Little Charlie Hotel — Hotel in New York

Quite simply -Do not book a stay at this hotel!||In all our years of travelling in the US - indeed the world - we have never had to leave a negative review but this demands a response, as much to warn prospective travellers to avoid our experience as to reflect on our stay.||||We have left a few days to give the manager an opportunity to respond to our concerns, but having only received an initial cursory ( we assume, generic and frankly downright rude ) reply, we feel that we have no option but to outline our observations.||||Having booked two nights at the hotel, we had no option but to stay for the first night, although our immediate reaction was one of shock.||Our room in question was as follows: a small double bed surrounded on three sides by walls, with no access, a small space at the end for one person to dress/stand and no window. In other words, a cupboard with no natural light.||The one ‘window’ was nothing more than a glass aperture, looking straight into the adjacent room ( literally) which was in touching distance across a black cement ‘chute’. The lack of natural light and need to have artificial lighting on continually would engender claustrophobia in anyone.||||Added to this, the lack of any effective soundproofing meant that every movement around us was amplified, leaving us with a totally sleepless night. Additionally, the poor water pressure meant that a shower was another challenge.||||A small positive was the attitude from the front desk manager who was charming and explained that he would need to refer the issues to his manager but fully expected our booking to be fully credited and certainly that the second ( unused night ) would not be charged.  The latter being the minimum we were due as the cancellation policy stated that only the first night would be charged.||||However, when we received an email response, it stated that we would be charged for both nights in full and implied it was our fault that we didn't realise what a limited room we had booked!  A claim which is made even more ridiculous by the picture they sent on our booking confirmation showing an altogether different and more spacious room.  Repeated attempts to contact the hotel by email since have received no reply!||||To add insult to injury, we were sent a pro forma asking for a 5 star review!||||One can only assume that the management are deluded as well as uninterested in their guest experience.||||To put some context on this, the Hilton hotel we moved to for the second night, which was just around the corner, provided us with a large corner king size room with walk out balcony at a room rate that was less than the Little Charlie Hotel had charged us.||||Do not...

Quite simply -Do not book a stay at this hotel! In all our years of travelling in the US - indeed the world - we have never had to leave a negative review but this demands a response, as much to warn prospective travellers to avoid our experience as to reflect on our stay.

We have left a few days to give the manager an opportunity to respond to our concerns, but having only received an initial cursory ( we assume, generic and frankly downright rude ) reply, we feel that we have no option but to outline our observations.

Having booked two nights at the hotel, we had no option but to stay for the first night, although our immediate reaction was one of shock. Our room in question was as follows: a small double bed surrounded on three sides by walls, with no access, a small space at the end for one person to dress/stand and no window. In other words, a cupboard with no natural light. The one ‘window’ was nothing more than a glass aperture, looking straight into the adjacent room ( literally) which was in touching distance across a black cement ‘chute’. The lack of natural light and need to have artificial lighting on continually would engender claustrophobia in anyone.

Added to this, the lack of any effective soundproofing meant that every movement around us was amplified, leaving us with a totally sleepless night. Additionally, the poor water pressure meant that a shower was another challenge.

A small positive was the attitude from the front desk manager who was charming and explained that he would need to refer the issues to his manager but fully expected our booking to be fully credited and certainly that the second ( unused night ) would not be charged. The latter being the minimum we were due as the cancellation policy stated that only the first night would be charged.

However, when we received an email response, it stated that we would be charged for both nights in full and implied it was our fault that we didn't realise what a limited room we had booked! A claim which is made even more ridiculous by the picture they sent on our booking confirmation showing an altogether different and more spacious room. Repeated attempts to contact the hotel by email since have received no reply!

To add insult to injury, we were sent a pro forma asking for a 5 star review!

One can only assume that the management are deluded as well as uninterested in their guest experience.

To put some context on this, the Hilton hotel we moved to for the second night, which was just around the corner, provided us with a large corner king size room with walk out balcony at a room rate that was less than the Little Charlie Hotel had charged us.

Do not...

In Manhattan, it’s tough to find a hotel that ticks all the boxes—location, service, cleanliness, space, etc. But Little Charlie is perfect for those who want a hassle-free stay, and the prices are incredibly fair!

We had a Saturday getaway here, and as New Yorkers, we know how hard it is to find a $200-$300 hotel in Manhattan in September when most places are $500 and up.

Pros:

• Midtown East Location: Safe and convenient. While some may find the space small, for those of us who grew up in Manhattan, it’s just right. There’s even a couple of cubic meters for a bit of play or lounging. For a small hotel, they’ve put in great effort with the design—hooks all along one wall, room for luggage under the bed, and a compact yet fully equipped bathroom. For a little over $200, it’s worth it. • Service: Although you can opt for a completely contactless check-in, the young man at the front desk is helpful when needed. He may not be overly chatty but gets the job done. • Amenities: The TV is connected to YouTube, so entertaining the kids is easy—no need for complaints. The bed is high, so families with young kids should be cautious, but it’s perfect for cozying up to watch documentaries. The room also has a sleep sound machine, ensuring a good night’s rest. And the breakfast? Truly praiseworthy—the bread is delicious and deserves a 5-star rating.

Cons:

• The rooftop is a bit disappointing. The hotel’s highlight, the Bubble Room, doesn’t quite meet expectations—out of five lights, three were out of batteries, so it fails to create that romantic atmosphere. The furniture is basic Ikea quality, which feels a bit rough and lacks aesthetic appeal, with some edges you need to be careful around. The use of the cheapest materials is probably the only flaw of the hotel, as it leads to a somewhat coarse feel and potential safety hazards. I managed to get minor injuries from two places: the sliding door of the bathroom and the under-bed luggage storage. • They don’t regularly check the bathroom amenities like body wash and shampoo; ours barely had enough for one person. Both the rooftop and the rooms come with high-quality speakers, but we couldn’t figure out how to connect to the Bluetooth, and it felt like too small of an issue to head downstairs and ask the front desk.

Overall, I’d still gladly give Little Charlie a full score—it was a...