The Flat NYC - Hotel & Event Space New York

An OK stay at The Flat. For the price and location, unbeatable. Rooms are small but spacious enough, even though I wasn't too amused to walk up 5 stairs several times per day. Bed was comfy, sufficient plugs, bathroom lacked a bit of space and the toilet was often dirty (and couldn't be cleaned by yourself). The overall indoor look of the hotel is nice, though. And the location is amazing, so close to Times Square and everything else that's worth paying a visit. Couldn't find the free coffee and tea, even though I asked for it on my day of arrival. On average, staff was friendly but the first staff member I occurred to was particularly rude on my day of arrival (the rudest, most disinterested staff member I've ever come across at a hotel). In terms of manners it was almost as if the roles were reversed and I was welcoming this person to my hotel instead of the other way around. It was fine later at check-in and during the rest of my stay but what a terrible first impression of NYC hospitality. Sadly, this impression remains a lasting one.

This hotel is in an excellent location in Manhattan. They offer complimentary coffee, tea, and bottles of water. The staff is also very friendly. I stayed in a room with a shared bathroom and it was kept clean all four days I was there. The negatives: noise is one, which I don’t blame them for. They can’t control the noise levels outside. However, there was a window a/c unit and it seemed that some noise (and cold air) was coming in through it and the space around it. The other negative is the bed. It isn’t the most comfortable, but isn’t the worst either. If you’re just looking for somewhere to lay your head after a long day in the city, it gets the job done. I would definitely stay again.

The good news: great location near the Flatiron and within walking distance of midtown and West Village. My room and bed were comfortable. Staff were polite, and the free coffee, tea and water is a plus. On the negative side: I stayed for three nights, and my room was not made up at all during this time. There was a fair amount of noise at night, and I was able to hear conversations of people on the street outside. This may be a problem for light sleepers. My room was well-heated during a particularly cold spell in NYC, but my private bathroom did not appear to be heated, and it was cold! Overall a reasonably pleasant stay for a budget property.

Complimentary treats versus throat infection….? The staff are very friendly, accommodating, and they left out candies for Valentine’s Day week with the complimentary coffee, hot water, and chilled bottled water. My bed was very comfortable and the room felt clean upon arrival. They have a communal fridge where I stored my items that no one stole and microwave. Unfortunately, I had a room where there was an air vent right under the head of the bed that stayed on all day and all night with no controls to switch it off. By the third day (2nd night) of sleeping here I woke up with a scratchy throat and dry bloody nose. It was very cold while I was there and even snowed, so I requested a space heater to help but that dried the room out even more. When I got back to CA, I had to go to urgent care with swollen lymph nodes and sores lining my throat. I’m not saying that it was 100% to do with the room, but that aspect certainly played a huge part. I could feel the coldness next to my head all night long. There was no way to really fix it and I ended up getting very sick by the time I left to fly home.

Not recommended! The shared bathrooms in the hallway are sometimes cleaned as early as 6:30 AM – loudly and while talking on the phone – which wakes you up abruptly. The roller blind in my room was broken, and I had to accept the fact that looking out of the window required considerable effort. There is no elevator, and getting to the fifth floor is very exhausting. But the most disappointing experience happened on the day of my departure: I had asked if I could use one of the shared showers in the hallway again after check-out, as my flight was in the evening and I would be out all day. The first receptionist told me this would be no problem, but after the shift change, the young woman with black, curly hair (sometimes also wearing a beanie) told me I was not allowed to take one last shower. She was very unfriendly, absolutely not hospitable, and acted as if she didn’t recognize me anymore after check-out. A very disappointing service, especially considering the high price I paid – all while having to deal with something like a broken blind in my room.