Riverside Tower Hotel — Hotel in New York

As I write this I am staying at this hotel and just finishing up a long day. I feel comfortable and safe and am ready for a good night’s sleep. Before booking this hotel, I had my concerns, especially with the negative reviews I have read, but now, sitting here in my private room (my daughter and I have a suite) I am glad I took the chance. The hotel is old, very old, and, unfortunately, worn and dated. It gives an extremely poor impression upon your initial arrival. I recently moved from New York City, leaving a beautiful condo and the incredible soul of this amazing city. I came back to New York for a short two day trip and wanted to stay in Manhattan, in an affordable place, and this hotel was $150 cheaper for my two day stay than the cheapest hotel in the city (other than a hostel or a room with a shared bath). Being used to nicer accommodations, our first impression was VERY scary - especially the hallway leading into the room and the old-fashioned keys. When entering the room we were greeted by old wooden furniture in a tiny room with a single bed and a sink right in the middle of the room. Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed and worried we made the wrong choice. The two rooms of our “suite” were joined by a bathroom and one of the rooms has a small fridge and microwave. The bathroom has been remodeled and is also tiny but very clean. After getting acclimated, we left the building and strolled the beautiful surrounding neighborhood and had the BEST pastrami sandwich (and pickles) ever at Zabar’s, just two minutes away. Upon returning, we now had a different impression of the room(s) feeling that the quaintness offered charm and character (and a little privacy). Our experience of the beautiful and safe surrounding area made us appreciate the value this hotel offered and felt that, as one other reviewer said, this hotel would be much pricier if they modernized the rooms. Yes the plumbing is old, yes the walls are thin, yes the furniture, vanity and bedding is dated and the carpet is worn but the hotel is very clean and comfortable with no signs of insects or rodents. The fridge and microwave are a nice touch and, if you’re a TV person, the Samsung flat screens will keep you happy. The room doors lock automatically but do not have a secondary top lock or deadbolt like most hotels which may be concerning to some but we still felt safe. The paint on the baseboards is scuffed/old but we found no signs of filth or mold. Obviously we would rather stay in a more modern, larger room but the Riverside Tower is a great place for a short trip to NYC when you’re on a budget! Don’t let the low price scare you - the money you save on your room can be spent on some good times in the city! I was going to give it 4 stars but the staff in the lobby are upbeat, positive and very helpful,...

Would rate it 2.5/5.

I knew the hotel was still under renovation and that there would be quirks. Reading the other reviews I was aware of the single elevator that can get busy at peak times, etc and that was all fine.

In terms of positives, the price we paid for NYC is unbeatable but that’s because there are a lot of quirks. The rooms are clean and well renovated. I think the hotel rooms are great for couples or a max of two people. We were a group of three and there was some awkwardness (mainly around the bathrooms). The area is also in a great part of the city. The hotel staff are also very pleasant but considering most issues are not their expertise, they can only really apologize for the inconvenience.

As for the negatives: The building had hot water issues for our whole trip. We would only have hot water for two hours at a time, and it would be over a weird schedule that would change. Ex. On from 6:30-8:30AM, then off till 10:30AM. This was never conveyed to us upon check-in and we had to find out after trying to take a shower later our first night. The bathrooms were awkward in our room. The only separation is a sliding glass door that is fairly see-through and the first bed faced directly at the bathroom door. There’s a large bathroom fan in the roof that doesn’t seem to turn on/work. Make sure you’re very comfortable with who you’re traveling with cause you’re going to see and hear everything people are doing in the bathroom. TVs were attached to a Chromecast that only sometimes worked. We couldn’t cast on both TVs at the same time in the two rooms as it appears they aren’t setup properly. -The room was only cleaned once for our 4 day stay. They mentioned rooms are only cleaned for longer stays but our rooms were never cleaned on the specified day and we had to inquire with the front desk and request a cleaning, get clean towels, etc.

As others mentioned it’s a decent option when only needing a place to sleep. Once they get through the growing pains of the renovation, it could be a good option for a single person or couples traveling. That said, even at a discount, I don’t think our experience matched the...

Hotel is in a wonderful location. Just a short walk to the 79th stop of the 1 Train. Room is compact. With mine, you open the door and the bathroom sink was immediately in front of me..sitting in a space outside the bathroom. It was a bit of tight fit overall, but I am compact myself so that was fine. For the decent price I paid for the room..well in terms of NY costs you see for hotels, a "tight fit" for me, was not that big a deal. Everything was modern, clean and the bed very comfortable. I had a wonderful view of the Hudson River from my 15th floor room.

The staff were all very friendly and professional which is always an important factor for a hotel stay.

The basement had a workout facility that was very basic, but it was good they had that available. Also, downstairs was a machine to refill my water bottle.

One particular standout about the stay was that when I checked out, I did not want to be stuck dragging my bags around NY for my last day, and they were kind enough to hold them for a few hours. No extra charge. That was SO impressive and courteous of them!

They don't provide any sort of continental breakfast, but they did avail coffee.I think tea may have been available too.

Just a few minor negatives. Elevator is small. It says capacity is 10 people which amused me and some other folks staying at the hotel. It realistically fits about 4 people, and likely less if their luggage is with them.

The key card I was provided didn't initially work. Never had that happen before. Being so tired from my flight, that was a bit of a nuisance. They were eventually able to sort that out though, and it behaved for the rest of the stay.

Additionally, I wish their TV availed some local tv so I could watch the news after a day of wandering. Their TV is set up to allow a connection with your phone for some free streaming or paid streaming, but as much as I tried my phone was never able to pair with it which was a bit of a bummer.

Overall, I LIKED the stay and would recommend to other NY visitors. There are wonderful places to eat nearby on Amsterdam, and Central Park and the Museum of Natural History are in easy...