"B" is for "Boutique", not "Business"
Written: Apr 14 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Location, decor, unique architecture, high ceiling.
Cons: Food, service, Internet (or lack thereof), not business traveler friendly
The Bottom Line: Not a bad place for those who love boutique hotels, great for show-goers and tourists, not so good for business travelers.
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| benchpress's Full Review: Dylan Hotel |
I am usually not a big fan of "boutique" hotel in general unless I am traveling for pleasure. For business travel, I try to keep surprises to a minimal so I tend to stick with the chains so I know what to expect.
I made an exception for the Dylan, just once. I stayed there once because it is within walking distance to my company’s office on Park Avenue in New York City. However, after one stay I quickly gravitated back to Sheraton, Hilton and Marriott near Times Square.
Location
The hotel is located at 52 East 41st Street, between Park Avenue and Madison Avenue. It is one block away from the New York Public Library and Grand Central Station, two blocks from Times Square and the Chrysler Building. Geographically, it is perfectly located in Mid-Town where all other landmarks and tourist sites are within easy reach.
The hotel itself was once the site of the Chemists’ Club in the late 19th century. The hotel, though extensively renovated and rejuvenated, retains all the architectural features of the old building (e.g. 11-ft ceiling, original facade, wrought iron railings, etc.) while promoting a modern/hip look with cleverly placed accent pieces and other design considerations. The overall impression of the hotel is hip yet historical, not too dark, not too flashy.
I almost walked past the main entrance of the hotel when I checked in. The double-door did not really stand out in the sidewalk and was easy to miss. The lobby was tall, airy, and very elegantly decorated.
The check-in process was simple and uneventful.
Rooms
I was given a "Luxury" room in the hotel on one of the middle floors. One of the much-promoted features of the hotel is the 11-foot ceiling in the guest rooms. My room was certainly vertically spacious, but very limited in the actual living space - not unusual for NYC. It barely had enough room for a queen bed, a TV stand, and a small built-in closet. The work surface was about the size of a large stamp – as it turned out, I really did not get a chance to take advantage of the work surface at all during my stay.
The bathroom was small but well lit and ultra modern with lots of marble surfaces. Unfortunately, like a lot of ecstatically pleasing designs, the bathroom and its fixtures were annoyingly impractical. For example, the pedestal sink had a signature quality to it as it was large and great to look at, but it splashes water everywhere. The oversized sink paired with an undersized pedestal in a tiny bathroom means there was hardly any usable flat surface for placement of anything larger than a toothpick – check out the pictures on the Dylan website and you will see why. Using the lowered toilet seat cover as a semi-permanent storage area along with a few impossibly shallow glass shelves, I played musical chairs with my shaving kit, toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, glass, etc. through out my stay.
I have stayed in small hotel rooms before (the smallest one to date was the Hilton Tokyo) and have used many small hotel bathrooms, but a lot of these small bathrooms somehow manage to strike a balance between ecstatic and functionality, particularly in large European cities. The bathroom at the Dylan was just simply inconvenient and it was glaringly obvious that the designers sacrificed usability for dramatic visual effects.
The one dominating feature of the room was the flat screen Sony TV. It was a 27” Sony flat panel but it appeared dominating in the room - that should give you an idea on the size of the room.
Service
To sum up the service I received during my stay at the Dylan, I would use the word "indifferent" to describe the staff. They were neither rude nor friendly. They were neither totally inept nor were they particularly efficient. The housekeeping was reasonable, but how hard could it be to clean 107 very small rooms?
Food
The hotel is surrounded by restaurants, bars, and other eateries of every imaginable variety. I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant on the first morning and wanted nothing to do with the hotel kitchen again afterward. Just like the room and décor, the breakfast was long on optics and short on substance. The breakfast was served on sleek-looking tableware of over-sized square plates and dramatic-looking oval dishes. However, the eggs were cold and poorly prepared; ham overcooked and dry; the potatoes tasted like they were freezer burned. The coffee was so thick (and bitter) you could almost stand a spoon in it.
Amenities for Business Travelers
None. Let me clarify: Internet connectivity was advertised but it did not work in my room. As a result, I did not have a chance to take full advantage of the small work surface in the room.
Fitness
A "Fitness Room" was advertised but it turned out to be a small room in the basement next to the washroom with a couple of treadmills in it. Fortunately, there was a Powerhouse Gym in the next block and a Bally two blocks over.
Summary
Though the website promoted this hotel as a destination for both business and leisure travelers, the Dylan was better suited for tourists. Given the décor and unique architecture, and its proximity to all the must-see places, it could be a great get-away location for couples going to NYC for shows and visits - as long as they are not heavily laden with luggage and don’t mind sharing a small bathroom.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
benchpress
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Location: Toronto, Canada
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 2 members
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