The Grand NYC Apartments — Hotel in New York

DO NOT STAY HERE. DO NOT BOOK WITH ELIZA. DO NOT USE AIRBNB. The room was severely infested with bedbugs living in the walls. We always check beds for bedbugs when we arrive, but these were hidden in the walls instead - making them impossible to detect during a standard check-in inspection. I have photo and video documentation of live bedbugs in the walls, on the bed, and dead ones we killed on the ground, plus medical documentation of the bites I sustained. Despite clear evidence, the host Eliza denied the infestation and refused to take responsibility. This ruined our entire trip. We lost vacation time dealing with the situation, had to pay double for last-minute accommodations elsewhere, and spent hours washing and sanitizing all our belongings. Getting a refund through Airbnb was a difficult, lengthy process that required extensive documentation and persistence. Lesson learned: Airbnb doesn't care about these situations at all. Even after Airbnb reviewed my evidence and issued a full refund (confirming the validity of my claim), the host charged my card an additional $175 without authorization outside of Airbnb's platform. She claimed it was for a pest control inspection that somehow found no bedbugs despite my extensive evidence. This suggests either falsified reports or an incompetent inspector - either way, something shady is happening here. When confronted, she became defensive and threatened legal action rather than addressing the property's issues. My bank is now handling a chargeback because she refuses to refund this unauthorized charge. Building management confirmed this is a repeat problem with her rooms. Instead of fixing the underlying issue, this host chooses to blame guests and exploit gaps in the booking platform's processes. She is running a scam operation. Any responsible host would acknowledge a bedbug problem and work to resolve it. This host does the opposite - denies clear evidence, charges guests for her property failures, and makes threats when held accountable. Save yourself the health risks, financial hassle, and stress....

⚠️ Caution: Disappointing experience – not recommended ⚠️

We stayed at this apartment in New York, booked through Airbnb with full payment made in advance. Unfortunately, our experience was far from satisfactory and raised several concerns.

Upon arrival, we were unexpectedly asked to provide a credit card as a condition to receive the keys. This requirement was not disclosed beforehand and appeared to be outside the platform’s standard procedures.

Once inside, the situation did not improve:

The apartment did not match the listing description. The air conditioning was not functioning, making the space uncomfortable. Toiletries consisted of just four small sachets of body wash for 4 persons for 6 days. More seriously, the apartment presented several safety concerns such as a kitchenette appeared modified in an unsafe way, with aluminum foil placed under the burners.

We chose to leave before the scheduled check-out time and did not use any extra services.

The most concerning issue came after our departure.

Approximately 15 days later, we were charged $175 without prior notice or authorization. This charge was made outside of Airbnb’s official system. When we contacted the host, Eliza, her response was dismissive and unclear. She mentioned “extra services” such as late check-out, additional towel use and cleaning—none of which we requested or used.

Even more troubling, Eliza alluded to a negative review we had posted on Airbnb (published the day before the charge), suggesting it was offensive and possibly the reason behind the additional fee.

In our opinion, this listing reflects a lack of transparency and proper guest care. We strongly recommend avoiding this apartment and any others managed by the same host.

For your safety and peace of mind, consider alternative...

Dirty hall way... no ventilation. Rooms are ok. Tiny. No housekeeping during your stay. No new fresh towels or linens....doesnt matter you stay 2 weeks, no fresh of anything whatsoever. You complain, then they tell you to go do your own laundry or they will charge $35 for cleaning and changing sheets. And if you complain, they keep on telling you one of the reasons why they are the chepest hotels. But they should not call themselves "hotels" then...... There is no internet. You will have to go downstairs to use free wifi, only in that designated area. I just used my phone 4g network. There is no front people working after 8 or 9ish. But there is a security guard who also checks you in, if you arrive late. They take your credit card info, and manual swipe, I kept on asking why they need that even when I prepaid for the rooms, he just said, this is the hotel policy and they need to keep the card copy. (For what???) I was ready to dispute the charges if they for some reason charged unknown fees.... I dont see it yet, and it has been a week since I checked out. Also they will charge you $50 for getting yourself locked out, and $75 to replace a key to your room. They give you 1 key. And the fees are different from their notice on the wall. The notice said lock out fee is $75. So dont forget to take your key when leaving the room! I will probably never ever stay here again. Tiny elevators.... max people with luggages will be about people. Elevator doors are also half the size then the normal elevators.... so...