This hotel has received the worst reviews that I’ve ever read. Period. They are so terrible as to be comical, and yet, since my mother booked this hotel for our five-night stay in New York City, non-refundable, without checking with me first, it has caused me no small amount of anxiety.
Right across from Penn Station and Madison Gardens. You can see the entrance on the right.
Hotels are so expensive in NYC that when this pop-up ad appeared in her browser, and she saw that the Hotel Pennsylvania was centrally located (it is mentioned in reviews often that reviewers consider the location the only good thing) and the cheapest deal she could find, she booked it.
I’ve shared this hilarity with friends and family members, who have taken to reading the reviews regularly. The amazing thing is that the bad reviews keep coming. This isn’t a one-time thing. They appear every day. My pal, John, sent me this morsel:
First time in NY for business I was so disappointed. It was DISGUSTING !!! Most of their personnel were not pleasant except one guy (who didn’t seem surprised I wanted to be reimbursed)!… My room was a non smoking room but I found cigarette butts next to my bed…. The room was sooo dirty as well as the bathroom (rusty, dirty, moldy, towels with old hairs in…)… I was meant to have a “renovated” room, the photos on the website were nice but apparently a big JOKE. I can’t even believe a hotel like that is even open… the hallways smelt, dirty windows (I could hardly see out my window), thin walls! Met a girl who had a RAT in her room !!! Everyone I spoke to wasn’t pleased… Seriously do not stay at this hotel !!!!
In fact, this is a recurring theme. Not in every review, but say every 15 or 20 or so, someone has had a rat in their room. Or more often they try to check into their room and there are still people in it, or it isn’t made up, or they were unable to resolve a complaint with the staff, or they were really, really disturbed at the dirt or how run-down the place is. I’ve been singing snippets of ‘Hotel California’ in the days leading up to checking in (‘such a lovely place, such a lovely place… you can check-out any time you like but you can never leave’).
So, here’s my review: the hotel is huge. In fact, it’s the fourth largest hotel in New York City with 1,700 rooms. It has a huge lobby, which is clean and shiny, but with so many people in it at all times, it looks like a train station.
There are often lines out the door to check-in, hundreds of people, apparently, who are too tired from travelling to try their luck with the automated check-in machines. I’d heard that the rooms on the upper floors are renovated and marginally better though others have said don’t pay for an upgrade, because it’s not worth it. A friend suggested bribing whoever was at check-in for a better room.
Instead, there was a short line when I checked in (exactly at 3pm, hoping I’d have good luck). I laid out all my charm, and dropped the hint that it was my 82-year-old mom’s first time in NYC and boy, were we excited! The woman at check-in recommended a fifth floor room, which would have bigger beds. I did ask whether the top floors weren’t more comfortable but she said the fifth floor was fine.
Ascending one of the dozen elevators (necessary, with so many people; sometimes there’s a wait to get up and down, and we often needed to wait for an elevator with space), the floors of the hotel are a bit rundown and certainly old style.
In the dim light, I can see what reviewers say about it looking a bit Bates Motel. The effect is added when you find these weird metal shields on each door. What are these?
The area around the bathroom door is damaged and ugly and there is some damage inside the bathroom. I had to wipe off a bit of either mucus or blood from the shower curtain and wall. The shower has had the opposite problem to the other hotels I’ve stayed at in NYC. Instead of there being too little pressure, this one is so strong, I’m surprised to not have to call out search and rescue to find my mother who has been washed away into the Hudson River. But there are no rats in the room.
And there are nasty marks and damage around some of the walls… and there’s a terrible smell in the hallway and in the entrance to the room, perhaps some disinfectant, or something else. But there are no rats in our room.
And the windows are so dirty, it’s hard to tell the weather outside. And I had to clean the window sills before I could put anything on them, because they were dusty and dirty. But there are no rats in our room.
The walls indeed are thin. The neighbours on the first afternoon felt like they were in the room, and then again… at 3am. But miraculously, after that, we didn’t hear the neighbours at all. And there are no rats in our room.
And then, consider: the room is big. The beds are at least double beds, perhaps short queen-sized. Mom’s bed is fine. The mattress on mine is uneven and squeaky. But the TV is big and it’s a perfectly fine place to spend time when not exploring the city, and even though the hotel literature says that you have to pay for wireless, they give you a password, so it’s free!
Also, a rather big surprise. I was expecting the fitness centre to be terrible (just because) and it’s big and functional. You can apparently also use a nearby fitness centre for a nominal cost.
The wonderful thing about having one’s expectations lowered so much is that you’re happy when the worst doesn’t happen. So why so many terrible reviews? I can guess that when people have OK experiences with the hotel, they are less likely to review it. The sheer number of people coming in and out means that there are a lot of people who may give the place a bad review. It’s such an international clientele here, that I wonder whether the Indians and Spanish speakers and Europeans would be less likely to either leave reviews at all or use the same review sites (I’ve been mainly checking Trip Advisor).
In any case, for the price, and because there are no rats (or bedbugs) in the room, I’m happy with our stay here. As reported, the location is perfect. Easy to get trains, to walk everywhere, and to get to Newark Airport since it’s next to Penn Station.
Would I recommend it? Hell no! But hey: There weren’t any rats in the room.
On the other hand, there are rats all over NYC
NYC is a city of extremes, that’s clear, and it applies to food too. Blink your eyes and you’ve been served a plate of greasy carbs, the size of your head, or stumble, without much planning, into a restaurant that offers ridiculous culinary pleasure.
We went totally Chinese diaspora in the ordering, and thought we’d ordered way too much, but hey, we’re good eaters. The egg crepe with cod roe and green tea mayonnaise was amazing. The jap chae lovely and unctious. The tofu and vegetable stew was delicious. The cod pancakes were amazing, almost like a cod omelette, mostly cod, very little batter. Loved the pork belly dish with spicy kim chee and picked radish. The crowning glory was the Korean Fried Chicken. I’d had quite a bit of KFC in my time, but this was the best. Light and crispy, super tender, and some mysterious spice. Really crispy in an addictive way, but without tasting over-battered. Not sure how they do that.
I stumbled across this 
Each dish was delicate, with flavours and textures that were slightly unfamiliar: sunchoke with oyster mushrooms and orange, sea bass tartare, lotus root, chili oil and sesame , I think every dish elicited an outward expression of praise. The octopus was a favourite (photo at the top), not only because it was so pretty. And we even made space for dessert: ginger panna cotta with grapefruit and a strange granita spooned over burrata with lychee yogurt and candied walnuts.
What is Soul Food? I wasn’t sure but I wanted to try some. Alphabet City in the East Village seemed closer to Kips Bay than Harlem, so I headed down to Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter at 94 Avenue C.
I was glad that Bobwhite’s had space for me, and I grabbed a seat at the counter. It’s a very simple menu: chicken, catfish, a few sides. I grabbed me the catfish with a pinot grigio, and it came, as you can see with a perfect biscuit, and I chose the macaroni and cheese which was perfectly tasty. The catfish surprised me: it tasted light and delicate and was delicately crisp. With lemon and the tartar sauce, it was yum.
And all up, this was rather cheaper than most expensive meals I’ve had in this city, $20 all up for a generous main and a glass of wine. Soul food is obviously just good for the soul. So glad I found this place.
The NYC dining city is so dynamic. I can’t believe that a few places that I’ve just casually dropped by at have only been open a few months. Things seem to change here by the week… I had seen a listing for Street Taco on Yelp. with pretty good reviews but a bit mixed. Still, on a Wednesday night, a bit late, looking for something to eat, I felt like grabbing some of the Latin American cuisine that, while getting popular in Australia, has a flair here that I don’t think can be matched.
To start with, their cocktails, on tap, are sensational. For $11, I tried both of them. One was a watermelon and lime mixture with tequila. It had a crazy punch of both alcohol and flavour. Scrumptious. The second (because the first was so good, I had to try it) was a spicy margarita. Equally good, but different flavours.
For the other tacos, they were perfect proteins, with coriander and spice, sauce, lime on the side: barbecued lamb, pollo asado and chicken tinga. All the tacos are $4 or $5 and I only ordered 3 to start with. And I wasn’t hungry after I finished them but they were SO GOOD I had to try 2 more.
I’ve had noodles from Yunnan before, both in Yunnan and at a little restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown. The noodle is called Mixian and it’s a spaghetti-shaped rice noodle.
We couldn’t get into Momofuku’s noodle bar after drinks at Huertas (I could have expected that) but this place, on a corner, looked fun, and we didn’t know how newly opened it is.
They were pleasant and interesting.
Cosme has caused a big buzz, apparently. I can see why: sleek, chick setting, and a modern interpretation of Mexican food.
The earliest lunch reservation we could get was for 1:45pm, though it didn’t seem completely packed when we arrived.
The Arctic Char, tostada, elderberries, yuzu and avocado ($21) was a perfect dish. Very lightly cured fish. Great combo of crunch and soft.
My better half was not as impressed with the Huevos rancheros, refried black beans, mushrooms and queso fresco ($24) and thought it a little weird. I quite liked the fancy interpretation of something I’ve had in diners. Perfectly poached eggs, interesting mushrooms, fresh cheese.
The duck carnitas, to share ($34), were recommended, and were a standout. Fresh corn tortillas, and nice garnish but the star of the dish: a melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked duck.
No room for dessert. The (rave) review in the NYT classified this restaurant as expensive, so escaping for $135 for the two us was as good or better than I expected.
The service was attentive and efficient. We liked this place, yes we did!
So, the main reason I wanted to try Momofuku Milk Bar is that I wanted to see how my homemade version of their Crack Pie stacked up to the real thing…
Various folks, like the Brown-Eyed Baker, have a 
In any case, while I like the oatmeal cookie crust, and the kind of buttery pecan pie or butter tart sort of filling, the taste of the real thing told me the main thing to do: cut smaller pieces! It’s really rich, and as I was serving up big slices, I think it was a bit overwhelming.