asked if she'd been annoyed with me earlier, but she didn't say no. I reminded her she'd told me four different times that the appointment would take 3 hours. She said that was in the email, as if I should have known. I explained I don't remember things like that because of how my brain works and what's going on in my life. She gave me that same flat, challenging stare, like I was wasting her time. I said I felt she'd treated me like a waste of time before and after the appointment. She didn't respond, then said she needed to get back to the pet she was grooming. When I said I wouldn't be coming back, she just said okay and left. I'm 48 and had never had a pet groomed before. My really old cat can't groom himself, and brushing hurts him, so he won't let me do it. His fur wasn't that bad, just an undercoat he couldn't reach. I was worried and didn't know what to expect. The website wasn't clear about scheduling, so I'd messaged her beforehand. When I arrived, I asked how long it would take. In a very formal, monotone way, staring into my eyes, she said 3 hours. I explained about his coat, and wondered aloud if that might mean it wouldn't take as long. She replied, in the same manner, “We allow 3 hours.” During our conversation she said twice more, “We allow 2 hours.” She looked completely emotionless. I was kind the whole time and asked what the timing depended on, but she didn't really explain. She said twice that it depends on the pet, and when I tried to understand what that meant, I had to offer this-or-that questions and got only yes or no answers. Maybe that doesn't sound unkind, but it felt that way.

The location is great, but I wouldn't call the rooms more than one star, despite the hotel's four star plus listing. The bathroom sink was broken and dangerous, and the shower knob kept falling off. There was a shoddy patch of paint around the tub, peeling paint on the ceiling that made me worry it might be lead, and mold in the shower. The room phone was just decoration and didn't work. When the fire alarm went off, there was no way to contact anyone. I raised these issues privately with the manager. The email reply said there was nothing they could do because I booked through the third party vendor booking.com. There are much cleaner places to stay in NYC that don't hide behind “historic charm”.

It was November, around 40 F, and nighttime temperatures dropped below 40. We had no heat and only a blanket. When we asked, we were told verbatim, “it's not turned on yet”. The plumbing was horrible too. The shower flooded so badly I felt like I was swimming. For $1200 for 2 nights, 11/15-11/17, this was disgusting. I don't recommend it and won't return.