Astor On The Park Reviews

I found Astor on the Park a very pleasant place to stay. The view of the Park from the front (which I saw both covered in snow and in all its green finery!) was lovely. The staff were very helpful and the hotel's proximity to the subway was a great asset. An ideal spot for a New York visit!

Louise Acheson, Dublin, Ireland
Group of Young Friends/Couples

I had read some reviews before going, and it worried me to think what I could be staying in !.( I think some of the people's reviews I read were rather harsh)When we arrived though it was lovely. The staff were very helpful and curteous. They looked after our bags for us, as our room was not ready when we got there as we arrived early morning. The room was just right for what we needed, as all we did was get ready and sleep there as we were out all day. The room / bathroom was very clean and tidy. Although no restaurant in the hotel, there is a nice little deli just up from the hotel which we snacked on for the first night as we settled in.
The subway is only a couple of blocks down from the hotel or you can just get a cab in to town, either way it only takes minutes to get there.
So if your looking for a decent hotel with pennies to save then you can't go wrong !!

sarah fry, stanwell, middlesex
Other

If your staying at the Astor on the Park do not expect anything extravagant.

From looking at the pictures on the net it looked basic but clean enough and fairly modern. The reality is more old fashioned and cheaply furnished.

We had a twin room with two double beds, the room was actually tiny. There was three of us, myself and two of my girls friends. There was one tiny wardrobe which was totally impractical for us so we ended up living out of our suitcases for the week.    Also, you couldn't open the window, which meant that the room was quite stuffy at times. The air conditioner was ok though, but noisy.

Also, the hotel seems to lack some general maintainence. In our room there was some exposed wires from wall plugs and the shower head was hanging off the wall.

I have to say the cleaning service was the one good thing about it. We had fresh towels and the room totally cleaned everyday.

The hotel is really far up on Central Park west, it only three blocks from Harlem, which is not a great area. If your getting a taxi from town, as we did at night, it will cost you about $15 with tip. I would suggest that if your thinking of staying on Central Park West try and to stay between 100-200 Central Park West, anything further will mean alot of walking.

One final warning for anyone using phone cards from the hotel, make sure you dial the 1800 toll free number on the back of the cards and not the Manhattan code number. My friends got stung with this and ended up being charged $137 by the hotel in local call charges. I found that quite expenisive considering they were local calls and the fact they had already paid for a phone card.

There is not much to see outside the hotel, there is a deli that we found good for bagels at breakfast just a block up on the left when you exit the hotel. Apart from that I suggest you find food around midtown.

Overall, we got used to the hotel by the end of the week but it's not somewhere I would recommend or wish to return to.

Angela McGarry, Manhattan, New York
Group of Young Friends/Couples

Travelled to new york for the marathon nov 2006.Hotel was fine for what we needed somewhere to sleep. Room was small,bathroom in need of maintaining,but fresh linen each day. Staff very friendly and helpful.No tea/coffee making facilities in the rooms although they were available in the lobby area. At the far end of central park a very long walk to anything so take your walking shoes if you dont use subway or buses.Excellent airport transfer service.

anne bell, wales/uk
Mature Couple (36+)

This hotel was ideal for a short stay to Manhattan. The staff were friendly and helpful. The bedroom and en suite were clean, and house keeping was very good. The room we had was a bit small but we just wanted to sleep there so it didn't bother us but may not suit others.( not a lot of room for shopping bags!!)
The subway was only a couple of blocks away so we were downtown in about ten minutes. It was lovely to have Central Park just opposite as we are not city slickers and the bit of greenery was refreshing in the mornings when we stepped outside.
Definately great value for money here!!

Amanda McMahon, Waterford, Ireland
Young Couple (18-35)

We were looking for a budget hotel close to Central Park for a weekend stopover to see the sights of New York & found the Astor on the Park & booked it. Then we read some of the reviews and wondered about our choice? It turned out to be OK for us. The location is good. We had a room with a view, but the windows needed cleaning. The rooms are small (as expected), but we were only there to sleep. The staff were friendly and helpful. Would we stay there again? probably not, because next time we will be staying longer.

Gordon Duzevich, Dubai
Mature Couple (36+)

Having booked the accomodation before reading the reviews, I decided that if I expected the worse I may be pleasantly surprised. Indeed I was quite pleasantly surprised.

My friend and I pulled up in a cab at about 8pm, Central park is right opposite the hotel, though it is more the Harlem end of the City. But that was good because went to 2 good restaurants in Harlem. Native and Amy Ruths as featured in Time out. The Apollo Theatre is also that end of the City.

The Hotel was reasonably priced and the cab driver commented that we must have got a good deal, I presumed it is because its not in the heart of Manhattan.

The twin room we had catered for our needs as we were only there for 4 nights. You don't go to New York to stay in doors, so Im glad we stayed at Astor and saved a few pennies because Manhattan aint cheap. The bathroom was clean, and we were provided with the usual towels and complimentary toiletries.

It's a basic hotel but a good base to enable you to explore the City. The staff were ok, they gave us directions to places. There are some good breakfast venues around the corner.

The subway is 2 blocks away which was really handy. You can get to all the main attractions quite easily on the subway from the hotel.

The only things that I point out is that reception are a little slow to respond to outside telephone calls,

If you go in early Autumn the heating may not yet have been turned on so if you feel the cold very easily bear that in mind;

The communal stairs are a little jagged and uneven;

The lift can be a little in demand and hence slow.

So perhaps more a venue for the more mobile traveller whose not afraid of a basic hotel. Prepare yourself for that and trust me you won't be disappointed, you may even be pleasantly surprised.

Michelle Smith, east london
Group of Young Friends/Couples

I arrived at the hotel on 12/9/5 - tired & hot having walked from Grand Central.  Not knowing the street number of the hotel I tried walking all the way but gave up and jumped in a cab.  The two reception staff on duty were extremely pleasant and friendly & made me feel welcome.  My room was adequate, no view to boast of but clean & everything in working order!  I did not realise (until reading someone elses review) that the hotel is newly opened, in hindsight that explains the planks of wood on the staircase (which had to be used when the lift was being maintained) - anyone slightly dodgy with walking would have found the stairs extemely difficult to cope with.
The receptionist on the following morning was very patient and helpful in explaining the best way to get into town by subway and which train to catch and also provided sufficient maps etc for my use.
On the whole my stay was fine, however it may have been better if they had waited until all the decorating etc had been finished.

Alison Loader, Wallasey, Wirral, Merseyside, England
Solo Traveller

I arrived at Astor on the Park a couple of days after opening. The reception area was fine (as in the pictures) but when I got to my room, there was no duvet/cover on the bed, the carpet was full of paint marks and the wardrobe was placed right in front of the window! Strange I thought!- not that there was much of a view anyways. When I originally saw this hotel advertised. it was claimed as 'Home away from Home' - hmmm anything but! I asked to change rooms and the room I got was slightly better. Clean and comfortable, rooms were made up every day with fresh towels etc. If you are in NY you don't spend much time in your hotel room then this is perfect, but if you are wanting a few more luxuaries away from home then I would not suggest it. There was no fridge, tea or coffee making facilities and certainly no room service. There is a little shop down the block but not all that much to choose from. To be honest I would have spent an extra $50US a night to be more central with a few more luxuaries for the price.

I heard one couple at reception saying that their phone was not even connected and they were having problems with their shower - not working.

To be honest many a teething problem, as with most new properties, and I would possibly give it a few more months before staying here to get themselves sorted out.

The people were friendly enough and would bend over backwards for you.

Emma Graham, London
Solo Traveller