Too close to call. A review of several “worst of” lists suggests there’s a high concentration of awful hotels in the New York area, with one or two standouts outside of Gotham. The bad properties are also likely to be owned by one chain.
But what are we waiting for? Let’s name names.
I’ll start with TripAdvisor’s list of dirtiest hotels.
1. Hotel Carter, New York City, New York
2. Continental Bayside Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida
3. New York Inn, New York City, New York
4. Eden Roc Motel, Wildwood, New Jersey
5. Airport Plaza, Brook Park, Ohio
6. Travelodge Bangor, Bangor, Maine
7. Velda Rose Resort Hotel, Hot Springs, Arkansas
8. Ramada Plaza Hotel JFK International Airport, Jamaica, New York
9. Days Inn & Suites Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
That’s three hotels in the Big Apple and one in New Jersey, less than three hours away. It’s also a clear win for Wyndham, which owns the Days Inn, Ramada and Travelodge brands.
Here’s another list of the world’s worst hotels. The biggest loser? The Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
One [review] says that the ceiling and light fixture leaked urine from the floor above. Get this, there’s pictures posted on various websites illustrating that this is true. Along with sour smells and the shorted-out ceiling lights (occasionally flickering), the urine drips from the ceiling onto the bathroom floor and shower basin.
Alright, then.
Here’s another non-scientific — but no less horrifying — account of a “worst” hotel stay from our friends at WorldHum.
After a massive meal and lots of red wine, I collapsed into bed, only to be woken by my girlfriend around 1:00 a.m. “Alex,” she whispered, “I don’t know how to tell you this…but there is a giant rat on our nightstand.” Half-asleep, I believed her. I slowly crept out of the bed to the light-switch, turned it on and whipped around. Nothing. My girlfriend, meanwhile darted across the room and hid behind a desk chair, shouting directions. “Check under the bed! Look in the bathroom!” After ten minutes of searching, I suggested that maybe, just maybe, it had all been in our heads.
Hmm. Maybe they should ease up on the vino?
Being bad isn’t always bad. Some hotels embrace their awfulness and brag about the low quality of their accommodations.
Note to Wyndham franchisees in the greater New York area: I might go with something else.
(Photo: pixdawg/Flickr Creative Commons)
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SUPERCHEAP ALTERNATIVE If you simply can’t afford to attend the New York conference at any of the above hotel rates, there’s a really cheap option – with major caveats – in the heart of Broadway.
Many visitors consider it a dump, and a recent poll of Europeans ranked it as the worst hotel in Manhattan. Even so, some ATCA members have stayed there in a pinch, because it’s within a block of a dozen theaters. So if all you need during a busy trip mostly spent away from your hotel room is somewhere to sleep with clean sheets and a private bath (the only “amenity” listed on the hotel website), then consider this “bargain-basement” alternative:
* Hotel Carter (250 W. 43rd St., http://www.hotelcarter.com,212-944-6000, ) $99/night (plus tax) for single-bed room or $109/night (with tax, for 2 people in double beds
Umm, you’ll either be a spambot or a little slow on the uptake. Check out the listings for the US above.
One cheap hotel I can personally recommend for NYC is the Americana on 38th and 6th – two blocks south of Bryant Park, barely five minute’s walk from Times Square. Good rates, very clean, basic rooms – I’ve stopped there three times without a complaint.
I have stayed at the Hotel Belvedere several times in NYC. It is cheap, clean, has little kitchenettes in the rooms, a nice “mom” concierge, and is an easy couple of blocks off of Times Square.