It is almost twenty years now since I first stayed at this hotel in NYC. Since my first time there, some things have always attracted me to this place. Its location, its small hotel ambiance, its very comfortable and practical rooms, the option to use the kitchenet in the rooms.
But, this time, some details seem to have changed and I am concerned for the future.
It is true that, this time, we had the big storm Sandy to worry about. We were in NYC on October the 30th, 2012. Everything went OK in the Hotel. We thanked God we were in this location, where some wind and rain were the only things we felt.
However, something was different, from the first day. The Hotel looked a little bit outdated. The staff a little less efficient. The door bell staff could not find a package that had arrived for me one day before my arrival and I had to be somewhat insistent with them. When it finally arrived in my room it had a tag of the San Carlos Hotel on it!
I had no internet for most of my stay. Nevertheless, if I had not complained they would have charged me, and it is not cheap to have some access in the rooms . The room had a falling cupboard door that was not fixed. The heating in the living room of the suite was not working and had to be fixed. Last but not least, every night there was a somewhat disturbing movement of people in and out because of the new bar at the 30th floor. The lifts were always full and, sometimes, I had to wait some ten minutes to take them along the day.
I fear the Kimberly has changed its operating policy. It reminded me of the San Carlos, the hotel just in front where I stayed some years ago and did not like. In view of what happened to my package, I supposed both hotels have the same owner now. I still find it a good place to stay in New York, but something seems to have been lost. It does not look like a luxury hotel anymore.
Room Tip: Avoid the 30th floor (too noisy at night), some rooms look old.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
January 7, 2013
Dear Guest,
We are sorry that you felt that things have changed at the hotel. We just underwent a $12million renovation which was completed at the end of 2011. Even our lobby has had the first phase of its renovation, so do let us know which room you stayed in so we might take a look at it.
We also regret what happened with your package, but if it was tagged for the San Carlos, it is likely that it was sent there in the beginning or that we put it back in the group of packages which arrived to the wrong address. The Kimberly and The San Carlos remain two independent properties, sharing only proximity.
During Sandy, we were fortunate not to have lost our services, with the exception of our internet which was down for a few days. We apologize, but unfortunately, we had no control over this. We are thankful that internet was all we lost given that so many suffered such severe losses during that time. As a result of Sandy we were also fully booked as families from downtown sought refuge in midtown and stranded guests returned from the airports after their flights were cancelled. In spite of the fact that the rooftop has its own elevator, the hotel itself was at capacity, hence the pressure on our elevators.
We hope that you will choose to visit us once again in a time when we are not coping with such a devastating disaster, so we might help you to enjoy The Kimberly and all her improvements over what you saw twenty years ago.
Best Regards,
Marcia Skyers-James
Director of Sales & Marketing
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
