We stayed one night at Hotel Wales. We arrived from the UK and had a few troubles with the booking made by a third party. The hotel staff were not very helpful, in that they wouldn't call the UK themselves or let us call them from our room, which was a bit awkward. Also they would not call within NY to book a restaurant table (although they did this for a more regular guest).

The room itself was a good size, spotlessly clean and the bathroom was newly decorated, and there was complimentary fresh tea and coffee in the lobby. We slept very well, plenty of options for dinner and breakfast nearby.

There was a business/computer suite but only the first 15 minutes session was free. It was $6 per 15 minutes thereafter. WiFi connection was not free of charge.

Small things like complimentary WiFi would have made the stay better - bed and breakfasts we stayed at in upstate New York managed this with no problem.

Overall the staff were very friendly including the lovely doorman, but I felt that this hotel was too business-like for a holiday stay.

By best friend lives in NYC and I live in Richmond, VA. I travel there quite a bit and have found this to be my absolute favorite hotel in NYC. It's in a great location - upper east side - really close to the park - away from all of the major attractions. The room is small but perfect. The bed is super comfortable. The linens and towels are of high quality. The bathroom is AWESOME! The hotel has an amazing roof top. Every time I've been, I invite my NYC friend and a handful of her NYC friends over to the hotel to have wine on the roof. It makes for a perfect evening! I could not recommend this hotel any more!

I love love love the Hotel Wales!!

Sits the Hotel Wales. it is a bit out of the way but fun to see how New Yorkers with families live. Most of the private schools are in Carnegie Hill so the neighborhood is loaded with families, kid friendly restaurants and clothing stores. It is a bus ride to mid town but a lovely one down Fifth Avenue. Fifth Avenue is one black from hotel!(Ask concierge where to get a "metro card" to make life on public trans easier!)
The hotel is old, the rooms not anything special but the staff is lovely and the price is right! it is also nice to come home to a quiet neighborhood after a day of sightseeing bustling NYC!

We felt we drifted back in time when we walked into the lobby to this classy, elegant hotel. By no means does "old" come to mind. No stuffiness here. Dark wood furniture, warm tones and class all around. Cute quaint kitchen, large living room with a fireplace (for esthetic purposes only), queen sized bed with soft pillows and comforter. Small bathroom but we didn't mind. It was cute and clean. Bath soap smells heavenly. Complimentary coffee and tea all day. Hot cider in the lobby during the holidays. Sarabeth's kitchen, which is a well known brunch institution in NY provides the room service as well as the breakfast for the hotel. The big downside to this is that you MUST make a reservation for breakfast, even on a weekday. We weren't notified of this when we inquired at the front desk and it ended up being a 45 minute wait but couldn't go as we were limited on time. It was a big disappointment for me as I was really looking forward to it and had breakfast vouchers and couldn't use them. There were a few options in the neighborhood so we didn't leave hungry. Would definitely return!