OverviewLocated about a 4-minute walk from the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, the Hotel Stanford is geared towards pedestrian travellers who prefer a well-priced and centrally-located boutique-style hotel with a complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi and on-site dining.
This non-smoking hotel has 122 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a desk, an in-room safe, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms are furnished with one double bed, two single beds or one queen bed. Rooms with a mini-fridge, a separate bedroom and a seating area with a sofa are also available. Toiletries, umbrellas, adaptors and slippers are available upon request.
Wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request and pets are not permitted.
Hotel amenities include meeting/conference space, a business centre, a coffee shop, laundry facilities, ironing service and a free continental breakfast from 7:30 am to 10 am daily. Complimentary coffee, tea and biscuits are served from 8 am to 4 pm daily.
On-site dining is offered at 1986 EST. Wine Bar & Lounge, which serves dinner daily and provides live jazz. Cafe Ele is also on site and offers gourmet coffee, tea and pastries.
Self-parking is available nearby for an additional $26 per day, single entry.
Times Square is about a 15-minute walk north of the hotel, while the nearest subway entrance is a 3-minute walk north. Manhattan Mall is a 3-minute walk northwest, and Madison Square Garden is 8 minutes away on foot.
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) can be found roughly a 17-minute drive northeastward. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, parking $26/day, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 22, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, value and rooms.
The hotel's location was praised by many reviewers, who described it as central, and close to attractions, the subway, restaurants and shopping. One lodger remarked, "Excellent location on our first visit to New York. Empire State, Madison Square Garden, Penn Street all within 15 mins walk".
Numerous guests were pleased with the hotel's value, describing the rates as reasonable, cheap and economical. One reviewer stated, "This really is a great value hotel in an excellent location", and other guests also cited the free Wi-Fi and free breakfast as adding to the hotel's worth.
Several patrons enjoyed the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, spacious and quiet, with comfortable beds. It should be noted, however, that some lodgers had complaints about their rooms (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were some common complaints about the rooms and the breakfast.
While the majority of guests were pleased with their accommodations, some lodgers were disappointed with their rooms. They reported much difficulty with the central air conditioning, and were unable to keep their rooms cool. Other complaints included dated decor, old furniture, small rooms and poor water pressure.
The hotel's breakfast was a source of complaint for some reviewers. They described it as limited, simple and meager, reporting no hot items, long line-ups and a small and crowded breakfast area.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 3.9 out of 5 with an 88% recommendation rate from 876 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #257 of 433 New York City hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 863 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.7 out of 10 from 712 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 22, 2013 to verify some information.