The Blakely New York

I am writing a review on The Blakely Hotel even though I cancelled my reservation with them days before my arrival. I reserved a one bedroom suite as soon as we decided to travel to NYC with my mother and sister (May 2017). Weeks before my arrival I contacted the concierge as I wanted to ask if I could do some online shopping and send the packages to the hotel prior to my arrival. I was very surprised when I received their reply, as it had no heading, no greeting, no signature, it only said the following: Just send it to us and we will store it in our storage closet upon your arrival. I found it odd, to say the least, as I always get very polite replies from the concierge services of the hotels I stay in during my travels. I then decided to contact Reservations as I had read that some suites have Jacuzzis and I needed to request one with a normal shower, because of my mother’s advanced age. To make a long story short, I wrote three messages and I NEVER got a reply from anyone. At this point I decided to cancel my reservation, as it was obvious to me that they care very little about their (future) guests. Two days before our trip I received an email from The Blakely telling me that they were looking forward to my stay with them. I then called the hotel because I had already cancelled my reservation. The person who answered my call told me that my reservation was already cancelled. When I asked him why I had received that email he said that it was an automatic service and I shouldn’t pay any attention to it. Finally, when I came back home after my trip I received another email from The Blakely telling me that they had enjoyed having me as a guest and that they hoped I had enjoyed my stay with them. What stay??? Another of their automatic emails! Needless to say, I do not regret my decision of cancelling my stay at The Blakely.

We stayed here for five nights on our first trip to NYC. The Conzerge service offered by the hotel arranged for us to be met in the arrivals hall at Newark by a limousine and driver who whisked us to our hotel in about 35 minutes. We paid the driver by credit card on arrival at the hotel. The Blakely is situated in mid town near enough to 5th Avenue but without the madness! Our suite of rooms was large with bedroom,bathroom,sitting room and kitchen area. It was very clean and comfortable if a little dated. The hotel staff were unfailingly helpful arranging dinner reservations, cabs and information. Breakfast is taken in The Black Tap which transforms itself into a very expensive beer and burger joint later in the day. The breakfast consisted of yoghurt, bagels, muffins and toast with jam, honey or peanut butter. There is also cake, fruit juice, coffee and tea. Hot breakfast food can be bought. Nearby there are many delis and diners. I would recommend Au Bon pain and Cafe 53 for breakfast and lunch and Remi for dinner.

The hotel is older, but very classy. The staff are very very welcoming and accommodating. We stayed in a one bedroom suite, which had a king bed in the bedroom along with a twin day bed in the living area that doubled as a couch. It has a small fridge, microwave and coffee maker as well. We were on the 11th floor, so street noise was not really an issue. Complimentary continental breakfast was served in the Black Tap restaurant located next door to the hotel. The restaurant's door is opened into the hotel lobby for easy access. They served croissants, muffins, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit. If you want something more, some people were asking if they could special order eggs/omelettes, and they were happy to oblige! In the evenings, there is a line to get into the Black Tap. We found out that they are famous for their ice cream shakes-which are HUGE! You can skip the line by making a reservation through the hotel consierge- just give them at least 2 hours notice. The hotel is in a good location as you are close to Central Park as well as Times Square.

Everything about this place was fantastic. Will definitely be back. You cannot beat the location as it is so close to everything. Our room was spacious by New York standards in a boutique. Marble bathroom, well thought out. Even the use the beautiful robes. was buce The bed was advertised as queen, but it was definitely a king. We even got a view. Understated elegance everywhere. Very clean. Even the soaps, lotions etc were really outstanding quality. It had by far the best continental breakfast that we have ever seen, in or out of the us. And they get you in to the black taproom for lunch/dinner, skipping the line. fyi...it is not worth the line...

Comfy beds, plenty of places to eat nearby and a short walk or subway ride to lots of places. We had a high floor so didn't really notice much outside noise, but this is central town! Rooms dark wood;quite traditional, but ok quality. Bit of a queue to check in etc but kids used the time to bounce on the leather sofas!