This was our second stay at the Casablanca, and it gets better and better. Although pricey, this small hotel is in a great location (just off Times Square), with easy access to local restaurants and theatres, as well as a subway stop that takes you to other neighborhood. The rooms – and bathrooms - are good sized by NYC standards. The décor is done in a Moroccan theme that works. Breakfast at “Rick’s Café” – the lounge on the second floor – was always a pleasure, as was the wine and cheese event held there every night from 5-8 (and which we always made a point of attending, no matter where we were at 4!). We had to ask the staff for help at a few points, and their response was inevitably friendly and useful.

We stayed in the Casablanca Hotel for a week in October ’08 and really enjoyed our stay.

We arrived in a rain storm and were a bit apprehensive when we saw the small door of the hotel on the opposite side to a building site!

We need not have worried – we were warmly greeted and checked in with no problems and we were assured of a quiet room, as we had requested.

Our room (310) was quiet as promised. And it was a reasonable size with plenty of storage space and a safe (which we believe every hotel room should have one). Also the main room light was in the centre of the room and gave good lighting. (Why do the majority of hotel rooms have the lighting at the sides of the room, which can make for dark rooms?)

The bathroom was also a reasonable size and very clean. There was a small set of drawers in the bathroom giving ample space for storage of our nick-knacks – a nice touch. There was the usual supply of toiletries. The bath towels could have been a bit bigger.

The bed linen and towels were changed every day – housekeeping even came round in he evening to check if we needed the towels changed – another nice touch. They also provide a bar of chocolate each evening – much better that the measly bits of chocolate provided in some hotels.

The lounge (Rick’s) turned out to be the hotel’s biggest benefit. It was a quiet haven in the hustle & bustle of New York – you would not believe you were half a block from Times Square.

For breakfast there was a choice of Fruit Salad, Cereals, Yoghurt, Fruit and Pastries, with plenty of coffee (including de-caff). The food and coffee were replenished promptly. The one drawback was that there were only a few tables where you could sit to eat properly – the remainder of the seating was easy chairs and sofas – fine for the wine and cheese, but not the best for eating a bowl of cereal (maybe we are getting picky in our old age!) Breakfast time could also be busy so finding any seat was sometimes a problem.

The evening Wine & Cheese time was one of the best points of the hotel – it is an excellent idea and just right to return to (several) glasses of wine (a choice of white, red or sparkling) and some cheese and biscuits after battling through Times Square. In this case the easy chairs and sofas were just right!

For the rest of the day and evening Rick’s provided complementary Coffee, Hot Chocolate and Cookies – again just right after returning from the theatre.

There is only one PC with internet access in Rick’s and whilst we had to wait a few times this was not a big issue – no-one hogged the PC unnecessarily.

All the staff were extremely helpful. Any problems were promptly fixed (For example, our room was initially too hot – the radiator was stuck at high, but this was fixed whilst were out.) The servers in Rick’s cleared plates away swiftly and made sure the tables were clean. The Lobby staff were extremely helpful and were full of suggestions on where to go etc.

All in all an excellent hotel in a marvellous town!

Some tips:

There is a Post office a block and half up 43rd street – just turn left out the hotel.

There is an Information Office close by: Turn right out of the hotel, then right and it is about three blocks down. You can buy tickets for the Bus Tours here and much more.

For UK visitors, if you are visiting Meadowlands/Giants Stadium, then take your passport if you want a beer. They only serve you after producing either your passport or US Drivers Licence. Even though I am over sixty (and look it) I was refused a beer.

Eating:
Tony’s (right next door) – excellent Italian food – the portions can be large – although the lunchtime portions are more manageable.

The Red Flame Diner 44th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues – excellent place for good non-pretentious cheap food - the soup is excellent – just right for a light meal.

John’s Pizzeria – 44th Street – very good Pizza (although not as good as Santaniellos in Bedford, UK). You can have a variety of toppings on the same Pizza – excellent to share.

Junior’s – for Cheesecake – two locations: Brooklyn (386 Flatbush Avenue) or Grand Central Station.

“Restaurant Row” is on 46th Street between 8th & 9th – loads of restaurants for (almost) every conceivable type of food

I stayed at the Casablanca for 4 nights in mid-October.

I had a room on the third floor, and found the room to be extremely quiet. In fact, I slept better at the Casablanca than I did at the other hotels I stayed at in the USA, even though the others were in quiet rural locations. The room was at the back of the hotel not facing the street, and although this makes it a little dark it was probably the best choice.

The room was a little on the small side, and lacked a bit of draw space for longer stays. However, the wardrobe is big enough, and a table and chair are also provided. After a bit of too-ing and fro-ing we managed to get settled. The owners have resisted the urge to cram lots of furniture in ( a good thing in my view).

The bathroom was nicely finished and was functional, with a full length mirror (yay!), making good use of space.

The standard of décor was acceptable to good.

One thing I would say is that the room was extremely clean when we entered it (and I do look at these things), and was correctly and properly cleaned and tidied each day.

Rick’s café is a nice place to get a cup of tea or coffee. It was about the only place in my trip to the USA where I managed to get a really good cup of tea, and my wife liked the choices of different types of coffee. Breakfast was OK, with lots of tea for me and a selection of pastries. This room was large enough for the number of guests using it, and kept neat and tidy at all times.

All in all, the Casablanca has quite ordinary guest rooms and public spaces. What makes the place stand out are the staff, and I’ll give you some examples.

- The cleaning staff who clean and tidy rooms to a high standard.
- The staff who work in Rick’s Café on the second floor. There was always a member of staff in attendance, making sure the room is clean and tidy, and re-stocking cookies, tea, coffee, and anything else that might run out.
- The staff who work in reception. Check in and out was quick and efficient, and they usually opened doors for us as we came and went.
- All of the staff are bright and cheerful towards guests.
- The manager took the time to introduce himself to us.

The location is pretty good. Personally I don’t like Times Square, but there are so many other places in NYC that I do like that are within a short walk it makes up for it. There is also a good number of subway lines to choose from close by.

On the whole a good choice.

My only minor negative comment is on the subject of value. My 4 night stay cost 2000 dollars (including taxes) which to me seems a little on the high side, but may be quite normal for NYC.

My husband and I spent 5 days here from the 1st of November 2008. From the minute we arrived, the staff couldn't have been more helpful! It was my birthday on the 2nd and we enjoyed the complimentary bottle of champagne left in our room...a pleasant surprise indeed! Our room was ample in size, with subtle touches such as turn down, chocolates and mineral water. Our dinner river cruise was kindly booked for us by the hotel staff. The atmosphere surrounding the presedentail elections is something we will never forget, most notably the Times Square area. We thoroughly enjoyed the refreshments available all day long - especially the wine and cheese in the evenings! We will most certainly be re-visiting with our daughters in tow soon!!