City Hall Grand Hotel — Hotel in Williamsport

This place could be really great. First, for the good: I stayed for a night with my wife in summer 2017 (perhaps some of the notes below have been taken care of) and really appreciated the use of the historic building, the overall aesthetic of our room and the building in general, the location, and the feel of the place. Everything felt clean and new. Overall, the check-in/check-out process was very easy. It was a bit odd/different to check-in alone to a seemingly empty building, but it was a weeknight and that's not a large problem unless you require or would like some formal services during your stay. It's something to get accustomed to. The guest areas w/ coffee and seating are pretty neat and cozy, as well.

Where the room felt like it went wrong is in some elements of the design that, perhaps, are trying to be too modern. (Obviously, I only stayed in one room, but I saw similar design elements in the other room photos.). We stayed in the Twain room. (1) There are no curtains on the windows. Venturing outside in the evening proved that there was also no film to tint the windows. You can see right in (even from a few floors below) from the street when the room is lit up. (2) There is no separation in the bathroom between the shower, the WC (there's a half wall for this space), and the rest of the room. It is very much an open concept. For a single person, this is probably okay. For some couples, this is probably okay. Ultimately, that's guest preference, but I imagine you wouldn't want to be surprised by this on your first visit with a friend, a new partner, or kids. (3) The shower wall has a giant sticker/image/graphic of Mark Twain staring right into the room and the bed (you can't see this in the photos). This was totally unnecessary, and it was a bit creepy. (4) There is no or min. floor threshold between the bathroom and the room. This allows water from the shower splash into the living/sleep area. The shower also opens into the room visually. I guess that's better than the toilet. (5) I don't usually watch TV, but there really was not a good way to watch the TV from the bed (it's about 90-deg to the right hand side) or otherwise. (6) Furnishings were minimal. As I recall, the lack of drawers, dressers, and closets meant everything was strewn on the floor. A larger nightstand would have been nice.

Overall, I'd give this place another shot. It's a really neat space, and they have a really great opportunity to make this a really comfortable stay with some small tweaks to the furnishings and accessories. Perhaps the biggest challenge (for some visitors) will be the open...

This is a unique hotel that may not suit everyone. It’s located in a renovated old city hall building, and you can tell that attention has been paid to the design during the conversion. The high ceilings, distinctive character, and historical photos add to its charm.||We booked at the last minute and immediately received a payment confirmation email. We had to call in to get the entry code (they answered on the third try). We arrived after dark, entered the code, and went up to our room.||There’s no reception desk and no traditional lobby; instead, there are two seating areas on the second and third floors. The larger area on the third floor has three sofas and a vending machine for snacks and drinks. The beds were large, and the room was clean and nicely designed.||Pros: This isn’t just another average roadside hotel; the price is reasonable, and communication with the hosts is efficient.|Cons: At least when we arrived (late September), the entire area felt dark and deserted. Entering the building (after receiving the entry code) felt uninviting, and the ground floor had a cold atmosphere—likely the vibe the owners intended to preserve from the old office building. At night, and as it gets colder, this feeling was somewhat amplified. To the right, there’s access to a restaurant/bar that was closed when we arrived. Perhaps when it’s open, the atmosphere is different, but I would recommend that the owners add functional lighting at the entrance (both inside and out) to soften the cold ambiance, especially for those arriving after dark.||A note for anyone booking a room for five: the room has two double beds (one king and one queen) and what is described on the site as a “futon bed.” In reality, it’s a short sofa that folds down into a surface the width of a bed but is shorter. Anyone taller than a small child won’t fit comfortably, which surprised us. We requested another room (the hotel doesn’t have any other rooms for five), asked for a folding bed (not available), or a mattress to place on the floor (also not available), and they were unwilling to provide a refund. In the end, we rearranged the sleeping arrangements, but it felt a bit unpleasant since it wasn’t disclosed anywhere that this was not a futon and the setup isn’t suitable for older children.||That said, for those who are mentally prepared, the hotel is unique, very quiet, and clean. It can’t be described as “cozy” (the atmosphere is quite distant), but it’s definitely an experience. If I return to the city (as a couple or alone with a good book), I would seriously consider staying...

I am handicapped and use a walker. Ramp to enter the building is not accessible from hotel parking area as there is a very large step to descend. I got down it with help from friends, but I was not able to get up this step to get to my car. Prior to arrival I received a very nice email from a contact person explaining where to park to use the ramp area, but she did not mention the large step. Ramp is also used as a smoking area for any employees. 2.To get to the elevator there is a very steep downhill curved area in the hallway. There is a handrail, but I could not use it with my walker. My friend had to hold on to the front of the walker while walking backward to keep me from losing the walker and falling. I was unaware of this. Handicap accessible room I booked is very small and cramped. Rooms are nicely shown when you book online but you cannot visualize room size, or I would not have booked this room. Other rooms were much better. It seems the larger the room was the higher the rate was, but that would not have been an issue. My walker would not fit between the bed and the wall on one side of the bed so I could not use the luggage rack Walkin shower is very nice and there was a shower chair. However there are no safety bars so I could not use it. There was nothing to hold on to Sliding barndoor functioned between the separate toilet and shower areas. Difficult for me to move it between the two areas. There was no chair in the room to sit on. I don't think a chair would fit as the room was so small. Bed was very high and hard to get in and out of. Restaurant is advertised, but it was not open. I was not told before hand. There was no help on site. Every door is coded. The code to enter is texted to you by 12 noon on the day of arrival. There is no front desk. I did have a cell phone number to call if I...