Flatiron Hotel, Sonder — Hotel in New York

BEWARE! Read this review before booking this hotel. This is NOT a 4 star hotel, I repeat, NOT A FOUR STAR HOTEL! It is closer to what I would imagine a 1-2 star hotel would be like. It was by far the absolute worst hotel experience I have ever had( if I thought my previous worst was bad, this hotel made that one look like the Plaza). The Flatiron set the bar at an entirely new low.

My boyfriend and I booked our room the morning of our stay based entirely on the pictures shown online and the fact that this was listed as a 4 star hotel, this was a huge mistake. We booked the king room which according to the website was roomy, bright and clean, with fresh flowers and a stately bathroom featuring a jetted bathtub, in a hotel listed as having been built in 2011. That was all a charade because the building is dark and old and the pictures online are not at all an actuate representation of what the hotel actually looks like.

Let’s start with check in, we arrived at the hotel between 12:30-1PM, the “lobby” should have been a dead giveaway to what we were walking into. First, there is a large dirty fish tank in the middle of the room, the water is cloudy and the fish look like they are dying. To the right there is an area with dated window treatments and old restaurant booths sporadically placed around the room. This is confusing because there is no restaurant and “breakfast” (we will talk about this in a second) is “grab and go”. To the left is the check in area, consisting of ratty old mis-matched furniture and a counter in the corner that serves as their “front desk”. This area was filthy, and standing behind those piles of papers, boxes and wires stood our first encounter with the Flatiron’s awful customer service. As we entered and approached the desk, this woman did not greet us, welcome us, or even smile. We said hello and gave her our name, but without even checking, she told us that our room was not ready yet and would not be for awhile. This seemed odd because the lobby was empty, and the hotel was eerily quiet, (this was the case for the majority of our 3 night stay, as we never saw or heard anyone on our floor and only saw 2-3 others in the lobby) so I am not sure how they did not have a room ready, but OK. The woman said they would hold our bags in their baggage area (this is listed as an amenity on their website) and we could come back to check in later. After a morning of traveling, this was a little annoying, but we tagged our bags and left. We went to lunch and a quick museum and by 3PM, we assumed the room would be ready, so we called to ask. WRONG! The same rude woman answered the phone and in an annoyed tone, told me that our room would not be ready until at least 4. At this point, we are tired, frustrated, and just want to relax before our evening plans, but we are able to kill another hour walking around. When we returned to the hotel, the rude woman reluctantly checks us in, and to my horror I noticed that our bags are still sitting exactly where we left them in front of the desk! I assume this means that they don’t have a bag room because our bags just sat out in the sketchy lobby for hours. There was no porter/bell hop to help us with our bags(as listed online), so we grabbed our luggage, took our keys and headed to our room via the dilapidated elevator. This elevator was as scary as it was disgusting. The kind of elevator that you hold your breath on, not only because it is so dirty, but because you think that if you breathe it may stop working and you will be stuck in it forever. The elevator also does not have key access, so anyone can wander off of the streets and onto the guest floors. Upon exiting the elevator, we stepped into a dirty, dark hallway that was straight out of a horror movie. Dim lighting, cobwebs, dirty old carpet, paint chipping off of the walls, the whole works. We get to our room and open the door, and it gets, if possible, worse. With a loud bang, the door slams...

Prepare yourself for a scathing review of Sonder Flatiron, where my stay was marred by an unrelenting test of endurance, hygiene, and the staff's dismissive attitude. From the moment I stepped foot into this establishment, it became abundantly clear that my expectations for a comfortable and sanitary experience would be shattered.

Let's address the elephant in the room, or rather, the absence thereof: hot water. It is an essential amenity that one would expect, even in the most basic of accommodations. Unfortunately, Sonder Flatiron failed miserably in providing this basic necessity. The complete lack of hot water left me shivering in disbelief. Is it too much to ask for a warm and invigorating shower after a long day of exploring the city? Apparently so.

Speaking of showers, the state of the bathroom was nothing short of revolting. Stains and dirt adorned every nook and cranny, as if the concept of cleanliness had been entirely alien to the cleaning staff. It was a sight that left me questioning the overall commitment of Sonder Flatiron to maintaining even the most basic hygiene standards. Despite my attempts to bring this to their attention, their dismissive response was utterly disheartening. I had to ask them twice to clean the bathroom, only to be met with the incredulous statement, "We checked, it's normal wear and tear."

I'm sorry, but slime and blood stains on the floor, along with cracked tiles, cannot be dismissed as "normal wear and tear." Such a response is both insulting and deeply concerning. The lack of professionalism and accountability within Sonder Flatiron was evident, as they failed to acknowledge the obvious neglect that was tarnishing their own establishment.

The grim discoveries didn't end there. Stepping onto the shower floor, I was met with a slimy and unsettling texture beneath my feet. This added insult to injury, raising serious doubts about the effectiveness of their cleaning protocols. How could such an unhygienic environment be deemed acceptable?

When selecting accommodations, guests rightfully expect a certain standard of cleanliness and functionality. Regrettably, Sonder Flatiron fell drastically short in fulfilling these expectations. With a complete absence of hot water, a bathroom that resembled a forgotten dungeon, and a slimy shower floor that defied reason, my stay turned into a nightmarish ordeal.

I implore any potential travelers seeking a pleasant and sanitary stay in the Flatiron district to steer clear of Sonder Flatiron. Spare yourself the anguish and disappointment that I endured. Your comfort and well-being deserve better than this deplorable excuse for hospitality. From the lack of hot water to the revolting state of the bathroom, coupled with the staff's dismissive attitude towards legitimate concerns, Sonder Flatiron fails to meet even the most basic standards of cleanliness and...

Based off of my experience, this property has SIGNIFICANT room for improvement in hospitality, value, and service. The location could not be more ideal, sharing a block with some incredible food options (including vegan!) and within easy walking distance of the subway, Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building, and thrift stores. I even had a stunning view of the Empire State Building from my room! The neighborhood is popular among locals and tourists alike and felt safely walkable even at nighttime (however, this does mean there is noise, especially on weekend evenings, but ear plugs and a sound machine are provided complimentary). Extra towels and amenities are available on every floor, as well as free, first-come-first-serve luggage storage on the first two floors. Checking in and checking out are a breeze.

However, I had recurring issues throughout my stay. I was not notified at the time of booking that there would be rooftop construction every morning of my stay until the week of my travels, when it was too late to cancel my reservation without penalty. This felt unfair and intentional. The shower drain was clogged from a previous guest, so my first shower after traveling all day ended up flooding the bathroom (due to the ADA compliant shower). This was fixed in the morning by very friendly and efficient maintenance staff but was still an inconvenience and poor initial impression. My keypad stopped working less than halfway through my stay, and onsite security was nowhere to be found for hours. Through Sonder's 24-hour customer service line, I was eventually able to get a technician from another Sonder location to let me into my room (no sooner than 1am, of course, although he was extremely friendly, professional, and sympathetic). He offered to move me to another room, but I declined because it was the middle of the night and I was frankly exhausted. The problem was not resolved until I spent hours the following morning (through the afternoon) on the phone with customer service demanding that my situation be prioritized because it was going on fourteen hours since I had made them aware of it. The crescendo of my complaints is that my A/C unit was broken this entire time; my room reached 78 degrees at one point, never dropping below 72 degrees throughout my stay. Because this is an older building, they are still getting acclimated to modernizing it. All of the staff members I interacted with were truly amazing and doing their best given the circumstances, and I am not faulting them at all for their efforts. I have been in contact with Sonder about my experience, and I hope they evolve this location to achieve its...