Great Views of World Trade Center
Written: Apr 18 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Views of the World Trade Center, high tech amenities in the refurbished rooms.
Cons: Financial District Location is WELL AWAY from the tourist attractions in NYC.
The Bottom Line: Great hotel, everything you would expect from Hilton. Incredible views, but the location isn't the best for tourists.
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| fredelledge's Full Review: Millenium Hilton |
We just stayed three nights at the Millenium, which is right across the street from the former World Trade Center. It's rated 4 Diamonds by AAA. We chose to stay here because of the location, but remember for a weekend visit, if you'll be spending much time in Midtown, you'll be taking a lot of cabs or subway rides. This hotel is just blocks away from Wall Street and on the weekends, there aren't a lot of people around as compared to other areas like Times Square, Chelsea, SoHo, Tribeca etc.
If you're going for business and need to stay downtown in the Financial District, this is a great choice. If you're traveling for pleasure stay in Midtown and plan to take the subway down to the WTC to see what reconstruction is taking place.
The hotel itself is just over 50 stories with 565 rooms, sheathed in black glass. 102 of the rooms are suites.
We were originally in a king bedded room with a defective thermostat. As it was 11:30 pm and no personnel were available to fix the thermostat they moved us to a corner junior suite with a sitting area. These are also referred to as "corner kings" at the hotel. Definitely try to get a corner room if it's available, the upper floors have truly incredible views across the site of the WTC and over to the Hudson River.
The color scheme in the lobby is glossy dark wood with very hip lighting...a grown up version of the W Hotels.
The rooms have been redone in natural hues. The carpets are nice, but a little harsh on the feet. They are a commercial weave, and based on the feel of them, should last a lifetime! The bathrooms are in cream marble a not as trendy as I would have expected given they put $30 million plus into the renovation after the bombing. But, the baths are adequate all in all. The white plastic shower curtain liner was a little on the cheap side. The toiletries are all typical Neutrogena as found in any other Hilton property. The rooms here run around $329 up to $399, so one tends to expect more.
The best part of the rooms are the 42" Plasma TV's. We also had a regular tv in the sitting area. Internet access worked just fine. The workdesk area was large and roomy. the ice bucket was refilled nightly and fresh water and chocolates were left.
The clocks also were radio/cd players and the phones are cordless. We had two. The standard rooms have one I believe. There were no less than four books/magazines with ideas for spending your time in the city. The concierge desk is also incredibly helpful with their suggestions. Maps are also in abundance, so don't be afraid to ask.
The restaurant on the third floor, called Church & Dey is ordinary and given the excellent food in New York, I would not recommend eating there unless it's your only option. It wasn't that it's bad, it just isn't worth taking the time given the food elsewhere in the city. Room service is available 24/7, and as you would expect quite expensive.
The hotel has several small meeting rooms and hosts a number of conferences, though none big that would detract from a visit.
The workout area is nice, clean and new and there is an adjacent pool on the 5th floor. I found the facilities suitable, but on the small side. Given the cost of space in NYC that's understandable. The focus in the workout gym is clearly on cardio machines, which business people tend to demand.
The valets and bellmen are quite affable and quick to help without having their hands out for tips like other big city hotels I have stayed in. There is also a small gift shop on the main level along with a great lounge. At nights the lounge is a great place to people watch before going to the theatre.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fredelledge
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Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 0 members
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