Okay, I’m going to preface this review with explaining my reasons for booking this particular hotel. First of all, we were driving to NYC, and no way were we driving into the city or paying its astronomical parking rates. This Hilton was a good value, I thought, and would give us access to the Staten Island Ferry, which would then get us to the lower tip of Manhattan for free.
Little was I to know that to get to the ferry from the hotel involved a 30- to 40-minute trek (depending on traffic) through a not-particularly-attractive section of Staten Island. Or that once we got to the ferry, it was a bit of a procedure to park. (In fact, the parking ticket machine at the lot closest to the ferry requires five dollars in quarters. Say whaaa-aaat?!?) Plus, I’d somehow overlooked the fact that it was Fleet Week, so the ferry was jam-packed coming and going with a festive mix of sailors, tourists, and locals.
So, long story short, it took us between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get to central Manhattan or back, which was far more time-consuming than I’d expected.
Other than that major miscalculation, this is a perfectly nice Hilton. Had we been visiting Staten Island rather than Manhattan, it would’ve been a wise choice. Set back off a major thoroughfare, it’s simple to get to from I-95 via the Staten Island Expressway. Although I’d forgotten to bring my AARP card, the understanding desk clerk cut me some slack and let the AARP rate stand, then obligingly gave us directions to the ferry. Later, when we had trouble connecting our laptop to the free Internet, a technical help person responded promptly, so I’d give the staff an overall thumbs-up.
We were given a handicapped room, although we hadn’t requested one. Since the room was significantly larger than others, perhaps this was by way of an upgrade, but we really weren’t sure. The room was unremarkable, other than its size – nicely appointed, clean, and featuring a small refrigerator and microwave we never used and a coffee/tea maker that we gave a workout.
Truth to tell, we didn’t spend much time in the hotel, heading off immediately for Manhattan, returning late, then heading out again first thing the next morning. Even the Birthday Boy, who can normally be counted on to investigate the pool and exercise facilities in any hotel we stay in, was too tired to explore.
One thing that could be improved upon is the lobby. It’s a somewhat cluttered affair with partitions and a small sitting area near the main desk. I think the hotel does a fair number of weddings and other functions, so perhaps some of the clutter in the lobby had to do with something going on that weekend.
In short, next time we go to Manhattan, we’ll stay in Manhattan. The money saved just doesn’t compensate for the schlep.