Hotel Beacon

Let us get one thing out of the way: Manhattan IS expensive. the number of people in such a small space along with the "exclusivity" drives up the price. This property is located parallel to Central Park close to the lake, a few 100 meters from 72nd subway so in terms of location it is extremely good. Originally the room we stayed in had a price of 6000SEK/night .. my friend had a deal on booking.com and we paid half that; which while expensive is more reasonable/realistic for central NY. There was an air of pretentiousness in the reception staff - with the exception of the luggage concierge (Amilyo I think, sorry if I misspelt your name!) who was personable and friendly and kept asking if we were from Germany :D The other staff .. everything was a paid upgrade: a high floor.. that would be $75 extra .. late checkout by an hour .. not possible apparently, but we could pay for another half day.. Staff aside, the lobby is fairly cramped with two small elevators serving the guest rooms. Our room on the 7th floor had a little kitchenette with a bar fridge, a decent view over the street and a tiny bathroom. The bathroom was a bit of a disappointment; the shower curtain was not fully inside the bath the first time I used it resulting in having to sop up the water on the floor with the towels. The toilet flush sounded like a plane toilet and therefore could not be used when the other was sleeping .. the shower was tepid for the first 5 minutes or so before finally warming up. I get it, its an old building with quirks so these are minor gripes. The beds were comfortable, there was a clock radio with an old-style 30pin iPod connector (shows how long since the equipment was updated). The coffee pod from the machine in the room was awful. Hotel was fine with us leaving our bags for an hour or so which worked out well. I would stay here again I think, but not at full rack rate as that is just obscene. Read less

Not our first trip to NYC, but first as a family from the UK. We didn’t stay in a refurbished suite, but we were lucky enough to stay in a room so quiet we almost forgot we were in a big city, so good for sleep. It was a great size compared to other hotels in NYC we’ve previously stayed in and had a bit of character to it, rather than a super modern box room. Kitchenette was great and just what we needed for in room snacks. There’s so many great places for food nearby, plus a couple of supermarkets. An easy walk to midtown or to the subway, or just for hanging out locally, especially for families. We arrived back late after evening events and it felt very safe walking back to the hotel. All the staff are super friendly and great with children too, I can’t fault the service or our stay in any way. It’s a real gem in the upper west side. Read less

We had stayed twice before at the Beacon, and it didn't disappoint this time. Excellent space, comfort and quiet in a 1 bed deluxe queen suite, with great amenities. Staff were unfailingly pleasant, efficient and helpful. Special mention to Sonia who was our main housekeeping person. And to Swapna Sharma, who went out of her way to show us a larger suite for us to consider for our next visit. The sense is that ALL staff have the same highly customer-focused approach, and it shows. As another example, we had a minor plumbing emergency, and a staff member responded within 60 seconds to fix it. Followed up quickly with housekeeping staff to ensure everything was as it should be. The guest laundry on level 5 is fabulous for a longer stay. Means you can pack lighter. Much has been said about location, and it's all true: great access to the subway, wonderful cafes and restaurants, Central Park, Beacon Theater, Fairway supermarket/deli and Citarella across the road, etc etc. Some minor criticisms - bathrooms a bit small, hot water took ages to get hot [sometimes] and the rooms need a refurbishment [some flaking paint]. But I understand that is underway. Overall, Hotel Beacon remains fantastic value in a superb area of Manhattan. Read less