Royalton Park Avenue — Hotel in New York

When entering our room, it was dirty, hairs in the tub, soap scum in the tub from the last person that bathed in it, mirror was dirty, and the glass tops on top of their furniture were all smudged and dirty. But, the biggest thing was that the pictures didn’t match the room I had booked online. I went downstairs and immediately said something to a man at the front desk, I was given a very dry apology for the dirtiness of the room and told I was in the room I booked. I wasn’t offered a clean room, no explanation of why the pictures didn’t match the room, nothing. The next morning I received a text from the hotel, asking if I was enjoying my visit, etc., I let that person know my concerns, again I was brushed off. The most disturbing thing at this hotel is the staff, the majority is young, egotistical guys. Each night we were there the lobby was a hangout for all the male staff. It was extremely intimidating and uncomfortable as they would stare you down when you walked through the lobby. After the first night there I started using a second exit next to the lobby, so I wouldn’t bother them as much, but it was always uncomfortable going outside. We weren’t the only ones that had this issue as a few other guests we made friends with complained about the same thing. We witnessed male staff talking to guests horribly, ganging up on a guest and they would also instigate guests. The aggressive behaviors and unprofessionalism is something I have never experienced at ANY other hotel before. I realized very early into our stay that we were going to be in New York for a few more days, so when coming in the second night I went to the front desk, interrupting the nightly hangout gang, I asked about extending my stay, he replied with “have you checked online to see if we have rooms available?”, I asked him if I could extend my stay through him, to which he said “go online and book it.” He was very rude and a bit intimidating, as he kept interrupting me and telling me to “just go online and book the room yourself.” After the interaction with the guy, I went upstairs and booked a room at another hotel online. On to the pool, we booked the hotel specifically because of the rooftop pool that this hotel advertises for their guests, what they don’t tell you, which is false advertising in my eyes, is that the pool is run by a separate company that sells spots to outsiders that aren’t staying at this hotel. The outsiders get FULL seniority of the pool over the actual guests that paid for this amenity when booking their rooms. The loungers and couches are all reserved from people who aren’t staying at the hotel. We managed to get about 2 hours of one day in at the pool the day before we left, we were told that we could set our stuff down in an area, but that when the outsiders came in, that we would have to move our stuff to the ground. The pool was over packed and the fact that we knew that we were on a time limit for other people ruined the experience. This is NOT told or listed when you book the hotel, you’re given the illusion that this pool is apart of the Royalton, when it’s really not. I asked to speak to a manager to tell him about our experience. We ended up speaking to BK for about an hour. I told him everything. One of the first things he asked was “why didn’t you ask to speak to a manager”, followed by excuses for the staff. For one, if the hotel was run properly, one of the several employees that I spoke to would have passed on that I was unhappy. Between texts and actually speaking face to face, someone should have notified management. I was under the assumption that I was speaking to management through texts btw. He asked us if we would give Royalton another chance and if we decided to extend our stay any further to reach out to him. I did reach out to him and he NEVER messaged me back. We were overcharged for parking by almost $300. We have called numerous times, spoken to several employees, all promise us a call back from management and nothing. My advice, save your money and find a place that actually values...

2024-July We arrived and checked in to this hotel on July 4th at around noon'ish. The check-in was quick, and the front desk staff was professional.

The room was ready. The room was small but clean. There are some snacks and mini alcohol that are inside the room for purchase. The small fridge was full of alcohol that we had to remove to be able to put our stuff. We put everything they had back in the fridge when we checked out. The mini fridge was not working when we arrived, but the staff was able to fix it before the end of that day.

The water from the shower came out brown the first time we turned it on. We had to wait for 5 minutes until it got clear. Shampoo, conditioner, and liquid body soap were provided and were attached to the shower wall.

You have to call the front desk to request for ice to be sent to you. No ice machines anywhere.

The bed was comfortable. The staff can provide a firm pillow per request.

There was a small rooftop pool that was open from 7 am to 9 pm. However, adults only from 6 pm to 9 pm. The pool water was a little heated.

The subway station is also a few blocks from the hotel.

The staff communicated through texting, which was fairly efficient.

Now for the major cons. When I checked out on July 8th, there was a $200 charge in my room that I did not recognize. The front desk said he would ask his manager about it.

As soon as I arrived at my gate at the airport, I texted the hotel regarding the extra charge they billed me.

They replied, "We have the copy of the receipt that is currently signed by yourself, as the CC provided declined, please send me the best email address to send a copy for your records"

Upon furnishing them with my email address, and checking the receipt they sent me, I explained to them that the signature on the receipt they emailed me was NOT my signature and that the transaction shown on the receipt was July 1st. (Just to remind my readers, we arrived via Southwest Airlines, in New York from Colorado on July 4th, the same day we checked in).

Here are more of their responses, "As your signature on the check is confirmed, we have spoken with 1507 already and stated this charge does not belong to them. This charge will stand, our apologies for the inconvenience, if you do not agree with the charge, you may dispute the charge with your banking carrier if you wish."

I sent them a copy of my driver's license that shows my signature. I also asked them how they charged my room for a transaction that occurred on July 1st when I hadn't even checked in until July 4th.

They responded, "Understood Ms. Terry, Could you then please explain the signature at the bottom of the check with your name? We did not have any other guest with your name in our system"

I attached the photo of the receipt they say shows a gibberish signature with a visible "T".

I got so frustrated because I did not realize that hotels can charge anyone for a transaction that occurred a few days before you checked in. So there was already a charge into my room (July 1st) even before I checked in (July 4th) that I was not aware of.

In the end, I just told them that I was going to dispute this with my CC company.

Upon realizing this, the hotel finally texted me, "We have taken off the charge as the investigation was completed, Please allow a few business days for the refund to be processed on your banking carrier side. Thank you again for your patience"

I am a Level 8 reviewer and I have never been in this situation. I waited a month before I posted this to be able to review this hotel properly.

Although the staff was nice, this hotel does not have a protocol on how to deal with their mistakes. Apparently, the server did not check the name on the card nor the name of the room they were charging into. Secondly, the management does not have the diligence how to investigate properly as it is apparent that we haven't even checked in when the transaction occurred.

Just be cautious with your bill when you check out and be ready for a lengthy...

I find myself compelled to write a review. I never do. I recently had a last minute trip to New York Fashion Week and decided to stay at Royalton Park Avenue from September 11th to 13th, 2025. The hotel’s location in Midtown, conveniently situated near my meetings and shows, was my primary motivation for choosing it. Upon arriving early in the morning, I had previously emailed the hotel requesting an early check-in and requesting that no additional fragrance be applied to my room. However, I received an email informing me that my early check-in request had been denied.

As a frequent visitor to New York, having stayed at various hotels in the past, this experience was by far the most unpleasant. Upon entering the lobby, I was immediately assaulted by a strong fragrance. I informed the front desk staff, who were checking me in, that I have severe allergies and that the plants and/or hotel entrance smell were causing me discomfort.

My face began to swell and my lungs started to tighten. I inquired about the possibility of entering my room to avoid the lobby with my luggage or about the possibility of receiving a refund so that I could proceed to another establishment, as my condition was worsening rapidly.

Despite my pleas, the staff responded with a lack of concern and indifference. They dismissed my concerns, stating that the smell did not affect them. I emphasized that everyone has different sensitivities to allergies, and what may not be bothersome to one person can be harmful to another. However, there was no empathy or compassion displayed, and they continued to assert that there was nothing they could do.

In comparison, most hotels would make every effort to accommodate guests with allergies. I have never experienced such discomfort and lack of care at any hotel in my life. I kindly requested that the staff hold my luggage so that I could step outside and obtain fresh air until my room was ready. Unfortunately, I did not receive my room until very late in the afternoon.

During that period, I visited the pharmacy and procured medication for the swelling. Upon entering my room and preparing for my event, I observed water emanating from the toilet area and a loud noise. I promptly called downstairs reception for assistance.

After approximately 15 minutes of waiting, the receptionist answered the phone. I informed them that water was flowing from the toilet and believed it was flooding. I requested an engineer to be dispatched to the room to address the situation.

We waited for an hour before an engineer arrived. Unfortunately, I was unable to use the restroom during this time, as the toilet was completely flooded. All towels were wet, and there was water on the floor. I had to implore the manager to come to the room to assess the situation. She eventually arrived, accompanied by an engineer, who promptly turned off the water.

However, we another hour waiting for the room to be cleaned. I requested to be moved to another room, but this was not accommodated. I also requested a refund again which was denied. Consequently, I missed my event scheduled for 8 PM, as I was unable to prepare or use the restroom.

Feeling apprehensive about entering the lobby due to my allergy, I attempted to resolve the issue by sleeping it off and anticipating that the following day would be better by 9 AM. Unfortunately, I experienced excessive drilling above my head, prompting me to call downstairs reception once again. It took them another 20 minutes to answer the phone.

This experience was undoubtedly the worst I have encountered, and I was forced to stay at the property for two nights. The staff exhibited unfriendliness and dismissal, lacking any customer service skills. Out of all the properties I have stayed in, this one stands out as the most disappointing. I can add pictures of swelling and videos...