mg1015
Google
I stayed here for one night while visiting friends in New York. My primary concern was location, as I needed to be able to get to the East Village and Central Park. Only a block from the 33rd St. 6 train station, HGU certainly met that qualification. ||I ended up spending the afternoon with friends so I didn't check in until about 8pm. Check in was fine and the person at the front desk was very friendly. After a long and busy day, I was looking forward to a little solo time, perhaps with an adult beverage. Unfortunately, the rooftop lounge was only open from 10am - 8pm, so I couldn't enjoy that ambience on a nice night. ||The rooftop being closed so early was even more disappointing because the room itself was tiny, even by New York standards. I was in a standard room and could barely move around the bed. That said, it was clean and comfortable. The air conditioning worked well, which was nice on a humid day. ||After I checked in, I ended up taking a walk around the neighborhood. I hadn't been through Koreatown in many years and it was interesting to see what a nightlife tourist destination it's become. The hotel is only a few blocks away from the action of Herald Square as well. After a 20-minute or so walk, I grabbed some snacks and beverages at a CVS and went back to the room. ||The bed was comfortable enough—not the most comfortable I've stayed on, but certainly not the least. Compared to the excitement a few blocks away, that block of 32nd St. is itself pretty quiet. To be fair, I'm also a light sleeper and regularly sleep with earplugs.||I appreciated the free breakfast in the cafe. At 8am on a Saturday, it was pretty quiet. Unfortunately, as someone with a non-Celiac gluten allergy, there was only one option available for me (after I asked for it without the accompanying toast). Almost everything else was some sort of sandwich. Still, it was a solid way to start the day. ||I checked out around 10:45. I had to wait for a bit for someone to show up at the front desk. Given that check out is at 11, this was a bit surprising. When I left to meet my friends at Central Park, it turned out the 6 train was closed from 33rd St. and below, so I appreciated the location, only 9 blocks from Grand Central, even more. ||If the price was right, I would absolutely stay here again, given the excellent location for a lot of what Manhattan has to offer. That said, if I were booking this hotel expecting a "luxury" experience that the SLH branding denotes, I would be very disappointed. It's a completely fine hotel with a more unique feel that some of the cookie cutter brands within the Hilton portfolio. There is nothing luxury about it, but it's a comfortable and convenient place to stay.