WOULD BE DISAPPOINTING EVEN AT HALF THE PRICE
I have traveled extensively through the US and most continents, and have experienced hotels ranging from world class to outright gross. I care generally not about pure luxury, but rather about basics. I stayed at the St Charles Hotel to attend a local family event. I reserved a king suite for myself for the weekend, at a rate of $400+/night, plus additional rooms for other family members. The photos on line made the property appear presentable, and my primary concern was finding a property with an elevator, for a disabled family member.
The sole reason I assigned even a single star is that the property is located in the heart of Hudson, and parking is provided. However it was hardly had a comfortable stay.
I should have known there would be trouble in paradise when, after booking my rooms, I made another call a couple of weeks later to book an extra room. The front desk clerk, after about ten minutes of vainly attempting to access the property's reservation system, helpfully (?) suggested I use hotels.com instead (ahem).
For $400/night, at a bare minimum I expect:
Maid service daily.
Room A/C that doesn't just come on, but cycles on AND OFF as it reaches the set temperature, so one does not wind up freezing late in the night.
Separate bars of soap for the sink and the shower stall.
An electrical outlet in the bathroom to plug in a night light.
Bedside light switch controls for most, if not all, room lighting.
An alcove for the suite's sofa bed, for a modicum of privacy.
Phone staff capable of accessing the reservation system when I phone with a question or a change for my reservation.
Front desk staff capable of immediately accessing the reservation system when I check in.
Front desk staff who attempt to accommodate requests made by phone weeks in advance (such as that all guests in my party have rooms located on the same floor), as opposed to desk staff who make it clear they have no intention of going to any such trouble.
While we are at it, front desk staff who are polite and welcoming, and are perhaps even dressed professionally, as opposed to sporting ripped denim. (At least the late night desk attendant was fine.)
Ability to turn on the shower from outside the stall, in order not to be initially assaulted with cold water.
An elevator that does not have open wiring surrounding the floor number buttons.
Suffice it to say that none of my above bare minimum expectations were met.
While the size of my king suite was ample, the layout was rather awkward. More to the point, the room was poorly appointed, with aging and seedy looking furniture, carpeting, and curtains. The bathroom was teeny tiny and inelegant, to be kind. The one bar of soap sums up the situation neatly: it was about 2" in diameter and maybe 1/8" thick, and again, that one bar had to be shuttled between sink and shower. Corners are cut everywhere here, from no maid service during my stay, to tired (again, to put it kindly) furnishings and finishes. Unacceptable at almost any price point, and certainly unacceptable at $400/night!
To sum it up: THIS WAS A TERRIBLE VALUE. I could have been more comfortable staying at a local chain motel at less than half the price. Attention to detail and hospitality would be expected at this price point, but were entirely (READ: ENTIRELY!!!) absent at the St. Charles. read more