I’ve made three trips to New York City in the past few weeks and that has given me the opportunity to sample three new hotels: Kimpton’s Ink 48, Thompson’s 6 Columbus, and Choice Hotel’s Gem. Yes, I am a promiscuous business traveler and this gallivanting was driven by curiosity, budget, and location.
Manhattan hotel prices swing wildly week to week. An affordable find on one trip can soar out of reach for another making it one of the most challenging markets for finding a consistent home-away-from-home. Ink 48 is a bit out of the way (8th and 48th) in what used to be a printing plant. That location made it affordable — around $250 per night before taxes, etc. – and as most of my business was on the West side, I jumped right in.
Ink 48 has typical Kimpton style and services: free Wifi for frequent guest program members, robes, a decent restaurant (I had
My room at Ink 48
a lovely locavore solo dinner at Print restaurant), and free wine for an hour in the evening. There is a rather spectacular rooftop bar — one advantage of an 8th Avenue location is the view — though it rained both nights I was there so I didn’t get more than a glimpse. The room was comfortable and spacious (I did splurge with an upgrade as the cost was resonable). The staff was friendly and helpful throughout my stay. Best of all, for future stays, Ink 48 is pooch friendly and observes Kimpton’s earth-friendly policies.
There is not much immediately around for food or shopping — plan to walk at least 3-4 blocks — and the subway is a good 10 minute walk away. Aside from that, Ink 48 is a good choice when budget is a consideration.
6 Columbus was the choice of a client and the location was hard to beat — right at Columbus Circle: the Park, subway, restaurants, and shops were all steps away. There is a 24-hour drug store on the corner and a Starbucks just next door.
My room at 6 Columbus
The hotel bills itself as hip and retro — two adjectives that often disappoint as they are code quick-and-cheap renovation of an old property. Thompson has done a decent job though location would be the primary reason to select this hotel again. The room was adequate, featured lovely brand name amenities, and perfectly comfortable but never was I inlcined to shout “wow” and text all my friends. The WiFi was $15 per day and moderately fast. The elevators were small and slow.
6 Columbus also sports a rooftop bar — seemingly all the rage these days. It was a fun oasis as the main bar, part of the Blue Ribbon Sushi restaurant, was small and constantly jammed. I didn’t get the chance to eat dinner at Blue Ribbon though it seemed quite popular with locals as well as guests. Breakfast was a treat as one can get either a Continental or full American breakfast served in a beautifully presented bento box (as well as a traditional Japanese breakfast).
The staff was quite pleasant though I did have an issue with shoes: a freshly shined pair not belonging to me were placed in my room (and, unfortunately, not my size). I returned them to the front desk. When I later that night I came back to my room I found a letter explaining that the hotel was having a hard time returning my shoes to me. This required another trip to the front desk to explain that they had none of my shoes. The front desk personnnel were agreeable but didn’t seem at all surprised by the confusion.
The Gem Hotel is a boutique property at 8th and 22nd in Chelsea. I chose it because I was heading to the city for less than 24 hours and it was within walking distance of my main destination in Greenwich Village – and it was a couple of hundred dollars less expensive than the hostelries in Soho. Still, at $329 per night it wasn’t what I would call inexpensive.
The Gem is a minimal service hotel: no bar, restaurant, concierge, or doorman. However, with plenty of places to eat and drink within a block, it is something I could live with. The hard-working front desk personnel (one person seems to have to do everything from check-in to bag storage and switchboard) were pleasant and helpful.
The room was about the smallest I’ve encountered. It was well laid out though so it was functional. I wouldn’t want to spend more than a night here nor would I plan on doing much work in the room. WiFi is free at the Gem and performed reasonably. The wardrobe didn’t accommodate anything longer than a shirt because a safe was placed on the bottom shelf. A couple of wall or door hooks would have solved the problem of where to hang my Mac.
If what you need is a place to lay your head (the bed was comfortable) and a good Chelsea location, the Gem is worth considering. For a longer business trip or where you need to have room to lay things out — be it work or your evening wear — other options are likely a better fit.
