Essence Hotel — Hotel in New York

READ FOR A DETAILED, HONEST RECOUNT OF OUR STAY: My mom and I stayed here for one night over the weekend, and it was one of the worst hotel experiences we have ever had. Don’t let the staged photos deceive you. The room was incredibly small and did not appear to be well-kept. There wasn’t even a real comforter on the bed, just a single sheet with a very thin blanket, and the sheets appeared dirty and musty. The pillows were almost completely flat and laughable to use. I didn’t take a photo but there was a small wooden side table that was very faded and worn down as well with tons of dust and spiderwebs underneath (saw while plugging my phone in). LIGHT SLEEPERS BEWARE: the in-room AC Unit is very loud and makes continuous noise, and the blinds are no more than a cheap sheet made of poster-like material that do nothing to block the light in the morning. The room is so small that I banged my leg against the bed frame several times just trying to move around and developed a huge yellow bruise on my thigh.

Moving on to the bathroom: the sink was tiny with no counter space but the biggest crime was that they didn’t even bother to install a shower door or even put up a curtain like ??? The entire hotel looks unfinished, from the front desk made of exposed plywood planks to scratch marks on doors and walls to a bathroom with no door like it just seems like they put zero thought and effort into catering to their guests. The elevator was also wonky with buttons that didn’t light up and would take you to random floors (we pressed the first floor multiple times and it kept taking us upstairs even though when the doors opened nobody was even there who had pressed the button). Breakfast is offered as “grab and go in a bag”??? if you happen to care about this.

The fact that we paid $350 to stay here (weekend rates were higher) is straight highway robbery. I was genuinely appalled at the condition of this hotel for the price we paid (it really should be called a motel based on the amenities provided, even though I’ve stayed in a motel for $75 that had a bigger room than this), I get it’s New York but Jesus Christ, you’re still claiming to be a professional establishment offering services to the public, there needs to be SOME standard or care. If you’re reading this, you’ve been warned. It’s technically functional, but I wouldn’t call this comfortable or in any way nice, it’s more like a last ditch resort if you reaaaalllyyyy need somewhere to stay. I truly would not recommend staying here for more than one night if you...

Reviews seem honest so know what you’re getting before you go. The room was half the price of any other hotel for a Saturday night. That said, room (King size) was small (but hey as a studio apartment, you’d get 3 grand a month for it). Despite signs saying no smoking everywhere, the room smelled like cigarettes. Could’ve been the previous guests’ clothes, if they were heavy smokers, but slightly unpleasant nonetheless. The coffee tray had ash or dust in it. The furniture is old and even the walls could’ve used a little more care painting them. The air and heat unit is tricky and we ended up shutting it off. The pillows are flat and the bedding thin, but the bed itself wasn’t bad. Our room view was fine, looking out over the street to an indoor community pool. I wouldn’t say the walls were any thinner than a normal hotel. The hallways were overwhelmingly febrezed, which stung the nostrils more than feeling clean. Staff was nice enough. There were breakfast bags to go in the morning. The location is clutch. We did Brooklyn-pizza, pho, basketball, ice cream, and bagels-all within short walking distance. And, half the cost anywhere else. Oh, and we did feel safe, despite the “armed security on premises sign” on the hotel door and the sliding bolt with lock on the room next to ours., which was strange. (We were...

Title: Filthy, Unsafe

, and Completely Unacceptable – Do Not Stay Here

If I could give zero stars, I would. My stay at the Essence Hotel was the most disgusting and unsafe hotel experience I’ve ever had. The room had blood splatters on the wall and blood stains on the bedsheets—absolutely horrifying.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the bathroom was unusable. The toilet was broken and the shower immediately flooded the entire floor just from turning the water on—I hadn’t even stepped inside yet. Truly unacceptable for any property calling itself a hotel.

When I went to the front desk to report these issues, the staff were rude and dismissive. I asked to speak with a manager multiple times, but of course, there was never one available (and I doubt there even is one). On top of all this, you could clearly hear neighbors engaging in illegal activities through the thin walls, which made the entire environment feel unsafe and unsettling.

This place is an absolute nightmare. Between the filth, broken facilities, rude staff, and unsafe atmosphere, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to my worst enemy. Stay far, far away from the...