The San Carlos Hotel-A New York City Gem!
Written: Jun 01 '08 (Updated Jun 02 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: location, comfortable, large rooms, excellent staff, breakfast included in reasonable price
Cons: street noise
The Bottom Line: I would highly recommend The San Carlos Hotel for its location, excellent pricing including continental breakfast,spacious and comfortable rooms, lovely public areas, and efficient and courteous staff.
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| RobinLynn's Full Review: San Carlos Hotel |
My husband and I recently came back from a wonderful four- day visit to Manhattan, always a favorite destination of ours. It always seems so exciting and alive, with so much to see and do.
We stayed at the San Carlos Hotel upon the recommendation of friends who visit New York City several times a year. We were delighted with our choice, as this was a fantastic hotel, which exceeded our expectations in every way. Everything about this small boutique hotel was superb, from its location, rooms, public areas, and service.
And all at a price which didn’t break our budget.
LOCATION
The San Carlos’ address is 150 East 50th Street, conveniently located in the Upper East Side between Lexington and Third Avenue on 50th Street. It is about a five- minute walk to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. This is an exciting, convenient and lovely part of the city. From here, we were able to walk to Central Park, the Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and even The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I must admit, the last was a long walk, in fact ,we took a cab back to the hotel after a long day of meandering through this magnificent museum.
Our hotel was a five- minute walk from the famous shops of Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue, and even closer to the beautiful blooming tulips on world-famous Park Avenue.
When we headed in the opposite direction on 50th Street, we were a very short walk from Second Avenue, filled with neighborhood non-touristy restaurants, more moderately priced than those strictly geared for tourists. This area offered several reasonably priced Italian, Chinese, Thai, and French bistros, and even had a little neighborhood coffee shop where I was able to get an ice-cream sundae as a mid-day pick-me-up. This area also had a few convenient neighborhood grocers, where we were able to buy some bottled water, a bottle or two of wine, and some little munchies to take back to our room.
THE HOTEL
From the moment the doorman greeted us into the lovely marble lobby, we knew this hotel was not going to disappoint. The beautifully and tastefully decorated lobby, with its rich wood toned furnishings, striking lighting and generous use of marble made a stunning first impression.
The San Carlos Hotel was built in 1927, but was totally renovated in 2003.
The eighteen- floor hotel consists of one hundred and forty seven rooms, most of which are suites, either junior suites, or one bedroom or two bedroom suites.
We were in a junior suite, which the hotel describes as an Executive Suite.
AMENITIES
In addition to the various seating areas in the lobby, there is a lounge and an adjacent restaurant-lounge in the front of the hotel called Mint. We never had a drink or ate there, but several of the guests appeared to be enjoying the bar in the hotel lounge. . It looked very inviting. We were so busy taking in all the sights that the city has to offer, that we never indulged. Mint is also the restaurant that provided room-. service , between 11AM and 11PM . The price list was consistent with New York City prices, with most appetizers in the $10-$20 range and main courses in the $30+ range.
One of the biggest pluses of the hotel was the complimentary continental breakfast served every morning in the inviting breakfast room, from 7:00 to 10:00. The self-help offerings included fresh coffee, tea, a cappuccino maker and ice cold orange juice for beverages. There was a fresh array of pastries, rolls, and bagels along with fresh bread and a European style toaster which enabled several people to make toast at the same time, served with an assortment of jams. A platter with some fresh fruit and an assortment of yogurts rounded out the offerings. I would have liked some cold cereal, but that was not on hand.
Considering how expensive food can be in Manhattan, this breakfast was a wonderful positive, and actually one of the reasons we chose this hotel!
The hotel also has a small fitness center, accessible 24 hours a day with a room key.
There is also a convenient business center offering the use of three computers, a printer and Wi-Fi access.
OUR ROOM
Our room was very large and comfortable. We had a an extremely comfy queen sized bed, fitted out with very soft and luxurious linens and oversized pillows.
The room was decorated with very classic high- end furnishings, done in a modern style. The color scheme was a neutral light beige and a lovely soothing green. The bed was flanked with two pretty night stands. There was a desk and chair, a large sitting area that had a couch, two chairs, a coffee table, and two end tables. There was a large flat-screen television. The dresser had generous drawers and a real plus was the two closets, providing more than ample room for everything. The décor was finished off nicely with lovely artwork and decorative lamps, as well as pretty patterned carpeting.
One of the nicest features of the room was the small kitchenette.. It contained cabinets, complete with some dishes, flatware and glassware, a microwave, and coffee mugs for the coffeemaker , with fresh coffee and its accompaniments every day.
The bathroom was fresh and looked like new. Although it was not very large,it was immaculate and all of the fixtures including the tub, toilet and tile all looked like brand new. Pretty and fresh wallpaper, granite counter tops, and new and lovely wood detailing completed the pleasant look.
The bathroom featured a large array of Avena bath products, a large magnifying mirror, hair dryer and lots of fluffy towels.
Other thoughtful touches to our room were two luxurious Frette bathrobes, a pants press and suit valet, and iron and ironing board in the closet. The air-conditioned room also had a minibar and a safe .
THE STAFF
The staff at the San Carlos were extremely courteous and helpful, from the desk clerk who I first called months before to get hotel information, to the check-in and check-out staff who were consistently friendly and obliging, to the always friendly doorman. The front desk staff recommended several of the neighborhood restaurants and all of their suggestions were excellent.
OVERVIEW
The San Carlos Hotel was a wonderful boutique hotel, well-priced for this area of Manhattan. We paid $369 per night including continental breakfast. This was an internet special, with the rates quoted on the phone significantly higher. Rates are also much higher during the peak Winter Holiday season
The only negative I can recall is that it was somewhat noisy outside in the evening . I would recommend requesting as high a floor as possible to minimize the street noise.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
RobinLynn
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Location: Parkland, Florida
Reviews written: 192
Trusted by: 363 members
About Me:
My loves are my wonderful family, our amazing grandsons, and travel.
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