One Of The Best Luxury Hotels In New York City

Had a great three nights at the Iroquois, and a special shout-out to the amazing desk staff who helped me at the last minute to print a talk I was giving - they couldn't have been kinder. There's a lovely speakeasy in the back of the hotel which is well worth a visit - kudos here to Kyle and Amadou, who were not only great barkeeps but who also kept the place moving and the tone light even when faced with the occasional demanding customer. I loved all the staff I met at the Iroquois and their friendliness and professionalism really set this above some of the other New York places I've stayed. I'll be back!

I travel quite a bit and wanted to share a few of my experiences at the Iroquois NY. The Good; *The Iroquois Suite was a nice size for being built in 1902, in midtown New York. The furnishings were decent and the bed was nice although. The room could use a refresh. The location was great for our needs and the room was quiet enough in a very busy area. The hotel is historic and interesting! I would love to do the walking tour on Thursdays. *The Bellman was excellent! He was there from check in to check out and everyday in between. Always nice and helpful. He could train a few others in customer service and was the highlight of our stay. The Fair; *Two public elevators. Elevator #1, only holds 2 guests and not much luggage. Elevator #2, is somewhat larger and can be slow especially during busy times like check-in, check out, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and before the theaters. Don’t be in a hurry and a little patience goes a long way. Start early before your event and the slow elevators won’t be a big deal. At times both elevators are fast enough for our needs. The Bad; *The expensive mini bar snacks and full fridge of items for sale took up to much room and left no room in the full fridge for my medication. Why have a small refrigerator taking up space if the guests can’t use it?? *Don’t let the “complementary breakfast” fool you. It isn’t free! They give you a slight discount card with your room but then you pay the majority difference. The Restaurant service was terrible with many service employees in need of training. They circle around like a pack of birds, but don’t know what to do. In my opinion is because they aren’t trained in Restaurant service. The breakfast was fair to poor. I am including a picture in my post of the food. Also they seem to hide from you when you are ready to go. I had to ask for my check several times. Don’t be in a hurry because they sure aren’t. Don’t get me started on the way they pack everyone in like sardines because the dining room is so small. My guest couldn’t even fit between the two packed tables in the back corner which seemed to make the cranky hostess angry. There are many other dinning options in the area. The REALLY bad; *Hit and miss front desk representatives. A few were very nice and helpful in the afternoons but several were over the top rude and short for no reason. This is not normal for a Hotel of this quality. *I had a problem with the front desk on the phone before I ever went to the Hotel, but the manager intervened and everything worked out for a slightly early 1pm check in. It seemed like a really big deal for them to check in slightly early, where as most other hotels don’t have a problem with it if the the room is available or the guest is willing to pay for the early service but here it seemed to anger them. The representative on the phone acted insulted that I had the nerve to ask. *At my check out, early in the morning I asked the young man, desk agent about an additional $8.00 charge on my bill and it turned into an argument with him aggressively telling me that he had “No idea,” and to ask at the restaurant that wasn’t open yet. He was insulting and of no help at all. Then there was another young man, employee at the same time that kept patting my shoulder, touching me trying to put me in my place like a bouncer at a cheap bar. He made me feel uncomfortable! Totally inappropriate!! At the end of the day I paid the questioned $8.00 in with my almost 4 thousand dollar bill but will consider other options when I come to town in a few months. It is not unreasonable to question an erroneous charge on my account it is however, unreasonable to get angry about it and keep touching the customer trying to put them in their place. It is not a business practice if you want customers to come back. I believe these two are trying to sabotage the success of this Hotel. There seems to be a disconnect from the quality top management and a number of the employees in maid service, food service and the front desk.

Location is excellent, but this was a disappointing experience. Restaurant and bar was always understaffed and service was poor. I could never get someone to pay attention to us to order drinks or sit down for breakfast, drinks took a long time, and in general this was not remotely a luxury experience. Very overpriced for what you get. For a better deal and service, stay at the Jewel on 51st.