Very mixed feelings about this hotel. On one hand, the location is absolutely amazing! Its near Empire State Building, walking distance to Public Library, Bryant Park, Grand Central, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre, Macy's and of course 5th Avenue. Also, the hotel is new and very well maintained, the furniture/elevators are all new, the hall and lounge are very clean. The Room Service is great as well, they are very quick and thorough ( they change bedsheets daily, clean bathroom and organize toiletries really well, stack minibar, fold clothes etc). On the other hand, the service is a let down. There is usually only one receptionist at the lobby (sometimes two), so when you finally get at the hotel after a day of traveling, be prepared to wait for your checkin. Also, be prepared that because the only receptionist is alway very busy, they could simply forget your request (we requested room-service in the evening, and after we came back to the room an hour later, they apparently forgot about us. As it was already very late, we had to stay in the room while they cleaned it, very awkward). Also, due to a very minimalistic design, there is only one couch in the lobby (beside the lounge/restaurant), so if thats taken, you have to stand and wait. There is also an option of a personal assistant, who are very helpful by email. However, once you are at the hotel, it takes time to get hold of one. Usually there is only one personal assistant present (sometimes none) and you always have to wait in line between 10 and 25 minutes. Then, there is also a Michelin Star restaurant. Well, the long seating and overpriced dishes might be alright for a dinner, at least it is expected. But this is also the only option if you want to have an early breakfast. And that is truly terrible. We always want to start our day with a quick and full breakfast, to go on with our tours and sightseeing. However, there is no buffet, only a very limited menu, and it takes ages to serve 4 people for omelets and coffee. Thankfully, there is a cheap-looking, but a very good breakfast cafe at the corner near the hotel, with many delicious sandwiches, panini's and pancakes. Also, due to a very minimalistic design and somberness I wouldn't recommend this hotel for the holidays season! (and that is possibly the biggest letdown). At last, the hotel is very pet-unfriendly, this is perhaps not the strict policy of the hotel, but of the US, so if you are from Europe, I wouldn't recommend taking your pet with you.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
January 10, 2013
Dear Guest,
Thank you for your feedback during your recent stay with us. We are always appreciative of any comments provided. We truly regret that you had a waiting time at the Reception/Personal Assistants Desks and that you found seating in our Lobby area limited. We are aware of these challenges and are working on improvements in the immediate future.
Regrettably, Ai Fiori restaurant is not owned or managed by the hotel. For breakfast, we do offer several alternatives: room service or Bar on FIfth (while we typically do not open the Bar area before 8am, we always make exceptions and can offer any room service item to be served in the Bar).
The Hotel is very pet friendly. We accept all pets - under 25 lbs - at no charge. New York City law prohibits however, any pet, from entering an area that serves food and beverage. I would very much appreciate receiving additional comments regarding your experience with your pet.
Thank you again for your time. We wish you a wonderful new year and do hope to see you at The Setai Fifth Avenue in the future.
Sincerely,
Anne-J. Maurice
Director of Sales & Marketing
anne.maurice@setaififthavenue.com
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.