Gatsby Hotel, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member

We decided to stay at the Gatsby after finding it on Priceline. I think it was around $ 120 for a double bed room, which for Manhattan seems like a steal. It’s a block away from the F train so it was really easy to get here and easy to get to other parts of the city.
The hotel screams «crowded, urban city» inside. There’s one elevator, the hallways are tiny, and the rooms are quite small. However, everything was clean, the shower was hot and had great pressure, the beds were comfortable enough, and they did have all the standard things (iron, soap, etc).
There was road construction going on right outside of the hotel which woke us up a little after 7am. While it’s definitely not the hotel’s fault, it is something to consider if you plan on staying here soon!

Here’s a REAL review based on my FOUR nights here.
Facts: first off I’m reviewing from my bubble bath. Too bad I don’t have a hotty in my tub to play submarine with me…
For the record. I did get put in the C level room closest to the intersection the first night. Yeah, it’s below the street but we needed 2 queens for my olé roommate and his gap the next night so I paid for the upgrade and well worth it. So don’t be cheap and pay few $ for a room with 2 beds. Key term
–it’s clean, nicely refurbished, comfortable beds, fair price
–Hotel staff were EXCELLENT on all encounters
–Centrally located, near subway, Whole foods… huge benefit
–park view out most of the Windows
–no bars next door, so that means at 3am there isn’t 50 people out in hailing cabs, honking and general craziness out front.
I witnessed this out in front if the Bowry Hotel Friday night.
Blows my mind when people give shitty review for a business when the issues that are out of the control. For example, traffic outside the hotel, people or walking the street, construction. What else do you expect? NYC is one of the most highly populated and busiest cities in the U.S.
People that review based on things like that should be banned from Unilocal or at least options to put them low. I think Unilocal does this. I’ve had a Unilocal for years and now I’ll start using it and reviewing business with legit issues.

First, I want to say the people working at the desk were very friendly and the room was very clean.
That said, this was the worst night of «sleep» we’ve ever had in the city. If you decide to stay here and are assigned a room on Level C, understand that C means cellar. All of these rooms have windows at sidewalk level, so you will hear every person talking who walks by. If you’re as lucky as we were, you’ll get one of the rooms facing Houston St. There, you will be treated to loud people, tons of traffic noise, vehicles running over large metal plates in the road all night (ga dunk ga dunk ga dunk ga dunk), and lucky to have an alarm that sounds like chainsaws working outside on a Sunday morning. Yes, construction workers using a chainsaw. Literally, within 10 feet of the room. We had the AC running on high fan AND a white noise app on my phone and it didn’t make a bit of difference.
So, if you stay, be sure to take whatever sleep aids you have ahead of time and get ear plugs. You’ll need them.
Oh, and the rooms are tiny with full sized beds. Not any bigger. It was fine for us since we just needed a place to crash after going to a couple of shows. But we wouldn’t want to stay any longer than that.
We won’t be returning. Ever. A «boutique» hotel, this sure ain’t. It’s laughable they use this term. Stay in Chelsea if you want that (which, looking back, would have been a much better choice).

Just my first night here. The room is just right and the bathroom is a good size. I miss the amenities of a big box hotel but the customer service is great. I have to rave about Jessica at the front desk. She is amazing– super helpful and friendly.

My mum and I recently stayed here for 3 nights and wished it was more. It was small but cosy big enough for the both of us. The location is amazing with whole foods and Russ and daughters right down the street. It is so close to the subway also. It was clean and fresh we would defiantly recommend this hotel to anyone wanting a small but fresh and clean space whilst they are in NYC. Anthony & Jessica at the front desk were awesome and we will definitely be back.

Comfy floors, I fell asleep on them on my 25^th birthday.
Convenient and clean low-​cost hotel.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY! The room was so small that the trashbin and coffee machine were hidden inside of the night stand and the bathroom was so small that I opened the bathroom door it hit the sink. «Ms.Fiori» is suppose to be the hotel manager BUT IS NEVER THERE and is «too busy» to talk on the phone because the idiot who is funding this horrible business decided to open up ANOTHER HOTEL and put her in charge apparently. Room number 702 IS IN THE BASEMENT and directly outside of room 702 window was construction being done at 3 in the morning. Hotel staff was so incompetent they had no idea what to do. To end my horrible stay, there was no hot water so I left and took a shower at the gym in my office building.

Rebranded as the «Gatsby Hotel». It looks like it still sucks (I can see it from my apt. window). I called to book a room two months ahead of schedule for family and asked for a particular sized bed (15 minute conversation about family visiting in a couple of months) but the IDIOTS booked the room the very next weekend. Not thinking that the idiots would make such a mistake, I didn’t look at my email confirmation until closer to the date I thought I had booked for. I would’ve booked online but the website was not updated with the right dates. After spending hours on calls going through the manager and woman who helped me (and took notes), ZERO customer service — no refund, no credit, nothing. I gave up. Avoid it like the plague — use
to get a deal on an actual hotel, not a hole in the wall.

This review is two stars given the fact that they don’t have a working elevator and I was on the sixth floor. And their wifi was terrible.

I would say this hotel was a solid 3.5, but Anthony at the front desk bumped it up to a 4. He was amazing at check-​in and helping us get settled in. I was bummed I didn’t get to say bye to him after our 3 night stay and thank him for his help.
At an average of $ 115/​night, this was an amazing deal for it’s location! Yes, the room was tiny, but it kept me nice and warm during the light snow storm that occurred during our long weekend trip to NYC. The bathroom was more modern than I was expecting — it didn’t come with conditioner which was fine for me since I brought my own but I guess it’s an issue for some people. Free Wi-​Fi is always a good thing too. You are walking distance from some great spots including Katz’s Deli, Russ and Daughters & Dominique Ansel (cronuts!) as well as easy access to subway stops. I prefer to stay in this area since my super cute nephew is less than a mile away but it’s also nice since you are far away enough from the hustle and bustle of the Times Square area. I will definitely be checking this hotel the next time I’m in town.

I would definitely recommend this hotel for people who are searching for a clean and low-​cost hotel in NYC. The guy at the front desk was beyond friendly and gave me about a million free coffee vouchers for the very conveniently located huge Whole Foods across the street. Plus, it’s in a cool neighborhood. The rooms are tiny and there’s basically no closet but beggars can’t be choosers, right?

Seriously disappointed.
Unilocal reviews led me to expect much more. My room was literally in cellar of building (hence the «C» in front of my room number). TV broken, light broken, curtain cord ripped out of wall, and «window» directly facing noisy street, below street level.
Front counter unable to move to another room as the only available room was right next to me in cellar, and the person had moved out due to «overwhelming smell of smoke» (front counter’s words, not mine).
The rooms on the upper floors may be better, but I’d highly recommend checking to see that your room number does not start with a C.
The staff was very friendly, but the hotel itself leaves a LOT to be desired, no matter what the price.

My husband and I stayed here for three nights this last weekend, and it was our 2^nd visit. We love this place! The staff is always friendly and helpful. The hotel is quiet and clean. The rooms are definitely tiny, but we aren’t in NYC to hang out in a hotel room! The beds are comfy and so are the pillows. We were on the 4^th floor last time and the 6^th floor this time… on both visits it was very quiet. We love the location… easy to jump on the subway, walk to Little Italy or Chinatown… Chelsea isn’t far. We prefer the feel in this part of town! It was raining on Sunday night and we wanted to get out, so we caught a movie at the theater two doors up the street… great little movie theater that shows Indie films. There’s also some great little bars with a low-​key feel in them. We will be back for a third visit!

Stayed here on 1÷12÷13 — The check in guy was super friendly, the room was clean and neat. Great location. Great price. Will stay here again I’m sure.
side note 1. Falafel food truck next door was great late night dining
side note 2. Went to grab breakfast the next day at whole foods next door — we were spoiled by the good service at the GEM — service at the whole foods was so crap we left before getting a chance to buy anything.

Stayed on a Saturday ¹⁰⁄₂₀₁₂. Great Stay!
Excellent location. Friendly staff and manager. Upon checking out the manager Aaron greeted us and asked about our stay, very personable and professional.
Clean and efficient room. Slept great, comfy bed and pillows. Stayed on the 5^th floor very quiet. Seemed like we were the only two on the entire floor. For the price, this Gem can’t be beat!

We stayed two nights here. I booked it because it was… um…cheap…
When booking I asked for a room far away from the elevator.
How silly, nothing is far away from the elevator. And guess what… they put us right outside the elevator.
But I guess they fill up fast, and the price was right.
The rooms ARE small. But they use every inch so you have room to place your stuff, but you will have to place yourself on the bed.
The bathroom was clean and we got 2 sets of towels.
When I walked into the bathroom and saw a little bar of unwrapped soap on the sink ledge I thought uh oh.
But they do have bath soap and shampoo dispensers on the wall of the shower/​bath. But I prefer a bar of soap and those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner.
If you like them also, bring your own.
This was a good budget deal, and I might stay here again.
If you ask they will give you a coupon to park your car two blocks away in a lot.
So instead of $ 30 a day you will only have to pay $ 26.
Oh I should mention, no Direct TV or HBO, you have to pay for it. But free Wifi

This hotel is kind of my favorite budget-​traveler hotel in NYC. I’ve stayed at this location a few times — once when it was a Hampton Inn (or something like that) and now with it’s latest reincarnation as «The Gem.»
The location and proximity to awesome eateries, bars, grocery stores, etc. really can’t be beat. I mean, all the delightful places of 2^nd are less than 10 blocks away. Momofuku, Peels. Ah… Biscuits…
Another fabulous asset of this hotel is the actual possibility to find free parking within walking distance. Oh yes. Free street parking. By no stretch of the imagination is it going to be easy, but if you look for it, you can probably find it within 3 – 5 blocks.
The rooms themselves are minimalistic and yes, small — be prepared for some careful maneuvering if you’re traveling with 3 – 4 people per room.
Big pluses in my mind: Always accommodating and overall just nice people that work there as well as the in-​shower dispensers of soaps, gels, etc.

For what it is, where it is, the GEM Hotel SoHo[1] is a good value.
Space is a premium in Manhattan, and they’re no exception. Rooms are basically bright walk-​in closets with comfortable beds (no bed bugs) and clean baths (good water pressure). Free Wi-​Fi. Aside from the ghetto HVAC unit mounted on the ceiling, rooms aren’t too shabby.
This venue is Metro-​accessible and near eateries both touristy (Katz’s Deli, Russ & Daughters, etc.) and not. If you need to crash for not a lot of dough, look to the GEM.
[1] Actually in the Lower East Side. Figures they’d market themselves in SoHo; after all, they advertise themselves as a «boutique hotel» — both words are stretching it. At least they’re not a Travelodge; the desk staff are actually friendly.

Courteous service at the registration check-​in counter received and rates are reasonable.
The bed linens are pinstripe white sheets with corresponding pillow shams and beds look like they were from Pottery Barn. Indeed, the room are small with very minimal space for maneuvering especially if there are three plus people in a party yet clean with a modern vibe of ample lighting. The bathroom is also clean with only the bare essentials of bath soap, shampoo, body lotion, towels, toilet paper, facial tissues, and built-​in hair dryer. There are no other additional essentials of tooth brush, tooth paste, mouth wash, et al provided to guests. Due to size restraints The Gem Hotel is should be renamed to The Gem MOTEL, albeit it is slightly a step above motel level.
Ordinary with nothing out of the extraordinary… thus not a GEM.

This place is a real GEM. The EMPHASIS indicates SARCASM because what I meant by GEM was THE WORST HOTEL I’VE STAYED AT IN RECENT MEMORY.
FLAWS:
1. The widest area of floor space in our entire room was between the toilet and the toilet paper. To be fair, you had to reach for the toilet paper from the toilet. Why, when in every other hotel, you have toilet paper next to you for easy access? A child would have to call to his mother two feet away on the bed to have her get the roll for him. Meanwhile, the mother could hop from the bed directly into the bathroom — I’ve seen closets bigger than our room, the closet of which, incidentally, consisted of a few hangers on a bar behind a skinny mirror.
2. The bathroom was dirty. When the bathroom is only twice the size of the area between toilet and toilet paper, it should be cleaned properly. It would take 48 seconds to clean other guests’ hair off the floor.
3. The lobby is smaller than one of the rooms and contains three chairs and one staff member. We waited for quite a while to check in, as the one staff member was dealing with three guests who were unable to check in due to an error that was, of course, not GEM’s fault.
4. The GEM is NOT in SoHo. It is securely in the Lower East Side. The way the above staff member dealt with the above guests? He directed them to a room at the other «midtown» GEM location, comfortably in the neighborhood known as Hell’s Kitchen.
5. The room telephone has separate buttons for front desk, concierge, etc. I called them all at 10:30PM on a Friday to reach the one staff member. No one/​he did not pick up.
6. There was complimentary wireless. It was the worst connection I’ve dealt with since the 1990s. It made me want to hurl things across the tiny room.
7. The tiny room cost over $ 400 a night. I’ve stayed at luxury hotels for half that cost. GEM bills itself as a «boutique.» Being a small hotel does not make you a boutique any more than being in the LES puts you in SoHo. Boutiques are cute. If they’re shitty, they’re at least shitty with character.
I guess I should balance my review with a couple positives:
1. The bed was comfortable.
2. I’m at a loss. I guess, there were no monsters under the bed. There was no space for a monster to hide. Between toilet and toilet paper would have been too apparent.