Habitat Hotel

If you know how to get around the city, this hotel is a perfect location, lexington ave has all the stores, the neigborhood is calm and safe... there are many subway stations around, you can go by walk to serendipity... the rooms are small but we were 4 girls and had no problem.... would definetly stay again the staff super friendly, we even run into one of theme at serendipity and he told the host to take care of us...

It's a nice hotel in a great location, just blocks from the SE corner of Central Park. I'm a Marriott Rewards Member (Elite-level status), and this hotel is classified as a Category 7 - but I found it lacking in a few areas. My wife and I met friends from the UK here, during the weekend of June 19, 2009. We took the subway from the Jamaica station at the end of the JFK monorail straight to Lexington Ave and walked to the hotel up Lexngton to 57th (about 4 blocks). It cost us less than $14, and we were at the hotel an hour after landing at JFK. They were overbooked for the room-type that I had requested (and was guaranteed), so I had a difficult (awkward) check-in. I went back and forth with the clerk a few times while he 'looked' for another room on the computer, and it wasn't until I told him that I'd be expecting some Elite-status compensation that he found a suitable room for me. It was almost like he wanted a bribe or something to get me the room - which was really weird for a Marriott. We did eventually get the room-type that I had reserved, but it was alot like pulling teeth, and I felt more like I was bartering for a purse on Canal St, than checking-in to a 4.5 star hotel. They are currently undergoing renovations, which were supposed to have been finished by now. A bit disappointing, as it will look beautiful when everything is complete - so we missed-out on seeing the rooftop-terrace and the concierge lounge, and we did hear some hammering and drilling during breakfast. If you are lucky enough to eat at Opia for breakfast, (we got a free breakfast voucher since the concierge lounge is undergoing renovations) the food is fantastic. The french toast with apples and eggs benedict were amazing, but the wait staff gets overwhelmed when it is busy. We had wonderful service on Saturday morning, but waited forever for our coffee to be refilled, and never got our condiments or orange juice on Sunday. Terrace tables overlook the street, and are a great way to start the day. Our room was a Superior King, which was a good size by NY standards. There was an iPod-friendly alarm clock, a 37" flatscreen tv, a quality hair-dryer and a nice well-lit desk for doing work. There were supposed to be complimentary robes, but ours were missing. The complimentary in-room safe was a great feature that I would like to see offered in more North American hotels. The bathroom was also a good size but no fan, and the shower head was powerful though you did get peppered with ice-cold water from time to time during your shower. Not sure what was going on there?!? There are 3 elevators, but they don't go straight down to the lobby for some odd reason. You have to take them to the 2nd floor, and then either take another elevator to the lobby or walk down a spiral staircase. Upon check-out, we were 'offered' a $55 car service to the airport. This seemed pricey, as we were sure that a taxi is only $45, but we were told that the $55 included the tip, so that was ok. Unfortunately, once we'd gotten to JFK, the driver had no change, and couldn't accept a credit card. She also wouldn't call the hotel to see if we could charge it to the room - so we asked a few people if they had change, but no luck. So the driver got an extra $5 tip. No big deal, I guess - but it felt like we were getting hosed. I would marginally recommend this hotel. As I said, I would love to see it when it's completely renovated, and has been up and running for a while. It was very clean and the concierge was polite and accommodating - making dinner reservations for us at the Mercer Kitchen.

Having stayed at various hotels in New York City, Hotel 57 comes across as a little gem. My last two stays in the other NYC hotels were overpriced and lousy to the core. Hotel 57 exceeded nearly every single of my expectations. 1. Our room was on the sixteen floor - a corner unit. It is spacious and clean. The recent refurbishment definitely helps. The toilet is also very modern and equipped with Aveda toiletries. I'm so glad that this hotel actually included a small coffee maker in the room - something that often left out by the other hotels. 2. Staff was very helpful... from the bellboy to the receptionist. Requested for an early check in and managed to get our room at 130pm (about 1 and 1/2 hour after we arrived at the hotel). This is impressive especially after a 24-hour flight. 3. The gym is small but has all the necessary equipments. They are also very well maintained. 4. The hotel was still undergoing refurbishment but it didn't affect me at all. 5. The location is superb! The subway is a stone throw away. Just next to Bloomingdale's. For those who are in NYC to shop, Hotel 57 is just within walking distance to 5th Ave. There are two starbucks around the corner (for those who does not want to have the hotel's breakfast). You could also have a brunch at Forty Carrots in Bloomingdale's (though they open at 10am). 6. You can get good food before 9pm (especially if you go to Bloomingdale's). But after that, you will have to settle for TGIF at the corner. 7. The only complaint that I have is that the hotel staff took two days to fix a safe in the room. It was only after the fourth call on the second day that they actually did something. But other than that, it was a pleasant stay.

Went to NY to see the Christmas Lights. The hotel was under construction. The staff went out of its way to be friendly. Our room had everything new and had the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on. The bed had a very comfy new mattress with a brand new white down comfortor. It was decorated with new red pillows. I was on a cloud of comfort. The bathroom had an unusual door with an an Asian flair by its insert of clouded glass. We loved it. Made a cup of coffee and enjoyed the elegance of the room and comfort that surrounded us. It rained the entire time in NY but when we came back to this room it made us forget we were soaked to the core. We were close to central park and only blocks from all the decorations. I'd stay there in a heartbeat. Only one downside the told us the parking was free but at the end they charged us daily and it wasn't cheap. We complained and they were willing to go half with us. They really did tell us by phone the parking was free. We weren't very smart not to get a name on that one. It was 25.00 per day to park there. I wasn't happy about that encounter. All else was great though.

We stayed at Hotel 57 on the final part of our USA trip. The location is great for exploring the city. A few blocks away from Central Park and Fifth Avenue. The Door staff are wonderful! Really helpful and frendly. Check in was smooth, but if I had to make a small complaint, it was the staff constantly using the lifts ment for the guests, which sometime caused a little longer waiting for the lift than you would exppect. The room we had was on the nineth floor over looking Lexington Avenue and it was a little noisy at times, but this is New York and it's something you get used to. The room it self was very comfortable and the Bathroom was completed to a high standard. There was building and refurbishment work going on while we were staying, but unless you took a wrong turn and ended up the wrong part of the hotel, you didn't notice it at all. All with the other New York hotel we've stayed in, we would look to stay in this hotel again.

Arrived at the Renissance Friday morning. Memorial day weekend. it was about 85 degrees in New york, and the AC was not working in the tiny lobby. There was a huge floor fan blowing warm air around. After being told the Des riguer answer that there are no rooms available at this time despite the fact that I am an elite member with marriott, we proceeded to store our luggage. Came back at 3 pm for the requisite check in. Was given a corner room with a double bed. The room was a modern, cheaply done faux "hip" room. Flat panel TV, tiny bed, a faux suede chair with one broken leg was added for good measure. thats about all that fit in the room. All in all I would say that the renissnace is a good bet for a discount price. I would not hesitate to stay here for 180 or less, anything more is outrageous in my opinion. The location is excellent. The lobby is a mess ( May 25, 2009) wires, plastic sheets and drywall all over the place. Not pretty! I think you can probably find a better hotel for the same price given the economic situation at this time. The hotel tries to be modern , plush and hip but really misses the mark on all levels.

Hotel 57 was undergoing its transformation to Renaissance Hotel 57 throughout my 12-day stay there. This was noisy and inconvenient in both the lobby and the restaurant areas, though not in my room, fortunately! The staff , too, had a lot to put up with, and things were clearly well behind schedule. They were patient on the whole, but not over-friendly to guests, I felt. The hotel is located just perfectly in mid-Manhattan, close to subway stations and bus routes. You can either eat junk food or spend rather a lot on eating in this area. The hotel's own restaurant, Opia, is rather pretentious and too pricey. My basic room rate rose overnight from $169 + taxes to $239 + taxes as the hotel "completed" its Renaissance. However, the work was still not finished when I returned 10 days later to query my bill, which was incorrect. They had charged me $16.95 per 24-hours for internet connection during my entire stay, when I had only signed up for 2 sessions. However, one of their accountants was very friendly and helpful whe I revisited, and is in the process of refunding the overpayment to my Mastercard account.

This was the first time I had visited New York and must say I really enjoyed and will go back again one day. My first impression of the hotel was very positive, the staff are really friendly and nothing is too much trouble for them - at the moment the 57 is undergoing some refurbishment work however the vast majority of the hotel is complete. The rooms are are very spacious and very comfortable - there is a big plasma tv in each room with superb picture quality. The beds are amazing btw!!! The maids come in very day to tidy and make the bed. On the downside, I found the restaurant/bar quite expensive so try not to eat here if you can - there are plenty of Subway shops about where you can get a quick snack. There is also a great cafe around the corner where you can get breakfast for a few dollars. There is a fab clothing store opposite called Daffy's where you can pick up designer lables for next to nothing and if you want something more expensive visit Bloomingdales just a stones throw away. Times Square is a short taxi ride which should cost about $10 - if you prefer to walk it should take you about 20 mins. To summarise, this is a great hotel with friendly staff and its deffo worth a look. Any questions please e mail me at daburrows@ymail.com.

I stayed at the Hotel 57 for just under 2 months while on business in NYC. I was given a fantastic rate of 99 dollars a night because they were under construction. At one point I had three rooms in the hotel for my co workers as well. The room I stayed in was spacious, well appointed,comfortable, and had a great balcony overlooking E57th Street. I had dinner in the hotel bar several times, and I was very impressed with the food. The bartender Dascha was an absolute sweetheart as well. Breakfast left a lot to be desired. I probably ate breakfast 5 times in the hotel. Every time I went to breakfast at the hotel the wait for the food was well over 40 minutes. No apology was given, and no effort to make me a happy customer was made. The quality of the food was good, with a good presentation, but there really is no excuse for the time it took to bring it out. Especially when considering that every time I went there were less than 10 customers in the entire dining area. The bellmen were excellent and attentive, the front desk staff was the polar opposite. Additionally, the key cards were faulty. Almost everytime I came back to the hotel at night I had to have a new key made. The key cards became an issue when my girlfriend came to visit for a weekend. I had arranged with the front desk to have a key waiting for my girlfriend. I also had the man at the front desk put her name on the list for my room in case the key did not work. The key was there when she checked in but it did not work. This would not have been a problem had the person at the desk actually put her on the list. He did not. A woman named Barbara was at the front desk when my girlfriend came back down to get a new key made. Barbara was extremely rude to her. So rude in fact, that it prompted a call from me. She continued being rude to me, hung up on me, and was quite short with me when I requested to speak to a manager. Manager resolved the issue but it definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. During my stay at Hotel 57 there was a fire on the 16th floor. An actual fire...not a fire alarm. I was awaken at 5am with a german couple on my 15th floor balcony yelling fire. They were the only alarm! There was no fire alarm sounding in the hotel none! The sprinkler system was operating, and took care of the fire, but there was no alarm! When I checked out I disputed over 1000 dollars in internet charges, and was met with a horrible attitude from William at the front desk...his attitude was so horrible I asked him if I had done something to anger him, or if he was having a bad day. He said no to both questions,so I asked him why he was being such an (rhymes with glass pole). He did not like that...I suppose I can understand why. All in all this would be an excellent hotel if the front desk staff was replaced with people that actually care.

We stayed at H57 for 4 nights and loved the location. It was our first visit to New York and found the room (17th floor) quiet, roomy and clean. King bed was comfortable with great pillows. We loved the convenient location to the subway lines, shopping and Central Park. The staff and concierge (when there) were friendly, however several lacked knowledge of the area. We enjoyed drinks in Opia and the new lounge looks awesome. We could overlook the ongoing construction because it was reflected in the price. Internet charges were ridiculous! We used Starbucks two doors down. The lack of much of a lobby didn't bother us, but a few comfortable chairs might be nice.