The Harlem Flophouse — Hotel in New York

BEDBUGS !! In the Thelonious Monk room.||The total hotelstay was 9 nights. The start was good, since I had seen pictures before arrival and had liked the picturesque look. I did not expect high standard and was beforehand ok with that. The old-fashioned charm made me book this hotel. But I was not ok with that roomtemperature was guite cold and that the bedclothing gave a shabby feeling, since there was no duvet cover and guilts were not guite clean but obviously used by several other guests. However I made no complaints to Rene' the hotel owner about this.||After some days I got itching bites on handwrist and arm. It was itching and irritating, I scratched the bites, but did not think so much about it since I was busy being on holiday doing sightseeing in N.Y. But when I discovered new bites on my chest in the morning I reacted to that and Googled it up. The answer from pictures and descriptions was bedbugs !||I contacted Rene', the owner, and showed the bites. His immidiate reaction was panic in his eyes and complete denial. This was "mosquito bites or from a spider ", bedbug bites didn't look like that he said. He said I could go to a doctor for inspection, which I did, because I wanted to know, not only for myself, but also for the hotel, that if there was a bedbug problem, I myself had to prepare to do everything when I came home to sanitize all my luggage. And then for the hotel, to have knowledge and then take measures, so that other guests would not bring bedbugs into their homes !!||The doctor confirmed this was bugbites. I told this to Rene' but he continued to deny and reduce the whole thing. I also showed him typically looking stains on the side of the mattress identical to Google pictures of bedbug remains. His answer was: "This is from wine ". Then contradictory to all his denials, he took away all bedclothes to wash and sanitized the bedframe. ||The rest of the stay in the hotel I was met with agressiveness and refusal to listen, continued suggestions about "mosquitoes" ( i.e. in October and under a sweater and trenchcoat !?? ) , and walking away if I would bring up anything that had to do with the stress and discomfort I experienced. And that he needed to take account of that it seemed that there was a bedbug problem in the hotel that he would need to adress ! ||This agressive behaviour made things worse. Instead of being in this situation I would so much had wanted to be out doing sightseeing in N.Y in an easy mood ! And not the least: I lost a lot of time having to go through all my clothes and luggage. ||In fact this man, the hotel owner, changed completely, from nice at the beginning into arrogant, agressive behaviour. And has even made false suggestions that I was out for money. Instead of taking a serious approach to the bedbug issue ! Of course he denies since it is his own house and hotel !||This man runs the hotel all by himself, and he also lives there. So there is no other person/ staff to turn to except him. ||He said I could go to another hotel and in that case he would pay back for those 2 nights. I stayed since the harm was already done, he had washed all bedclothes, I abolutely did not want to waste more time looking for another hotel, and I did not know where to go ! There was no suggestion from him to help me find another hotel. ||||I am a woman, legitimated Psychologist and Psychoterapist, 75 years, quite able to know difference between right and wrong, and between lies and sincerity.||I am sorry to say I left this hotel with very...

We had a pleasant stay at the Harlem Flophouse and were enthralled by the old world charm that this property offers in comparison to bog standard chain hotels. With a 'home away from home' vibe, the guest house is located in the heart of west Harlem, with the subway a mere five minute stroll away. There are nice coffee shops in the area (our regular for breakfast was the Monkey Cup) and if you want a taste of authentic NYC living outside of the main touristy spots, Harlem Flophouse is a great place to stay. The area itself is quite safe, as long as you're relatively streetwise but I personally wouldn't advise walking around after dark. We returned to the hotel no later than 9pm (summertime) which was fine for us and never ran into any problems. The guesthouse itself is really well priced, and the old fashioned style of the place is the main attraction. We loved the low jazz humming in the background that welcomed us when we checked into our room (Cozy Cole), it was a lovely touch, and were pleased with the vintage furnishings, and ample room size which easily accommodates a small family. Overall the room was clean, my only small gripe is that the bedding and towels did not smell particularly fresh and were a little tatty, but if the owner invests in new bedding (and possibly new mattresses and pillows) this is easily rectified. The bathrooms are shared, but it's not a huge problem as there are only two rooms per floor, however the floor we were staying on only had a freestanding bath and no shower available, so we had to use the other bathroom as this is equipped with a proper shower. I would recommend that the owner installs a shower in both bathrooms for ease. Having said this, the bathrooms were clean and there was never a queue. Each room is also equipped with a sink which is handy. I hope the owner takes on board my comments about the linen as my family and I would love to return to the Harlem Flophouse, it's a charming, inspiring and fantastically economical gem to...

The Harlem Flophouse is a very funky 1880s house that has been a flophouse since 1917. The inside is quite beautiful, with loads of architectural details including bordered hardwood floors. The rooms are quite large, though the beds are only full, so sleeping may be bit cozier than what you are used to. Bathrooms are shared, one for each of the two rooms on each of the floors. During our stay, there was only one other couple in the house and we never saw them, so the bathroom was essentially private. There is a basin in each of the rooms, so you can brush your teeth, etc. in your room. We arrived on a very cold winter day and were greeted at the door by our host, Rene. We asked if he had anything warm to drink available and he immediately popped down to his basement quarters and returned with an electric kettle, mugs and a big box of tea bags that we used throughout our stay. The location couldn’t have been better for us, just a 3 block walk from the friends we had come up to visit. But it’s very convenient for anyone visiting NYC--2 blocks to the A-B-C-D subway lines as well as a number of bus routes that go across 125th street to the 6 subway line, and one of which turns onto Lexington Avenue and goes all the way down the east side. If you’re hungry, we suggest takeout from Charles Pan Fried Chicken at their 125th Street location. They were featured in the Netflix documentary “High on the Hog” and have excellent Fried Chicken, sides (black eyed peas are awesome) and cornbread at very reasonable prices. Just two regrets: we didn’t get to meet Rene’s cat and, because we were at an Anniversary party for our friends, we didn’t get to attend the regular concert he frequently hosts on the first floor of the house. And did I mention, the Flophouse costs only $125 per night, far less expensive than almost any hotel in Manhattan. ...