I was in New York this weekend for the Seido Karate 36th Anniversary Benefit Tournament. I'll post more on my trip later (and more on the tournament over at Sky Hand Road), but I wanted to share the hotel review I sent to Expedia, about my time at the Milford NYC. May its warning help prevent others from experiencing the same frustration...
Most frustrating hotel experience I've ever had
Posted October 22, 2012
Near Times Square and the theaters. If that's where your business is, it might be worth the hassle; mine was elsewhere.
I'm not the world's greatest traveler, but I've been around. I've stayed in extra-tiny hotels in Japan and hostels in NYC and festival campgrounds where there were only portable toilets and a handful of showers, and never had a complaint about lodgings...until now. I hope that I never again experience a stay as frustration-filled as my two nights at the Milford.
I'll skip the annoyance of charging $15 a day for wi-fi (in the 21st century that's as asinine as charging for heat in your room), the elevator system from hell, and the disappointment of a recently renovated room having an open electrical junction box and magic marker bleeding though the new wallpaper (get better contractors, guys), and get to the heart of the matter: a ONE HOUR wait in line to get to the front desk.
When I first arrived, there was a 20 minute line to check in. That was frustrating but not fatally so. But the next day I had to get a replacement keycard at the front desk, and waited in line for an hour as the incompetent desk staff slowly, slowly, slowly checked in arriving travelers. It's taken me less time to pass through customs and immigration checkpoints.
On top of that, a problem with the water pressure entirely denied me a hot shower the first night, and kept cutting out after that. (Plumbing tip: when you have uncertain water pressure, don't use push-in diverter valves that rely on pressure.)
For over $250/night (including tax), I expect low hassle and functioning showers. This sucked.
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