McCarren Hotel & Pool

Great staff. Kudos to Martin in particular who showed me round when I arrived. Loved the roof top bar and view of Manhattan Skyline. It was a refreshing change to hang out in Williamsburg at a boutique hotel since I am normally booked into one of the big chain hotels.

This hotel lives up to the reviews. It is not a luxury venue but it is well located if you are visiting Greenpoint or Williasburgh in Brooklyn and there is very easy access to Manhattan via the subway. The biggest asset this hotel has is the staff who really could not have been nicer; special thanks to Martin who helped out a lot. The rooms are quite small and clean but the bathrooms lacked amenities. Also, soundproofing leaves a lot to be desired -the noise from the hallway and the room next door woke us up each night but we accepted that. The big disappointment is the pool. We chose this hotel in particular because of the pool access , only to find out after we arrived that guests can only use the pool for free until 11:00 am and after that, there is a charge in excess $100/day per lounge. We should have been told when we booked.

As a former employee, service industry professional and someone who has spent many days at the pool here, I am literally appalled. This is the 5th pool day I've had here this summer and every time it gets worse. Service is almost non existent and the food is a joke. We sat for 2 hours waiting for a server to take our order and no one came by. We had to go up to the bar to order. We ordered grilled mahi mahi tacos and received what looks and tastes like canned tuna. We ordered chips and guacamole that never came. As someone that ordinarily never wants to make a big deal out of anything, I gave in and complained. They sent us lobster rolls and sliders to make up for the terrible tacos but I can't say those were much better. The food is just an absolute disaster. The server still has not come by to check on our table even after our complaint. When you pay $55 to spend a day ANYWHERE, the staff should interact with their customers. Jay, at the bar, however is amazing, he's awesome and kills it behind the bar. Drinks were spot on. Also. It's a Wednesday and not busy. Get it together McCarren. I've worked here. It's not hard.

Located just off Bedford Ave, it's in walking distance to everything you want in terms of food, cafes, bars, etc. The front desk staff was great. Good gym for a hotel. Nice rooftop bar with good views onto Manhattan. Recommended.

We arrived Thurs 8/10 & left Sun 8/13. The part of McCarren Park this hotel fronts is concrete. There is no view of green. The pool is immediately visible upon arrival. It's at the far end of the lobby. So, not a great first impression but ok. Then, hard to believe but someone else had checked in under my name. A gift bag (We were in Brooklyn for a wedding.) was not in the room that we were eventually shown, #504. I doubt it was the room that we were supposed to have which the reservation said was to be 295sf. The room was so small, it was barely large enough for one person, let alone two. It might've been ok for one night but we were there for three The following issues were resolved quickly upon request: switch plate replaced (large corner missing), night stands detaching from wall (a drawer fell out of one & a water bottle slid off the other.), no cups in the room - not paper, plastic or coffee. We ran out of energy so didn't request an ice bucket, a coffee maker or a bed throw without a hole in it. In general, the room was minimally furnished, equipped & "housekept:" no drawers for clothes except 2 small ones below closet floor, no towel racks for bath towels, tiny bathroom sink, gritty bedroom floor. Clock radio didn't work. Waste paper basket was not emptied the 1st day, On the 2nd day, a dirty glass was not replaced or washed. Positives: fun graphics, convenient location, comfortable bed, great light, pretty wallpaper, good towels, good bathroom shelving, good water pressure & shower head, black out curtains. Reception gave me the the missing gift bag after dinner the first evening. Employees were all pleasant & helpful, especially Martin & engineering staff. The continental breakfast at hotel restaurant "Oleander" was not complimentary, despite what we both heard Martin to say. Only coffee was free. Even though we had a fabulous time in Williamsburg, we will never return to, nor recommend, the McCarren. A generous credit on the cost of this room - $396/night + 19.88% tax - would give us a reason to do otherwise.