My stay last week at the Flatotel NYC began with me arriving at midnight after a long flight, and after calling in to confirm my room that day. I arrived and was ignored at the front desk for some time, until the front desk person got off the phone. When I told them I am checking in, he walked away and told me the manager would be with me soon. About 5 minutes later, the manager appeared and told me THEY HAD NO ROOM FOR ME! I had a confirmation number, I called to confirm that afternoon even! But they sold my room. They had a room for me at the Courtyard Marriott in Harlem (I was there for work - and our offices are in midtown, so the Flatotel was walking distance.)
It was almost too late to be enraged, but I went to the other hotel - they paid for cab fare there and back, and told me that for the next night, i would have an upgraded room. I shudder to think what the regular room looks like, because the upgraded room was bare-bones basic and gross. I spent very little time at the hotel, as I was busy for work, but when I checked out after my first (what would have been second) night stay, I asked the door man to hail me a cab (mind you, I had my luggage with me that no one helped me with) and he told me that I'm better off going to 6th Ave. to find one. WTF?!?
All in all, my experience was not great, and when they sent an email for an online survey to be filled out and I clicked the link, it sent me to the wrong web site. It is clear, they don't care about their guests - nor do they have to with their prime midtown location!
