Gershwin Hotel

like most of us, we had a situation there too. We did like the hotel, but every time when returned to hotel to find problems wasn't fun at all. Will I stay there again? maybe, maybe not..We were lucky that e stayed with kids and off peak season, so we got upgraded to lovely suite which definetely gave us a good memory!

Unique Quality: LOCATION and weird decor :)

Directions: perfect, arrived from airport by train to Madisson garden station and walked to the hotel and everywhere else after.

My daughter, myself and two friends stayed here April 2007. We picked the hotel on the basis of the really fabulous website. Please, please don't be fooled by that. The outside of the hotel is indeed spectacular....even the lobby is quite cool. The staff were really unhelpful. When we checked in at 2 o' clock we were told that one of the rooms wasn't ready for another hour, so we came back in one hour only to be told that it wouldn't be ready until 5 o'clock. What on earth were they doing to it?
When we did finally get to our room, no one showed us to the lift or offered to carry our luggage, we were horrified. The rooms were tiny. The bathrooms were disgusting. YUK! It was grimy and dingy.
We were struggling at one point to find the bus stop for the Hampton Jytny. So we asked the desk clerk to help us, he just told us that there was a pay phone at the end of the street. Well thanks. I thought that the reception staff in hotels were there to help make your stay a pleasant one and to be helpful, silly me.
I would never, ever stay here again, it was one of the worst hotel experiences of my life. I will be in New York City again this September, I hope that I have better luck this time.

Unique Quality: Absolutely nothing!

This place wasn't in the best location and although it is advertised as hip, yet affordable, my memories aren't positive ones. There is a club? downstairs in the lower level of the hotel (or else it's next door, I'm not sure) but if you are on a lower floor, it will be LOUD. I also am very comfortable staying in NYC and walking throughout the city but I can honestly say going to and from that hotel, even during the day, made me a bit uncomfortable. The room though was fine and was clean but I def. wouldn't stay there again.

Where do I begin? This is surely a case of a mixed review: the good, the bad, the ugly and the cliche (sorry!).

The good: location, location, location: a few blocks from the Empire State Building, next to 5th avenue, Flatiron, Madison Square Garden. I was able to see everything on foot - it is, in fact, right next to the Museum of Sex, a fact that I "forgot" to mention to my grandparents! It is also cheap and has free internet.

The bad: it looks dodgy. I had no problems during my stay, but I nearly changed to another hotel when I first checked in. The bar next door has very loud music, clearly heard at night. It also had its share of the bedbugs that have run over NYC.

The ugly: the decorating (think college dorms, with weird colours and bad posters). the outside has weird sculptures.

Would I stay there again? Perhaps - I needed a place to crash, but if you plan on staying in your room for anything more than sleeping and showering, then stay somewhere else! A lot of students made for an interesting atmosphere.

I stayed in the Gershwin just a few weeks ago and was fine with the standards. It was simple, clean, and had personality. The rate was $172 after taxes for a superior room which included decent furniture, soaps, TV, and NYC guides. I hardly stay a couple hours in my room when in NYC so this place is perfect. Location was great for all your wants, the employees were civil, and everything in the room worked. If you plan on going soon BE ADVISED: The lobby and nightclub are under renovation so the front lobby is smaller at the moment and the facade is being refurbished ( it is normal for this sort of thing to happen in NYC).

The NY Times did a story recently on NYC hotels for under $200 and this place was featured.

Unique Quality: Next door to the Museum of Sex, a neat look into sexuality and it's effects on art.

Directions: Flatiron District

I stayed in Hotel Gershwin for 7 nights. Our room on the 7th floor was small and shabby. It was hard to get upstairs because there was only one cramped elevator. We had big difficulties to get into the room because the lock didn't work properly.

The room was quite tidy. There was a narrow doublebed, an armchair, a small table, a chair, a chest of drawers and two bedsidetables in a colorful room. There was a safetybox, an iron and an ironing board in a small closet. TV didn't work. Every time you opened it, it worked maybe 5 minutes. Fortunately, there was a clock radio on the bedsidetable so you could listen to it in the morning.

The bathroom was clean, but the towels were like handkerchiefs. First there was a soap/shampoo dispenser on the wall, but suddenly it disappeared. One day somebody had installed a new soap bottle which was never filled. Hot water was available if you waited long enough.

During the first night we were freezing in the room. Next evening the room was hot and humid like a sauna: the radiator released water vapour.The radiator kept us awake every single night. It didn't matter whether it was on or off, the noise was still horrible. The hotel itself seemed to be quiet or then we didn't have any neighbours next to us or above us. Downstairs there was a club and those who had a room at the street-side couldn't sleep at all. Our room was back room. Yes!

More problems... It was almost impossible to use wall sockets in the room. They were so loose that if you wanted to use a hot brush or mobile phone charger you had to keep the plug with your hand.

Anyway, we didn't let the hotel room spoil our holidays. It was after all only for resting and washing. I can't criticize the staff, we didn't associate with them. They greeted every day and helped if needed. That's ok. Check-out time was at 11 am which in my opinion is quite early. After check-out they kept luggage safe for a buck per a bag until you left for good... The location of Gershwin was fine, we liked it.

I saw this article in the New York Times that listed ten budget hotels in New York City. I've stayed at one of the hotels mentioned and didn't think it was all that jazz. It just goes to show how expensive NYC hotels are. A good place to start if you are looking for comparatively cheaper accomodations. Good luck

Affinia Dumont, 150 East 34th Street (Lexington and Third Avenues), 212-481-7600; www.affinia.com. From $199. A business and pet-friendly spot with gym and spa.

Chelsea Hotel, 222 West 23rd Street (Seventh and Eighth Avenues), 212-243-3700; www.hotelchelsea.com. From $195. The storied bohemian landmark.

Doubletree Metropolitan, 569 Lexington Avenue (51st Street), 212-752-7000; www.metropolitanhotelnyc.com. From $159. A recently renovated Morris Lapidus landmark.

Excelsior Hotel, 45 West 81st Street (Central Park West and Columbus Avenue), 212-362-9200; www.excelsiorhotelny.com. From $229. Cozy Upper West Side elegance, steps from Central Park.

Gershwin Hotel, 7 East 27th Street (Fifth and Madison Avenues), 212-545-8000; www.gershwinhotel.com. From $119. Hotel-cum-hostel popular with young Europeans.

Hotel QT, 125 West 45th Street (Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue), 212-354-2323; www.hotelqt.com. From $125. A cheap chic hotel by Andr? Balazs.

Hotel Stanford, 43 West 32nd Street (Broadway and Fifth Avenue), 800-365-1114; www.hotelstanford.com. From $189. The staff at this Koreatown hotel speaks Korean and English (and Spanish).

Hudson Hotel, 356 West 58th Street (Eighth and Ninth Avenues), 212-554-6000; www.hudsonhotel.com. From $199. A former Y.W.C.A. redesigned by Philippe Starck.

Off SoHo Suites Hotel, 11 Rivington Street (Bowery and Chrystie Streets), 800-633-7646; www.offsoho.com. Economy rooms from $199 (sharing kitchen and bath with another room); suites from $189. Euro-style suites between SoHo and the Lower East Side.

The Time, 224 West 49th Street (Broadway and Eighth Avenue), 877-846-3692; www.thetimeny.com. From $189. Another hip, high-concept hotel in Times Square.

The Gershwin Hotel has a superb website, but that's about it. Depending on your price range, you can have a higher end room or share a room with others hostel style. The room is small with old furniture. The bathroom is small too. Sometimes you get soaps, sometimes you don't. The bed is squishy. Essentially, all facilities are bare minimum. We didn't see any significant artworks in the hotel as claimed on the website. We were disappointed by this accomodation. However, this hotel is a little cheaper than the others we considered. So price makes a big difference in the city.

We had a medium range room with private bathroom for $180.

Unique Quality: Great location for exploring the city.
Newly opened Museum of Sex is next door. We didn't go in, so can't really comment.

The Gershwin is located mid town - within walking distance to most things. The room was basic but clean, sporting a great print of picasso looking startled. The staff was knowledgable and friendly. There was a nightclub next door called the gallery but we couldn't hear it.

Unique Quality: Great price with a little bit of funk.

Walk to the front doorstep of the Gershwin and discover that it's Andy Warhol meets Louis Armstrong clashing with Madison Avenue. For those with reservations (among the cheapest stays in Manhattan), every floor is awash with memorabilia, artwork, bright splashes of color, and other artistic touches. Rooms can be a bit cramped as they are in many urban centers, but the comfort cannot be denied. During my stay however, calls could not be made from my room and hot water was unavailable in the bathroom (tenants were given $20 at the front desk to shower at a nearby gym!)

Unique Quality: The Gershwin has no restaurant or gymnasium and not much of a lounge in the lobby, but the staff are well-informed on things to do in the city. Discount tickets for theater performances are available in the lobby, and maps and brochures for city attractions are likewise available.

Directions: seven blocks south of Empire State Building, just east of Fifth Avenue on E 27th