The Towers at Lotte New York Palace

My first impression was bad, as the service in the check-in was very poor. Basically dismissive, rude, and confusing. Not what you would expect in a five star hotel. However, the offer through Amex was good, the rooms are comfortable, breakfast was great except for some waiters who rush you. Had a couple of technical issues with the room, but were eventually fixed. Concierge was able to get me a difficult reservation, and the hotel car service is very useful, you just have to make sure to reserve it. Overall it was a good experience, but it could’ve been excellent if I hadn’t had such an awful experience at check-in.

Location is good, and housekeeping does a good job with keeping rooms clean. Front desk staff seem nice when they are there. However, the dedicated check-in service that they brag about on the website is not available if you check in in the evening. The rooms are outdated, and the bathroom is cramped. Beds need replacement. I am writing this review from the hotel as I lie awake in an uncomfortable bed--the bed frame is wobbly, so any shift in position makes the whole bed shake. There is no coffee maker except by request. One elevator has been down during most of our stay, so getting in and out is time- consuming. The only difference I can tell between the room in the Towers and the rest of the hotel is that the rooms are on a higher floor with a dedicated elevator, but this does not justify the nearly double room rate. The room itself is more on par with 3-star property.

From Palace Dreams to Motel Reality I had been looking forward to staying at this hotel for years. I’m a huge fan, and I’d never had the chance to stay here before. Sadly, this will be my first and last time. I booked it because it’s recommended by American Express and it looked like a palace. Instead, it turned into a HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I arrived with a tight schedule and a full list of activities planned. The moment I went to take a shower, I was shocked the shower walls were covered in hair, clearly left from a previous guest. It was disgusting, something I had never seen in any hotel. To make matters worse, there was what looked like a dried drop of blood stuck to the sink wall. Completely unacceptable. I requested a room change, which ate into my schedule, but they moved me. Later that night, when I came back to rest, I realized the AC barely worked and New York was unbearably hot. I was so exhausted I didn’t even bother to complain. I spent the rest of my stay in a room that never cooled down properly because I simply didn’t have the time to go through another change. And frankly, I didn’t want to deal with the complete lack of hospitality this hotel showed from the start. For a property with this reputation and price point, the experience was unacceptable. Cleanliness, comfort, and service should be nonnegotiable and this hotel failed on all three. I’m someone who happily pays for a quality stay, and I was shocked to find that what I expected to be a high-end experience felt more like staying in a roadside motel