On The Ave NYC

Now called NYLO, this hotel used to be a clean, affordable, yet sophisticated option for business professionals, adults, and families. Our company placed a number of our remote employees and creative talent in this hotel when they visited, but since the buyout by NYLO, we have received complaints about a decline in quality, and my recent stay confirmed this.
I had to request twice that maintenance fix a broken sink in my bathroom and ask four times to replace a broken coffeemaker. I was assured each time these problems would be fixed while I was out of the room, but they weren’t, and there was no record of my requests, so I had to field maintenance twice late at night when I wanted only to go to sleep. On my third night, a group of college kids with their own sound system moved in next door and held a party late into the night, throwing objects against my wall and running around in the hallways. A letter of complaint sent to management went ignored; I was offered no compensation for my troubles and management did not care that my company would no longer use them as a resource because of this visit.
The hotel continues to be clean and well located, but NYLO has stated in press releases that they are less interested in keeping business clientele and more invested in attracting younger guests who, from what I can tell, care little about other guests and cause damage. The hotel then assumes guests will put up with this damage, and I guess college kids are really just interested in unsupervised shelter for the night.
It is a real shame, since this was once such a great find. The establishment looks like a hotel but doesn’t much act like one.

Good things: location and a comfy bed. Negatives: Tiny lobby as they are in middle of renovating. Hard to even find the entrance to the hotel. Overall lack of communication from the hotel staff in terms of cost/​billing. The rooms are small and cheap. Modern looking, but cheap. No mini fridge. Additionally, our room did not have towels, tissues, or glasses for water. The temperature control unit is an AC unit in the window. Yes, the kind you would buy at Walmart.
The staff was indicating the renovations would be completed in September 2013. I’m sure the hotel will be much better by then. However, there is still so much renovation to be done, it’s hard to believe it could actually be complete in one month.
The hotel was full. And there are two elevators to take care of all guests. The elevators are slow and even more slow. I finally stopped waiting for the elevators and chose to climb and descend from the 10^th floor via the stairway.
Overall, this place was pretty disappointing. But I did sleep well as the bed was great. And, again, location is hard to beat.

I booked a last minute flight for a conference in NYC last week. I scoured Airbnb, Trip Advisor, etc. for last minute deals (looking preferably for something under $ 250), but seeing as how I was leaving the next day, the options were severely limited. Luckily, my wife found this place and within 10 minutes, I had a room booked.
Most of the other people have covered the highlights, sot I’ll just say this: I had a fantastic experience at this hotel. When I arrived, the guy at the front desk greeted me and told me that I was lucky because they had to upgrade someone to the penthouse suite that night and it’d be me. The views from my room were incredible, as was the décor. Honestly, given the price and location, you couldn’t find a better place to stay.
The $ 15 WiFi and slow elevators were annoying, but not enough to deter me from giving it 5 stars. It was (sadly) the highlight of my trip. I will likely stay here a lot more in the future.

Yes they are remodeling the lobby… I know the elevator is annoying but it will be fixed.
They go out of their way to make up for it in other ways. Front desk was very friendly and helpful. I reserved a room for my parents stay. They apologized for the chaotic lobby by upgrading my room to a beautiful modern suite. Wi-​Fi is free. We had my dog there and they waved the pet fee.
I will definitely reserve again in the future, even with the downstairs situation.

It seems like most of the recent negative reviews of On The Ave are referring to problems related to the construction going on there at the moment. Although this did restrict the size of the lobby, I can say that in no way was my stay disrupted by construction.
The staff here is very helpful and even offered me a free password to use the wifi (which typically incurs a charge). Our room was recently renovated and featured a lovely modern style with newspaper print curtains, an industrial style sink, and brightly colored «school locker» style cabinets in the bedroom area.
I’ve only stayed in one other hotel in Manhattan before (I usually stay with friends), and compared to that one our room at On The Ave was extremely spacious with high end finishes. The flat screen tv was huge, as was the extremely comfortable king size bed. Along with ample closet space, I was very very pleased by our short stay here.
The location is golden, close to Lincoln Center, The Museum of Natural History, and great restaurants. Also, during the day there was free orange water in the «lobby» area and in the morning we were greeted with free Starbucks coffee (with stacks of Starbucks cups and Tazo teas alongside). I appreciated these thoughtful little perks, especially since the construction can be a distraction for some visitors. They are definitely trying to make up for it!
AAA offers a great discount on rooms, which we were able to utilize and save a good amount of money. I’ve noticed that Unilocal also has a deal for this hotel, and considering these benefits, I would definitely pick On The Ave for my future NYC hotel needs.

The check-​in experience at the front desk was like going into a construction trailer. No doorman or bell staff to speak of. I’m sure the place will be nice once construction is completed but in the meantime it’s very depressing. The elevators are slow. There’s no room service at all. They charge $ 14 a day for wifi access. It’s hard to find a decent hotel in New York that doesn’t have room service and free wifi. The room was spacious but the windows were so filthy you couldn’t see out of them. The bathroom had plastic cups. The tv was mounted on the wall completely off center and crooked.
We booked this hotel for four nights and could not get out of there fast enough. Finally found another hotel and left the next morning. When we left, the front desk staff was very unpleasant. There are too many nice hotels in New York to waste your time on this one.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOO!!!
Terrible experience from start to finish. No lobby to speak of as they are performing construction. How did this impact our experience?
1) No ramp to get into the building and a lonely lift that had no clear indication of how to use it. This was further amplified by the fact that there was NO DOOR MAN for the entire weekend. So… if you were elderly, disabled or were baggage laden, you got roached.
2) Felt like we were in the the third world when we walked in and out.
3) For some reason of the four elevators in the building, they only used two. This meant constantly full elevators ALL THE TIME. Essentially, you either waited for 15 minutes for a lift or used the stairs. Thank GOD we were on the fifth floor.
All of this might have been understandable if they had discounted rates during the construction, but the place was as expensive as the Belle Claire which is right across the street… and let me tell you, the Belle Claire is a better choice.
One other annoyance… I arrived at the hotel (early — so I didn’t expect a room to be ready), I just wanted to drop off my bags so I could go to my meetings. The man at the desk would not allow me to leave my bags because the room was in my husband’s name (even though we have the same last name). He said it was for security reasons. However, my husband arrived 45 minutes before me and just handed his bag to a bellman who never asked his name. Yay for consistency!
Never again.

I notice that many of the 5 star reviews about this business seem to be prior to the renovation. This hotel is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods on the Upper West Side near many vegetarian and natural restaurant options (peace food café and beard papa.) Also, near Barney’s, Fairway and a rather large and lovely Barnes and noble. The list of fabulous things nearby is really long. Plus, it’s located near the 123 trains for easy access to Columbus circle and Times square. You can even walk to many museums and the planetarium.
On to the hotel itself. First Let me say we stayed here a year ago before the renovations and even though the décor was a tad worn, it still looked better than the new style they chose. I’m not fond of the attempt at industrial décor. It feels as if your renting a room in an apartment rather than a comfy hotel. It’s not at all lush and inviting. The halls are painted dark gray which makes them seem even more narrow than they are. So, if you plan to lounge around the room then you may not like it here.
They put us in a very tiny room that smelled overwhelmingly of paint. When we asked to move they accommodated us. The manager even called to check on us the next day. The first room wasn’t all that clean with hair on the floor and next to the coffee maker. The second room was a little better. I read one review about the beds being like Westin beds but that is not accurate from my experience. The Bed felt no better than a futon mattress with polyester fill pillows on top. Our room was drafty but the heater worked well.
They also have doormen but they were rarely actually at the door to open it.
Because of the location I will probably have to return. It may not be as comfortable as I prefer but it’s in a great neighborhood and it’s better than some.
There is a safe, coffee maker and updated flat screen in the renovated rooms. Ive posted photos for more details on décor etc. They offer wifi for a fee.

pros: clean and neat, decent (though boring) part of the city, reasonable pricing
I’ve never experienced a hotel staff so useless, unhelpful, and incompetent.
When I checked out, I asked if they’d applied a 10% Unilocal discount. The woman clearly had no idea what I was talking about, but just said «yea its on there.» I reviewed the receipt, the advertised rates, and my cc statement — it’s totally NOT on there. I tried to give her my email, so it would come directly to me — but she cut me off before I had the chance and sent it to my colleague anyway.
Why haggle over a discount? Well, there were extensive renovations taking place that actually inconvenienced me… like the fact that only 1 elevator was working, and it was painfully slow. So yea, I think a reduced rate is in order. Oh yea, and I see from other reviews that the elevator has been out of service SINCE 2011!!!
At 730am, I checked out and immediately realized my cell phone charger was left in the room. I called at 830 am and spoke to someone in Lost and Found who took my name, phone number, and room number. He said he’d check and call me back. None of THAT ever happened. Then when I returned at 6pm to check again before my train, they had NO IDEA about the issue. I got a call later with an excuse that someone else was already IN the room, so they couldn’t check. If they’d taken care of that at 830am, this wouldnt be a problem. Can I afford another charger? Absolutely… but how inconvenient was it for me to travel on business without any access to phone and email. WHAT A NIGHTMARE!
They also ***billed me for 2 days of valet parking, when I didn’t even have a car*** Nice. I tried to call and ask about it. The phone rang and rang before giving me a busy signal! A what? A BUSY SIGNAL… in 2013. I didn’t even know those still existed.
Now on to the less important snobbery…
–scented candles in the lobby are overpowering (and I’m not even sensitive about that)
–room décor is tacky and cheap. I’ve seen mid century modern done well, and this is not it
–my shower leaked all over the floor and i had to use every spare towel to sop it up each night
–the shower head was placed at an awkward angle that sprayed water all over the side of the shower, roughly 18 inches over my head
–the hallways are impossibly dark and everything is dark gray
This place SUCKS. I was not impressed. I’m annoyed that I paid the same rate and didnt rack up any Marriott points. FML
AND NO FREE WIFI

Previous reviews have mentioned most of the obvious likes and dislikes, so I figure I will run down my list:
Likes: Clean, away from tourism, VERY nice staff, modern décor, doorman, close to central park.
Dislikes: Away from tourism (lol, the con to this is the drive to get to main shopping areas, etc.), hard to get a taxi because of side street entrance, restaurant at hotel is not good, can not charge bar charges to room, no room service, slow and creepy elevators.
*Be sure to tell them not to put you in the famous, ridiculously small corner room. Previous reviews mentioned this room. It is THE SMALLEST ROOM I HAVE EVER LAID EYES ON! We had this room the first night, and once we called and complained the moved us with no problems… uh, the next day. They gave us a coupon for 2 glasses of wine at the bar, but I really felt there should have been more. When you arrive at a hotel, tired from the journey there — noone wants to have to sleep in a closet. This room is NOT pictured on any of the websites, so beware!

Why does this place have 5 star reviews? This place is a dump. Halls smell funky, elevators are dirty, carpets and walls have stains and marks on them, and giant bags of dirty linens and the housekeeping carts were left in the hallway outside of our door all day. Couldn’t believe when I came back to the room at midnight that they were still there. I know it is NYC, but you cant even shut the door to the bathroom because it is so tiny. Everything in the room was dusty and there were hairs strewn about the room. Ew. This place is NOT worth the price. Spend a little more and you can stay at a much nicer place! The only saving grace was the nice gentleman at the check in desk who gave us free wine vouchers for messing up our reservation and the gluten free pasta at Serafina.

Great hotel! The location can’t be beat and the staff was very accommodating. We had some trouble getting a roll away bed one evening and were told there weren’t any available. The manager personally visited our room to apologize for the inconvenience and gave us vouchers for free breakfast. Then, when we got back to the room after going to the theater, there was a roll away in our room! Great service.
Housekeeping did a wonderful job keeping our room clean during our five night stay, and the hotel stored our bags after checkout, so we could enjoy our last day in the City before flying home.
The only reason I can’t give this hotel five stars is that they really need to replace the carpet in the penthouse room we occupied. It was covered in stains and was really inconsistent with the rest of the hotel, which is very well maintained and classy.

Best location in NYC. I felt like a local vs. tourist and the subway is just a few
blocks to everywhere. The queen size beds were extraordinary along with
the comforter and pillows. Bill Kahler, assistant front office manager couldn’t
have been nicer and accommodating. Ramona, who checked us in made us
feel like we were at home. All in all an excellent experience.

My only complaint is the misleading address and name (I spent ten minutes toting luggage looking for the entrance).“On the Avenue” is in fact located on the south side of West 77^th Street near Broadway. Anyway, please vote me up if you couldn’t tell that from Google maps; I saved you ten minutes of wandering ;)
Besides the above, everything else about On the Avenue was superb. The staff was pleasant and efficient. The room was large (for NYC), clean and very comfortable. Got cozy on the rooftop deck with a glass of wine and enjoyed the view with a friend – not the most objectively stunning view of NYC’s skyline, but we decided, charming: a perspective from within, rather than above or without.
Very «New York.»

I’m deducting a star for the non-​resopnse to a couple of emails that I sent to their general email box and to the concierge. I had questions regarding parking and amenities. Either the email went to my spam box or the concierge must have been busy or on vacation. The other down side of the hotel was the elevator availability and speed. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s a tolerable wait. But, if you need to use your room water closet and you’re in the lobby, well, use the lobby facility instead.
The hotel is in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The rooms are small. They have a wonderful flat screen TV in the room, but the TV clarity was spotty/​fuzzy/​hazy. You can plug your iPhone or iPod into their small radio/​alarm too. I didn’t check out their Wifi as I have a Clear/​Clearwire dongle. There are ample retail stores, grocery stores, coffee shops and restaurants all within minutes of the front door of the hotel. This is a BIG plus. Century 21 is a few blocks to the south for an incredible discount shopping experience. Lincoln Center is several minutes away as is Columbus Circle. Both locations are easy to get to from OTA.
The check in/​out was a breeze and the reservation associates were friendly and accommodating. The air conditioner worked perfectly even in 99 degree heat.
If you do park on the street, be sure to read the street signs as NYC cleans their streets on specified days and times of the week.
Will I be back? Yup, I’ve found my new hang in Manhattan!

This hotel would have been a 4 star review in my book except that once I arrived to this hotel after a late night flight. This hotel had plumbing issues where they had to shut off the water line. No water for 26 hours. Can you imagine what I was thinking?
After being irrate down in the lobby, the staff told me that they can’t do anything about it except gave me 2 bottle of water to shower or flush the toilet with. It was already to late to switch hotels so had to endured the 26 hours with out even being able to get a complimentary upgrade or night.
Upon arriving to my hotel room, my room was bigger than what I expected it to be. My room was very comfortable and finally I had a good night sleep. The décor of my room was modern with a small flat screen t.v. and a small refrigerator. BTW, there is no safe in the room and no hotel bar if you are curious.
Overall, this hotel was quiet enough where I was able to get a good night sleep each night. There are 2 different elevators for different parts of the hotel but it was decent.
Would I stay here again? Possibly but I would need to make sure that there’s nothing wrong next time.

My first time staying on the upper west side and I thoroughly enjoyed it with On The Avenue NYC boutique hotel! I was able to catch a deal during January for 2 nights for a total of about $ 210, which is actually pretty cheap for NY and at a really nice hotel compared to all the other 1 – 2 stars in times square for more expensive. Better yet, I was able to get an upgrade by tweeting!
My flight was a red eye, which I ended up taking the training from JFK to the hotel. I arrived around 9am and luckily, I was able to check-​in super early to wash up on my day’s worth of foodie adventure! My room was on the quiet side away from the construction, which unfortunately faced the walls, but that’s okay since I was barely in my room and needed the peace to study for my interview. It was a very spacious room, which may vary from the others, but I had no complaints on my end since it was more than enough room. I loved the modern bathroom, which made you feel right at home with the marble and steel sink. One thing to complain though is the loud AC/​heat system, which you can control of course. The room came with a long desk, a sofa, a bed, nightstands with ipod player, and lastly a fridge with snacks/medicine.(of course at a charge so don’t be fooled!)
The service was on point and very welcoming. There is a computer area, where I was able to print out my boarding pass the night before. I didn’t get a chance to check out the rooftop bar, but I will next time. Don’t forget about the coffee refreshments in the mornings in the lobby. The lobby is gorgeous and very modern. The hotel, did I mention, is about a block away from the American Museum of Natural History and from the subway! Just beware that there aren’t that many subway lines that go up to the upper west side.
Great find and I wouldn’t mind staying here again!

Decent hotel.
The pillows are way too soft, and the hotel has the disadvantage of the construction in the large pit across 77^th Street, which starts fairly early weekday mornings.
The lobby is very modern. It’s worth noting that I really dig the lit up Brooklyn Bridge images in the elevators, too.

I struggled with giving this 3 or 4 stars. In the end, the hospitality was so nice that I have to give it 4.
Bad news first. No restaurant. I called the front desk to see if they could send up a spoon for my soup and they had none in the whole hotel. Clueless girl checked us out.
Good news: The rooms were really nice and just a short walk to central park. Besides that, lots of good. I flew in very early (6am) booked the hotel from a starbucks up the street and was super jetlagged and tired, worries bout how i would kill several hours till check in. Well the manager held my bags and checked me in super early! found a clean room for me and were very accommodating. complimentary coffee tea in the foyer/​lounge as well as free wifi: D YAY! nice bedding high thread-​count sheets nice lighting and hardware. Great view, cute rooftop patio and lil gym. over all my experience was great due to the fact that the manager was so nice.

One the Ave sits across from a 24-​hour diner — but manages to stay quiet — and is mere blocks from Central Park. There’s convenient subway access, and those with sweet tooths can hit up Beard Papa’s (the only one in Manhattan).
Scored a room at a discount, receiving a complimentary upgrade upon check-​in. The room was large for NYC, and well-​appointed, with a mini-bar[1], plenty of outlets, and free Wi-​Fi. Décor was warm and modern, oversized frames holding tiny photos, plus an abundance of extra pillows[2]. Comfy bed. Negatives? Fiddly TV controls[3], and a spastic thermostat.
Attractive-​enough lobby, clean, with hip music. Cordial doormen and desk staff. Slow elevators. (Thankfully we could use the stairs.) Besides a fitness center, there were two balconies open for guests to enjoy. There’s no hotel bar, but you’re in NYC: there’s a ton down the block.
[1] Johnny Walker Black, anyone?
[2] We laughed uproariously when we saw hand prints on the headboard.
[3] Your mileage may vary. I am technically challenged.