Recently stayed at the Gansevoort South for a weekend taking advantage of the $99/night special the hotel was offering while under construction. We had two rooms which were nearly identical. One room had a partial ocean view.

Check-in was easy and the desk staff was friendly. The concierges at the hotel were very helpful in providing information about local restaurants and nightlife. The lobby was very nice. I didn't see sharks in the fish tank, but plenty of tropical fish. Free internet access on several computers in the business center, which was great.

The rooms were new, large, very clean and modern. The beds were extremely comfortable. Large, flat-screen TVs, clock/radio with ipod dock, and a cd player with the Gansevoort's own cd for listening. The bathrooms were large and clean with giant shower stalls.

The rooftop pool was beautiful and not very crowded in the morning and early afternoons. Staff was attentive and provided lounge chair covers and towels. At night the rooftop transforms into a bar/lounge.

The David Barton gym is not yet open, so several adjoining rooms have been set up as a temporary gym with treadmills and cardio equipment, dumbbells and several machines.

The "beach club" was deserted and under construction, but the beach in front of the hotel was uncrowded and peaceful. For guests of the hotel, lounge chairs, umbrellas and towels are free. In addition, each room has a beach bag with 2 large beach towels for guest use.

All in all, we were very pleased with the Gansevoort South. We clearly understood that the hotel was not yet finished which was the reason for our bargain rate. But for large, clean and comfortable rooms, an eager (if slightly inexperienced) staff, and a good location on the northern end of South Beach, it was a real winner.

Easily the worst hotel experience I have ever had -- barring the one night in a 5 euro hostel in the shadiest area of Athens, Greece.

Our room was not available at check-in time and had to wait over an hour.

The service was horrible:
*there are no ice-makers on each floor (like most hotels) so you have to call for room service. It literally took 2 calls and AN HOUR to get ice delivered to our room.

*our room was not cleaned (beds made, towels replaced, etc.) until 4p.m.

*LOUD! There was music coming from next door and above/below us both nights until early hours of the morning. It took security about 45 minutes to show up by which time it was no longer necessary because I had already gone to knock on the neighbors' door/asked them to turn music down.

The beach is not easy to get to from the hotel so if you are traveling with older people or young kids it is terribly inconvenient. . .be prepared for long walk and climbing lots of stairs (from 3rd floor pool).

For the price -- including constant tipping and cost of valet parking (not optional) -- definitely not worth it.

The room was very nice with some nice "upgrades" like super water pressure in the shower and an alarm clock in which you can use an iPod. However, these extras in no way over-compensated for all of the inconveniences.

I cannot help but think that some of the positive reviews are being written by insiders.

My husband and I (we're both in our 30s) stayed here for a weekend trip in July. The hotel takes up a whole block, and you can find the Cutler salon, Philippe restaurant, and other shops on the street level. The lobby is beautiful - open, airy, modern space. They have chess, checkers, and backgammon tables on the outer edges. The front desk staff was extremely nice and helpful.

We stayed in a beautiful deluxe oceanview king with a balcony. Oceanview meaning the ocean was 90 degrees to your left. But it was still relaxing to be out on the balcony. As soon as you enter the room, you hear cool music coming from your stereo. There was a desk with two chairs and a sofabed. Our bathroom had a separate shower and tub, and the hotel provides you with Cutler amenties. In the bathroom closet, they have a beach bag with 2 towels (available for purchase) , a yoga mat, and 2 plush bathrobes. We were too scared to accidentally lose our bag+towels at the beach so we didn't use it! There's top-shelf alcohol (Grey Goose, Patron) in your room - in the minibar and also on the shelf above the minibar. When we got back to our room at night, the turndown service had put slippers on either side of the bed, and had turned on our TV and stereo to the music with some ambiant visual effects.

We were at the beach most of the time. The beach staff was extremely friendly and provide you with chairs, towels, and an umbrella (gratis). The Beach Club wasn't open when we were there. There were lots of cabanas and teepees, but they were all within the fence of the hotel (no direct access to beach). We didn't go to the 3rd level pool (lots of kids) but went to the rooftop pool (Plunge) which was adults-only. Anyone can get on the chairs, but to use the cabanas you'll have to cough up $150 - and $400 for the ones that are beachfront. The service was okay - the waitress remembered all our drinks, but because there were just 2 of them, it would take 20 mins to get drinks. And they don't come cheap either. For 4 drinks plus gratuity, it cost us $75! After sunset they turn Plunge into an outdoor lounge filled with beautiful people.

I look forward to returning!!

If you're looking to book at this hotel b/c of 42,000 sq. ft. fitness center and spa advertised on website, stay away! Despite the advertisement on the web, the facility is not yet open and won't be for at least a few more weeks. Nowhere on the website is this explicit; in fact, we were under the impression it was open and ready for use. If you want to work out while staying here though, there's always Room 422 - the temporary gym! Putting aside this problem, the hotel is overall very nice. The infinity and rooftop pools are great. Service is lacking. For any problems you have, go to the concierge staff. They are fantastic and understand that, at the rate you pay for this hotel, you deserve attentive and good service.