Best Western Convention Center Hotel

11/11/09

Space-heater-heated, cold, smokey room

by Traveler09Z at Citysearch

The Best Western Convention Center Hotel has confirmed that they rented out not only my room but other rooms as well without working heating systems with overnight low temperatures of 42 degrees in New York City. The management said, "We told them that it was simply unacceptable for our guests to stay in our hotel without heat." Unbelievably, the management then rented out these rooms with small space-heaters without any respect for their customers or their brand.

I paid for a king-sized-bed room. Without any warning, I slept a twin-sized bed in the cold with a smokey space-heater that caused the smoke alarm to repeatedly wake me. My important trip was adversely impacted. The management says twin beds with space heaters with 42 degree outside temperatures are in keeping with Best Western's brand. Only a smokey room is slightly inconvenient. They offered a 10% discount.

I have stayed in no-name extremely inexpensive hotels in the wintertime in mainland China who have a standard of quality that vastly exceeds Best Western's. In Manhattan there is no reason to ever willingly accept this situation.

If you are forced to stay here check for two twin beds (each with their own set of sheets) deceptively hidden under a single king-sized bedspread. When I complained, the management called this their idea of a "California King." This seems like a simply illegal bait and switch to me. Immediately check to make sure the heating and cooling system works. Immediately verify that your smoke alarm will not repeatedly sound during the night. Wait, I believe this is impossible, I advise staying in any of the plethora of other hotels that have heat and at least a modicum of concern for their guests and their reputation.

• Pros: close to the Javits Convention Center
• Cons: Space-heater-heated, cold, smokey room with alarms