Riviera Hotel — Hotel in Newark

This hotel deserves no stars. This review is solely for the purpose of warning others before booking a room here. If your unfamiliar with the area or looking for a great deal you’ll think you hit the jackpot. This isn’t a “you get what you pay for” type of situation. We actually overpaid even it being a great price. These rooms are worth $35 a night and even that is pushing it. The outside looks like an abandoned hotel. It’s covered with graffiti and looks run down. Upon entering you will be greeted by very young inexperienced employees. One a “security guard” the other a desk staff that is behind a thick bullet proof glass. As were checking in I noticed over 10 or more people walking in/out and waving to staff. In my mind I immediately knew, these people live here! So I asked the desk staff and he confirmed that yes people live in this hotel. After waiting about twenty minutes for the completion of our check in, and paying an additional $7 for parking, we’re sent to this so called parking lot. It’s behind the building through an alley like broken down driveway and you have to get out of the vehicle and press a button to get the gate to open. It was a very tight turn to get into the parking lot. We then went through a back door that led us through a very tight hallway and then we were greeted by the toxic aroma of marijuana as soon as we entered the main halllway. We get to the elevator, it’s filthy and looked like it hadn’t been swept for months! We were scared to touch anything in fear we might contract something. We get to our floor and noticed right above our door is a huge camera. We enter the room to find a basic room that looks like a shelter room. No iron, no phone, no extra blanket and fumes of marijuana still seeping into our room. There’s a fridge placed on top of a random table, that froze everything we placed into it. Towels were folded under the lamp desk, floors were worn down, remote had caked on sticky nasty smudges on it, there was tape covering the outlets, bathroom tiles were broken and worn and looked like a inexperienced handy man covered up the cracks with cheap calk. The shower curtain had burn holes and soap scum on it. The box spring had brown stains on side of it. You’d think after all this we’d get the heck out of there but unfortunately we had a concert to attend in a couple of hours. We returned that evening and thankfully were able to sleep, windows wide open since heat was set to HELL! In the morning I gagged on fumes of marijuana again and was seen off by a huge ROACH that was casually walking on wall from behind the bed. Unfortunately we did not get a reimbursement from management after calling and reporting our experience. Booking site did however give us a credit. Live and learn; Always...

This hotel is not for "certain" people. It is a old hotel with low income residents, located in a low income neighborhood. Of course, if you have been someone who has lived a well-to-do lifestyle(you know who I am talking about) , this hotel may not be for you. Although check-in time is at 2pm, the person at the front desk was cordial, and got me a room early. The elevator was old, and never really got to use it, mainly because it never came to my floor. My room reminded me of the old apartments in Brooklyn and The Bronx, with the old bathroom and shower fixings. The floors,bathroom,mini-fridge and bedroom were clean. Maids cleaned my room daily and nothing was stolen, although the hotel left a message not to leave any valuable items, for which they are not responsible for. Initially, my Wi-Fi was not great. However, I spoke to the manager and although he got someone on it right away, it still doesn't work well. The room was cold throughout my time here. I asked the young woman at the front desk about the heat, and she said that the room was heat controlled..... That is code word for the manager of this building is saving money by turning the heat on within certain times of the day. I asked the young lady for another blanket, and she told me that the hotel didn't have any. Huh? As far as any major dining, you may have to travel downtown Newark, which reminds me of Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn or Jamaica Ave. in Queens. However, if you are just looking for a burger, on-the-corner chicken or pizza, there were a couple of places within walking distance. A major supermarket is directly across the street. As far as getting into New York City, the bus stops across the street from the hotel and will take you to Newark -Penn Station, which is a 10 minute ride($1.60). My overall assessment is that even though it may not be the best place, it should have the basics for any person who is visiting. Never heard of a hotel who didn't have extra blankets. Never heard of a hotel that was heat controlled. Mind you, I am staying at the Riviera Hotel in the winter time. It could use microwaves in the rooms. Also, the pictures on the site does not look like my room. Why is that? My thoughts are that if you pay 60 dollars, you will get a room like mine, with no heat and no Wifi. If you pay 80 dollars, you may get more. I guess it all depends on what site you book your room from. It could use some upgrades. Realistically, if you are someone who has grown up in any urban city in this country, then this hotel would be good for the pocket. I am unsure if I would book this hotel in the near future. If I am desperate, and I need a hotel, I would...

Oh the simplicity that is the Riviera Hotel... roughly an eight story brick building situated on the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. in Newark New Jersey... The Riviera is an uncomplicated establishment. Upon arrival you simply stroll past armed security to the bulletproof front desk. Checking in was very easy and the front desk people were polite when they told us there were no extra pillows in the whole hotel for our room. The (Forensic?) cleanup crew in room 517 was still busy with their duties so we sat in the lobby for a bit. The lobby is quaint with 21st-century plastered moldings, decorative crown and high baseboards. The lobby has been repainted so many times that I was "fairly certain" the lead paint they used back when the building was established was most likely contained by now. The same for the lobby could be said for our room. Our space was surprisingly large and our bed did not have bugs. We were allowed to have 2 very small pillows, a sheet and a thin blanket. Which complemented the hot "sauna like" conditions from the radiator. The windows weren't locked so occasionally we would open them for some fresh Newark air. Exhausted from travels, I took a bath in a huge soaking tub. The drain was out of order, but they do supply you with a complementary soap so I was able to use the wrapper to stop the water. They made the overflow drain a little more challenging. It was fun to remember to keep my feet away from the rusted metal. The hallways are wide enough so the paramedics could get at least three people out in a timely manner and the walls are thin enough to hear people yelling in other languages (English too) throughout the night. If you're hungry, there's a McDonald's in walking distance and I believe it's 24 hours. For additional entertainment there is a Hell's Angels chapter located almost directly across the street, but I'm not certain how to be a member. The locals are very friendly, especially to the women. Personally, They made me feel like a welcomed queen. We will...