The Times Square EDITION — Hotel in New York

Severe Racial Discrimination and Distressing Service Leading to Tears at Times Square Edition

I am compelled to express my profound disappointment with my recent stay at the Times Square Edition of Marriott, where my girlfriend and I encountered not only substandard room conditions but also disturbing customer service, particularly from the manager, Joseph, which tinged with racial bias.We were also accused of posing a physical threat to the staff.This accusation is not only baseless but also extremely offensive.

The state of the bathtub in our room was appalling - it was cracked and peeling, posing a significant safety hazard. The sharp, flaking pieces of the tub could have easily caused physical injury, a risk unacceptable in any accommodation, let alone one costing $2,600 for two nights. However, the response to our complaint was far from satisfactory. Despite the high price, the hotel was fully booked and Joseph offered no apology or suitable alternative, merely stating the tub was usable. He said " the tub was functional, but cosmetically unappealing"Joseph's impatience and dismissiveness during our discussion over the phone were profoundly disrespectful. He even questioned our calculation and communication abilities and insisted we visit the front desk for an explanation.

Joseph's handling of the situation was not only inadequate but also suggestive of racial discrimination. Despite my status as a Platinum Elite member, Joseph's attitude and decisions implied a discriminatory stance, especially given his refusal to acknowledge our concerns adequately and his insinuation that we were being unreasonable.When we highlighted the tub's condition, Joseph's offers of $250 in food and beverage credits or 3,500 reward points felt both insufficient and irrelevant. He denied us access to another Suite, despite availability shown on the Marriott app, claiming it was reserved for VIP guests. This discriminatory treatment was deeply unsettling.

After complaining to Marriott headquarters, he seemed forced to come to apologize. However there is no sincerity in his apology, when asking if he understands why we felt being mistreated, he refuted every points we mentioned before and insist that every decisions he made were entirely right. This behavior was especially upsetting to my girlfriend, who was reduced to tears by his insensitivity.

Most concerning was Joseph's implication that our presence posed a physical threat to him. This baseless accusation is not only deeply offensive but also a severe allegation that escalates the situation far beyond a customer service failure. His refusal to inspect the room, citing fear of our presence, was both unjustified and indicative of a prejudiced mindset.

This entire experience has left us feeling not only disregarded as customers but also discriminated against. It is unacceptable for guests, particularly those paying a high price for what should be a luxury experience, to be subjected to potential safety hazards and such levels of disrespect.

Moreover, it became evident that the hotel had knowingly assigned us a room with a damaged bathtub. This revelation, coupled with Joseph's dismissive and confrontational approach, severely impacted our experience. Not only was the bathtub in the room damaged, but the mirror and one standing lamp were also broken, and there were cracks in the sink. The bathrobe even had hair from the previous guest on it. It's hard to imagine this is a hotel worth $1,300 a night.

This encounter not only reflects poorly on the Marriott brand but also raises serious concerns about racial bias and customer disregard, particularly given the high price we paid for what was expected to be a luxury experience. We expect Marriott's corporate team to address these issues urgently to ensure that such discriminatory and disrespectful treatment is not repeated with...

I recently stayed at the Edition Hotel Times Square for three nights over Labor Day weekend with my fiancé to celebrate our anniversary. Unfortunately, the service we received was far below the expectations we had, especially given the price we paid for our stay.

From the start, our experience was disappointing. Every time we requested something via the phone in our room, we had to follow up by going downstairs to the front desk, as our requests weren’t fulfilled otherwise. The phone in our room wasn’t working properly—it was constantly blinking but non-functional. We requested that someone come to fix it, and when an engineer arrived, instead of addressing the issue, he accused us of smoking or vaping, which supposedly caused lights to malfunction. As a dentist who has never smoked or vaped, I was shocked by this baseless accusation. Despite our assurances, he continued with his accusatory tone. It turns out there was a mix-up in the notes, and they thought we reported an alarm light issue instead of the phone problem. This was just the first of several frustrating encounters.

Additionally, we requested an iron so that my fiancé could prepare for a Broadway show we were attending. After waiting for 30 minutes, we had to call again to avoid being late. The iron eventually arrived, but only after that second request which caused significant stress.

The hotel itself is beautiful, especially the bar and lounge area. We decided to use our credits one evening after a show, but the experience there was equally disappointing. A waitress named Kara, with blonde hair and a nice haircut, repeatedly ignored my fiancé’s attempts to get her attention. Despite his polite attempts, including getting up and approaching her, she dismissed him and continued to be attentive only to the table next to us, who happened to be white. I don’t like pulling the race card, but it was hard not to notice the stark difference in how we were treated compared to others. Thankfully, a host named Kevin noticed our frustration and stepped in, providing the level of service we expected from such a high-end hotel.

On a positive note, the front desk staff was very pleasant and accommodating, always willing to help with any issues we had. The doormen on the first floor near the entrance were also consistently nice and welcoming. I want to make it clear that not everyone we encountered provided subpar service—some of the staff members were truly excellent.

Additionally, the hotel’s diffusers smell absolutely lovely. They even sell them on their website, and I would highly recommend either the diffuser or their candles. Their bath and body products also have a fantastic scent, and I thoroughly enjoyed using them during our stay.

My fiancé, who had planned this trip as a special surprise, was deeply disappointed by the service we received. He has vowed never to stay at the Edition Hotel again, and honestly, it’s hard to blame him. While I’m usually optimistic and reluctant to write off an establishment based on one bad experience, the series of events during our stay was too significant to ignore.

I sincerely hope that the Edition Hotel Times Square addresses these issues and ensures that all guests receive equal and excellent service in the future. It’s disheartening to feel dismissed or treated as less than, especially when you’re paying a premium for what is supposed to be a...

This is the lowest rating I have ever given a hotel. The reasons are all related to service.

First, there is no express check out. I had an early morning departure flight, and asked to settle my accounts at around 10pm the night before. I was told that this could not be done because the hotel's system only close out expenses for each day at mid-night and not before. In 30 years of global business travel, I have never encountered this at a hotel in this class.

Second, beware there is something shady going on with the bell service and transportation arrangements. The bell service team has its own arrangement with a driver: they told me that it would be much more expensive if I were to make transportation arrangements with the reception. Then two different bell men quoted me two different prices for the ride to Newark Airport: $120, or $100 with a 10% surcharge for credit card. On the morning of departure, a third bell man asked me "What price were you told?" Again, this is not the kind of experience I have ever had at this class of hotel.

Third, the front desk service was inconsistent. I had booked the room from Saturday to ensure that I would be able to check in when I arrived early on Sunday morning (I noted my estimated arrival date and time in the Marriott booking). When reviewing my bill the night before my departure, I noticed that on Saturday my room charge was shown as "No Show." I asked whether this could be corrected so it wouldn't cause confusion for reimbursement, the person promised he would take care of the issue. The next morning, of course it was not fixed, and I was in a rush to get to the airport. Fortunately, the early morning reception agent was much more responsible than his colleague the night before, and did ultimately email me a corrected invoice.

Finally, I experienced incompetent and rude guest services. I was ordering room service and asked for the "Edition Lovebird Lager" that was on the menu. The woman named Claudia taking my order said it was out. So I said any beer would do. She said: "No. There is no beer." Incredulous, I asked "There is on beer in the hotel?" She said: "No." I asked "Even in the lobby bar?" She said: "No. And you are not allowed to yell at me." I wished there was recording to demonstrate that asking incredulous questions was not the same as yelling. I went downstairs and spoke with the manager. He did apologize but also stated that the specific beer was not available, but I could get another beer at the lobby bar. I went to the lobby bar and asked the bartender to recommend a beer. Guess what he gave me? The Edition Lovebird Lager.

In addition, there was the minor issue that I had requested foam pillows and got feathered ones.

I chose this hotel for two reasons: its proximity to my business meetings, and its newness. The hotel did not really feel new: it actually was already kind of worn. And if you didn't need to be in this location, I would recommend staying away from Time Square: it is loud and touristy.

I will not likely choose to stay here again, even if it is close to where...