Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside

The rooms are comparable to motel rooms. There were stains on the carpet and ceiling in the bathroom. The shuttle service is unreliable. The wifi is spotty. The ticket gate in the parking garage worked only half the time so you had to call someone to get your car out. Pretty much nothing good to say about this hotel. I notified the staff of some of these inconveniences, but they did nothing to accommodate. Poor customer service.

I cannot give the lowest score to this hotel, there were people that were helpful. Room was clean and tidy. The hot water worked. So I don’t want to make it sound like this place was the WORST, but maybe when it came to operations and customer service.
I was traveling for business with 2 other co-​workers. I got there a day early, checked in and gave them my card for incidentals, confirming they have the corporate CC on file for room and tax. They tell me it’s all good, my card only for incidentals, corp card for room. Golden. Same deal for coworkers arriving the next day.
I left a welcome gift for my coworkers at the front desk. A gallon of water (hotel water, yuck) and a box of peeps (IN A FLUORESCENT box). 2 days into the show and I haven’t heard from my co-​workers (with a «thank you») so I asked… nope, they didn’t receive. They had to go and ask and my whole intent to «welcome» them was lost. The did end up getting their water and such.
The 2^nd day into the show we realized our personal cards were being charged. So we questioned it, it was fixed. Once again, it looked like we were golden.
The 2^nd day was also the day that this same coworker was awake enough when he got home (he had been traveling and exhausted the night before) and when he pulled back his covers, there were blood stains on his sheets. Completely disgusting. He checked to see if there were bedbugs, but there was no further evidence. So that means that either (1) we missed the bedbugs, (2) they put blood stained sheets on his bed, or (3) he slept on sheets that a previous guest had used without them being changed. GROSS! They gave him some free breakfasts.
We share a rental car, so if someone needs to use it, typically we leave the keys at the front desk. This happened on the last day. In the morning I went down to the front desk to get the keys. told them my name, after barely glancing around her area said, «no, no keys here». So I asked her to actually look this time, we were in a hurry to get to the airport and i wasn’t really asking «if» keys were there, I was asking her to get them and give them to me because I knew they were there. She again glanced around and said «no». So I explained that they were able to over look 2 gallons of water and two large fluorescent boxes just 3 days earlier, so please, just look. Of course she doesn’t, she goes to get the manager. He walks up, asks me if he can help. I tell him I need to grab the car keys that were left there for me, he goes, «oh, these?»… the keys were right beside the key board the front desk person way typing on. In an envelope, 1^st & last name and a key chain sticking out of the small envelope.
Same morning when it was MY turn to leave… Same young lady at the desk. I waited for what seemed like minutes (although it was probably seconds) while she finished texting on her cell phone. She finally looks up and say to me, «yes». Really? «Yes» that’s a customer service greeting? So I asked to get a copy of my portfolio. After some typing she says, your balance is $ 397 (this number may not be exact, it’s not the point). I said it’s not, that’s why I asked for the portfolio. She said, no, it says right here that your balance is $ 397. I repeated that I had requested her to print it and did not request that she discuss it with me. She stops what she’s doing and says «I don’t like how you’re coming at me.» I’m not proud of my response, but I said, «just like with the keys, if you’d actually do your job correctly, I wouldn’t be having to come at you at all. Just like with the keys earlier. You can’t be bothered. So I’d like to talk with your manager.» She’s in the back room before I even get the line out about her manager. (Same manager as earlier that helped with the keys.)
This guy is on it. But the front desk lady is chirping in his ear about me and what she said, so I asked him to have her stop talking. He prints out my portfolio, says it looks like your balance is zero, it’s all been charged to a card ending in XXXX (the corp card). He suggests that I keep a copy «just in case» — great service and advice.
I hate doing reviews like this, because now I have to do 5 positive ones to balance out my internal scales. But I would highly suggest that anyone going to Rochester try the Hyatt or the Hilton or ANY other hotel around there. It was convenient to the convention center, but it may have been the worst service I’ve received at a hotel.

Stayed here over night from Sat-​Sun last weekend. The hotel is very under whelming. There’s nothing horrible or great about it. The location is good, located downtown (no that there is much in down town Rochester). The rooms were pretty clean and the check in was super speedy.
If you are not looking for anything fancy and just staying a night or 2 this place will work. They do have an out door pool during the summer, but is January so I cant give any reviews on the pool.

Shabbyish room but not too gross, AWFUL TERRIBLE wifi. If you need data don’t come here. Staff is friendly and helpful and beds are sleep number and cozy but 2^nd to a clean comfortable bed I want fast internet. It would take 9 hours to download a movie to my iPad here just as an example. I had to stay here for work but outside of that I’d never suggest this place to anyone.
Um I forgot to mention that their ghetto «gift shop» wanted $ 4.00 for one small Rice Krispie treat. I mean, even in Manhattan a hotel wouldn’t try that.

We came for the NYE party it was unorganized with horrible hors d oeuvres and very few girls serving them while we all stood I. Line waiting for the party to start when we walked into the room with the bar if you want to call it that we were hit with a smell of poop and for the price we got well liquors and they had no pineapple juice for drinks we were served liquors that I had never heard of before. The line waiting to eat dinner was so long and you ended up waiting 30 minutes to reach the Buffet. And let’s talk about breakfast powered eggs that I heard another guest say was like eating slop the sausage was raw the bacon was so hard and dry the only thing good about this breakfast was the fruit and orange juice. They also had no one serving water and let’s talk about the room we had a stains on the window dressing that looks to have been from a water leak we asked for a river view room and the girl gave us a room on the opposite side our room was without a full size mirror and the bed sleep number what a waste the think was like sleeping in an air mattress that went flat. We also had no champagne toast at midnight at the end of the night they brought in pizza but you had to pay additional for it and it went quickly. when you charge people 409 $ for a party the least you could do is serve real eggs we will not be returning next year for there party

Five stars for the staff! Very accommodating, friendly and capable. Even the shuttle drivers, while waiting for passengers, happily assist guests with questions and such. Bartenders at Legends were excellent as well.
Rooms are good sized, clean, and well applianced. The room I was in could use a little updating, tho. The bathroom is fine, but shows signs of its age.
Overall, for the price (under $ 100), it’s a steal!

Pro: Beautiful view. When the TV was not working, maintenance came quickly.
Con: Incompetent staff at first sent us to wrong room, and then stated no kings available and sent us to a «double» but it had a king. Air Mattress (sleep number bed) was worst bed I have slept in. Lack of attention to detail such as peeling wallpaper, mildew in shower, and flaking faux wood cabinets.
After two nights of a planned 4 night stay, we moved to the Hilton Garden Inn. Hilton was same price for far better quality.

The room was really clean and adequate. My issue is that their WiFi was terrible. I was here for a tech conference along with a lot of other people. I called down to the front and the answer I got back was, «this happens when we fill up the hotel». How can you know this is a problem and not have a way to address it? Especially knowing your audience are tech people for a tech conference! In 2015, don’t they know people get business done in their rooms at these conferences! I didn’t get any work done because of their incompetence. I will not being staying here next year when the conference returns to Rochester.
Better to stay at the Hyatt next time and have assured WiFi service. If that does not matter to you, stay here. If not, stay somewhere else.

I did NOT stay at this hotel. However, I was here for a conference for three days and the time I spent here was not good. First, the second level is where the conference rooms/​halls are located. There is an odor, like mildew or moth balls that permeates throughout the area. The rugs appear soiled and are clearly from a defunct 1980s casino. Or made by some a rug maker who was tripping balls. Depending on nothing, the temperature of the conference hall could be a little above absolute zero or warm as hell. No in-​between.
The most outrageous thing about this place were some of the prices. Parking is like 15 bucks. OK, I guess. Whatever. I guess the hotel has to monetarize everything. But the prices in the snack bar is not OK. It costs $ 3.75 for a single Snapple! The balls on this place. I work in Manhattan and the worst Snapple price I have paid is $ 2.50. That’s $ 2.50 in Manhattan. MANHATTAN! Not to be disrespectful but this is Rochester. There is no way that a single Snapple should cost $ 3.75 in Rochester NY. Charging $ 3.75 for a single Snapple is a direct insult to the Radisson’s guests. Its Shameful. And you know how I know its shameful… the clerk at the snack bar apologized to me when I initially asked how much it cost for the Snapple. The clerk literally said i am sorry its $ 3.75. Clearly, it appears the clerk has been subjected to some comments from other guests when they learn of the price. I laughed it off, paid the extortion, drank the most expensive Snapple I have ever had and made a mental note to never patronize this place again.

Beautiful views from the rooftop pool. we tried to climb on the real roof but was sorely disappointed. That bar downstairs is always empty, but who goes to hotel bars anyway? I’ve never stayed overnight so I don’t know how the rooms are.

Hotel was really fancy, there was areas for us to take pictures. The room itself was clean. We only stayed for one night and when we called about one of our lamps not working, the worker came within 10 mins and fixed it

Staff was great and the room was clean and comfortable. Matt at the front desk (I think, I’m terrible with names and brain dead when I travel) was extremely efficient and helped me out when the shuttle bus wasn’t available for my airport pick up. The shuttle bus driver in the morning was a HOOT! Hard working and kind staff. Very pleased. SOOOOO much better than the Hyatt.

Stayed at this hotel for work and it is downtown in a good location. But I phoned the night before to let the housekeeping manager know that I have a severe allergy to eiderdown and duck feathers that a lot of hotels use in pillows and comforters. I was assured that my room would have only foam pillows. It’s a stupid allergy and I feel uncomfortable mentioning it.
When I finally went to bed I checked the (6) pillows and they all were full of duck feathers. The comforters were too!
I went downstairs to complain to (Brian) at the front desk and he gave me an e-​mail for the housekeeping manager to express my concerns to. The e-​mail address was fake!
Book this hotel as a last resort. Many better options in the area.

This hotel is no good. You are charged 15 $ per night to park in their garage. Room service is horrible. You can’t rent movies. There is no indoor activity like a pool. The Internet is the slowest at 1MB. Ugh.

The view was fantastic and the hotel looks great on the outside. Also Legends restaurant is nice.
The elevators were kind of rickety. My room had two huge stains on carpet and wall paper was pealing up in bathroom. Also bathroom had cracked tiles.
Finally, the garage entry/​exit is a pain requiring a ticket to pass each way. The ticket both going in and out each broke down twice causing massive traffic jams going into and leaving garage.

Sorry Rochester but there are simply no nice choices when it comes to Hotels in the downtown area. This hotel looks decent until you start to really pay attention.
1). When I arrived there were two desk clerks. A female who was assisting a guest and a guy who was fiddling behind the counter. After 5 min the female told him to assist me! Wow! Was he that oblivious to his surroundings?
2). There was a wedding in one of the ballrooms so parking was scarce. They should block parking off for hotel guests since we are lugging around luggage. I had to park on LEVEL E and carry my luggage down 5 flights of rusty, dingy and stinky stairs. This stairwell from the parking lot to the Lobby is in POOR condition. Radisson, the stairwell is a direct reflection of your hotel!
3). The room had a nice view of the river bit as soon as I opened my door, there was a wet face towel on the floor. Don’t know if the cleaning staff accidentally dropped it. I’m hoping it was. Bathroom had several cracked tiles on the floor and around the shower faucet.
4). Curtains had a few stains as if someone was eating some greasy food and used the curtains as a napkin. Rugs also had some mysterious stains. So bad that I went to Target to buy some slippers to wear around the room.
5). When I pulled the bed sheets back, I was greeted by a nice long black hair on the bed sheet. Again, hope it was from the cleaning staff.
6). Aside from the beating of the bass from the wedding 11 stories below (Rock Lobster of all songs, really? I loved the B52’s in the 80s) and all the street noise, the kicker was the 4:30a Emergency Alarm that came on blaring sirens and alerts to evacuate through the nearest stairwell. I can’t believe some guys walked down in their boxers and no shirts and one idiot showed up in a bath towel. People, take the 30 seconds to jump into your pants and walk out. All the ladies were well covered up, not a single one in lingerie! Come guys use your brains! Must have been a false alarm as the fire crew was in and out within 5 minutes of arriving. We were let back in at 5a.
This is why I prefer to stay outside of the city center and drive an extra 4 – 5 miles daily to avoid the city headaches. Stay in Henrietta or somewhere near UoR.

I stayed here for a few nights with my husband in late February. We were visiting to check out the town as he interviewed for a PhD position.
Our room was nice and clean and the beds were comfortable. The bathroom was nice and there was no annoying noise from the hall or outside.
The parking garage was a bit challenging to park in but I always found a close spot. Our room overlooked the garage so no view to report. Definitely ask for a river side room if you can.
The gym was decent for a hotel gym — weights and machines and tvs, etc.
I like the convenience of the restaurant downstairs for room service and the breakfast buffet, but the food is really mediocre.
There are a lot of sketchy looking people about, but entering and exiting through the garage I didn’t actually interact with anyone.
I wouldn’t recommend this area if you’re looking for nightlife or shopping though — there’s not a lot going on.

As you pull up to the hotel, the first thing you’ll see is that many sketchy looking people loiter in the vicinity. This is most likely due to the fact that the hotel is located directly between a large section 8 housing building (Andrews Terrace) and a large bus depot. Approaching the hotel parking garage, you’ll see that parking is $ 15/​night. This is not included with your room rate. Entering the parking garage requires you to press a button, grab a ticket, and drive through once the bar raises. This machine often isn’t functioning, requiring a staff member to come out and assess the problem. Usually, it is simply out of tickets. They can start putting in tickets in under just 15 minutes! Once the bar lifts and you’re able to gain access, your eyes will need to adjust to the dank, dimly lit garage. As you look for a space, you’ll notice they’re all compact sized. Don’t drive a compact car? That’s too bad. Your car will be VERY close to the cars next to it. Do not park a car here if you care about it. The garage is always crowded since parking isn’t just for hotel guests.
Walking down the stairs, following the «lobby» signs will bring you to a filthy vestibule on the second floor. The door to the lobby may or may not be locked. There are signs telling you what time it locks, but they are not accurate. The only way to get in this door is to wait for another guest to leave. Multiple calls to the front desk will get you no where. There’s no telling when the door will be locked and you’ll have to walk all the way through the parking garage and around the front of the hotel to get inside. Again, this is not an area you want to be walking around in.
Once inside, you’ll go to the first floor of the lobby. Looking around, this area of the lobby actually looks nice. And what’s more, the hotel staff at the desk is very friendly! Things are surely looking up, right? Well, the staff is nice, but for the most part, can only do the job they are trained to do. They can’t help you with anything that isn’t checking in or out.
All right, you’re all checked in! Time to get on an elevator to your room! One of the four has a very rancid smell soaked into its carpet. Sometimes they try to mask it with a strongly perfumed scent. Holding your breath, you get onto your floor, which is hopefully 12. The only rooms I’ve seen that were ok were on 12. If you are assigned a room on another floor, you might want to get it switched to 12 before seeing it. Wherever your room is in the hotel, one thing is certain: there will be white splatter stains on the curtains, if you dare to touch these things, the windows themselves are filmed over with layers of dirt and grime. Below the heater is the carpet. The old, mustard-​colored carpet. It’s light enough to show all of the dark stains, and dark enough to show all the light stains. There are many stains on the carpet in every room. The walls as well. Most of the hotel beds are sleep numbers, so the comfort is fine. But how comfortably can you sleep after seeing the many hairs of past guests stuck into the blanket? I think the sheets had been changed. I hope so! The bathroom is equally as dirty. These walls are also inevitably stained in several places and the tiles above the tub are littered with hairs and other things. About one third of the rooms I stayed in had different plumbing problems (toilets running all the time or on-​and-​off, loose sink faucets, etc).
Once you’re settled (or unsettled!) you’ll leave the hotel to do whatever it is you’re in Rochester for. You may be in the center of Rochester, but you’re still going to want to drive to wherever you go because of the bad neighborhood. At that point, what is the purpose of staying so close to everything?
Once you return, you’ll eventually sleep. Most rooms have an adjoining room, so yours probably will. You can hear every sneeze next door. Hope your neighbors go to bed when you do, or you’ll have to call the front desk. Dealing with guest complaints is too difficult for the front desk workers, so you’ll hear your neighbor until they stop.
As you get ready in the bathroom, coughs and sneezes from next door provide a sickly ambience to enhance the dirtiness of the filthy room.
This hotel is so filthy and decrepit that it is incredible how expensive it is. It’s the dirtiest hotel I’ve ever seen. Clearly, no thought is given to the possibility of attracting mice and bugs, since there are crumbs on the floor of most rooms. One night, in a nicer, floor 12 room, I heard a woman giggling and laughing for two hours straight next door. After two hours, I heard the woman ask a man things like «so, what is your name? Where are you from? Got any kids?» She asks him for $ 45 and he gives her 50. She says «Thank you! Call me!» And leaves immediately. What does that sound like to you?
Don’t stay in this awful place!

Not a bad hotel. I don’t see what everyone is complaining about.
Standard rooms but very comfortable beds. My room looked newly renovated and the air conditioning worked pretty well. Nice flat screen tv as well.
I think it’s a pretty good downtown location (close to Dino BBQ) and right on the river. Other than bbq this are is a bit desolate at night.
At this price point I would expect some sort of complimentary continental breakfast, but they didn’t. They were even charging to buy a cup to get coffee in the lobby. Pretty pathetic if you ask me.
Parking is also a bit expensive, but since this is downtown, there aren’t many options.

What is it about Rochester Hotels and downtown hotels in particular? All in need of investment $$$s, IMHO.
I’ve tried them all, and grudgingly prefer the Radisson Riverside based on 3-​night stay.
Pluses:
* Riverfront location
* Dependable courtesy van. Was waiting for us at Amtrak. Also available for local trips.
* Wi-​Fi that works well. Did not require re-​logging in common to many hotels
* Heating worked well and reasonably quiet
Gripes:
* How about cleaning the windows few times a year. Go to any Marriott or Hilton for some lessons.
* Dreary lighting throughout. Yes electricity is expensive in NY, but excessively frugal
* Coffee brew may be Aribica, but weak and bland
* Even with 10 beers on tap, not a single Genny Beer product offered in the Legends Sports Bar. How can this? This is Rochester, home of Genesee Beer!
* Most importantly, some staff in need of hospitality training including language, tone and attitude. Not all of course, but many.
Tip: For breakfast buffet, don’t hesitate to order your eggs your way. They’ll make them. Pic uploaded
Tip II: For fun, the Genesee Brewery Tour and Brewpub is short ¾ mile walk (north)
If you think this review with photos is useful, funny or cool, I’d appreciate your feedback below.