Arlo SoHo — Hotel in New York

My best friend and I stayed at Arlo Soho one night on a quick overnight girls trip to NYC. We stayed in a 2 twin bed courtyard view room. First of all we drove past the hotel entrance because there was construction everywhere. We planned on valeting our car but we were not about to sit in gridlock traffic to get back around the block again so we parked in the LAZ lot at the end of the block. It’s only $5 more a day and way more convenient so that ended up being a happy accident. The room was teeny tiny, but we only needed a place to shower and sleep so it was fine. Just be aware if you have a lot of luggage with you, there are no closets or dressers, there is one pull out drawer under one of the beds (the other bed had a pull out safe) that’s it. We just shoved our bags in a corner for the night. The beds have legs so you can store stuff under them. The room itself was decorated in a very sparse modern way, I liked it. They provided a handheld clothing steamer which was great since my stuff was wrinkly from being in my duffel bag. Also a hairdryer. There is a mini fridge and an alarm clock. The bathroom was pretty, with cool vertical tiles, and very clean. The shower stall was amazing. Spacious with incredible water pressure, and the shampoo, conditioner and body wash they provide smelled amazing. They had two bath towels and two washcloths stocked in the bathroom. No bathmat. We used the washcloths as a bathmat. The sink is outside the bathroom, we had to walk back and forth to wash and dry our hands which was just a little annoying. A bathmat and one hand towel at the sink would be great. The hotel itself was very quiet. Aside from one minute in the middle of the night when our neighbors came home from wherever they were and said goodnight to their friends, there wasn’t a peep heard from the hallway. The windows however did not keep any sounds out. Despite having an interior room overlooking the central courtyard, we heard every car horn, truck and siren for blocks. I can’t imagine what a city view room sounds like. The AC/heat is digital and works great. The beds were comfy. The pillow was very smooshy. If you like a firm pillow, bring your own. We did have to call the front desk as soon as we walked in the room because there was a greasy stain spot on one of the bedsheets. They immediately came up and changed the entire bed. Customer service was beyond great. It’s in a great neighborhood, easy walk to Greenwich/ West Village, we felt really safe walking around at night. The rooftop bar was closed for a wedding, but we did pop into the courtyard bar. They had one white, one red, one rose, and one IPA available. We were looking for something else so left to grab a drink down the street. My biggest gripe would be the price. I know it’s a boutique hotel and you’re paying for the location and experience but I don’t think it’s worth $450 a night. Aside from the lack of towels, there was duct tape holding part of the tv stand together, one of the lamps didn’t work, the fire sprinkler cover was falling off and there was a ton of dust on the lamp cord hanging from the ceiling. But if you can get a deal on the room for like, less than $350, that’s an acceptable price. If I can find a cheaper deal I’d...

Stayed here over the weekend for a friend's wedding. The lobby functions as an odd but charming little boutique store, and the decor is very modern and attractive. Unfortunately that's where the charm ended for us. The lobby is so small you can barely fit in front of the desk with your luggage to check in, while other guests squeeze by behind you. The computer screens at the desk were huge, nearly blocking the faces of the staff. We were told we could check in at 3 pm, which was already very late, but when we arrived the room still was not ready! We were exhausted from our travel, but we waited in the lounge for a while, and then waited longer while the employee stared at her computer without speaking for several minutes. She finally told us she was "finding" us a room. When we got into the room, we were shocked at the size! It was essentially a small entry and a bed. There's not even room for a desk, just a small fold-down plank that is supposed to function as one. The toilet and shower were only separated from the room by a sheet of frosted glass. The huge window along the back wall beyond the bed overlooks the courtyard, and you could directly see into every other room across the hotel. Our cab driver warned us when he dropped us off that guests often complain about the honking and noise from traffic entering the tunnel at night, although we did not experience this. The lighting in our room was very poor; it was difficult to see well to do makeup in the mirror or for my husband to steam the wrinkles from his suit. The wedding was beautiful and very nice in the courtyard and bar area. During the wedding we sat on the couches in the courtyard only to find that the back cushions were only mounted to a frame without a backing, so they kept falling out the back of the couch while we were sitting! It cost $34 for two margaritas on the rooftop bar. No free coffee or water in the lobby like even budget hotels always have. This place is a joke. I don't mind paying top dollar for a luxury experience, but Arlo Soho does not even provide basic niceties at a price point where you should be able to count on them. I will not be staying here again. The one-star rating is based primarily on the overall experience...

Out of 10, I'd give the hotel a solid 9.

Let's start with the good things.

The location of the hotel is perfect. We were visiting as tourists, and we had easy access to subway lines to pretty much everywhere we wanted to go. Places like Chinatown don't have a direct line, but it's easily cheated by taking a line uptown and changing stations. Lots of great places to visit at walking distance, and we felt safe going back on foot even later at night. Truth be told it's an upscale (and let's be honest, also gentrified) area, and it makes for a perfect location for a hotel. If you're like me and think that a good location with easy access to other areas of the city is important for a hotel, you probably won't find anything better than this for NYC.

But the hotel really shines in its staff. They're easily the best part of it. Everyone is super polite and helpful. We got there really early, and even though an early check-in was not available, everyone went out of their way to give us means to freshen up and rest a bit from the trip, and they also took great care of our bags. The cleaning staff is cheerful and the rooms are spotless after every cleaning. The people who served us when we went to the rooftop bar were als9 great. Service in the hotel is flawless.

Moving on to the "good but not perfect".

The room is cozy. The bed is really comfortable. AC is a bit noisy, but works fine and didn't bother us. The bed covers and pillows are showing some signs of use and a few lumps, but they're absolutely clean.

Prices are ok. Not great, but fair. I'd definitely stay here again if going back to NYC.

And the only thing I didn't like was the bathroom. It's what I usually call the "couple intimacy test bathroom". It's not really isolated from the bedroom. It has only a sliding door with no lock, and some decently sized gaps. No ventilation either. The shower is really good, but there is only a curtain and some elevated rubber on the ground to prevent water from going into the toilet area, and they don't do a good job. The toilet area and parts of the room close to the bathroom were always wet after a shower. But these are all small problems.

Overall, great experience. Amazing staff, great location and...