The Helmsley Park Lane

I couldn't decide between 3 & 4 stars, but overall my stay was nice/decent & I don't have any big complaints so went with 4. I was happy with my room - it was attractive, bright & clean. I was pleased that I was able to check in early. The staff members who I encountered were pleasant (except the waiter in Harry's lounge, though pleasant enough, was not very attentive - we ran out of water a few times and had to wait for our bill for a while. If they had bigger water glasses that could help on the refill issue). There were some minor details that could have made my stay nicer if different: 1) I had called ahead of time to inquire if my room would have a mini-fridge and the answer was "yes". I was going to be working inside the hotel room for 2 full days, so planned to store some personal beverages and other small items in the fridge, but it turns out that the fridge was not usable for personal items; it 's set up to charge you when you remove one of their items & there is a sign asking you not to put your own items in there, plus there was barely any extra room in it anyway, and it also didn't feel very cold. 2) I had a hard time figuring out which of their dining options were open and when. I tried to check online before checking in and their site said that something was only open for lunch, but I couldn't tell what, and I couldn't tell if there was more than one option open at all. When I checked in I asked about the dining options and I was told there was only one. Turns out there were two; the park view restaurant and Harry's Lounge. The main restaurant was closed for dinner time but the lounge was open then. This was not a huge deal but I was busy and just wanted things to be more obvious. 3) Some of the prices on the in-room breakfast menu and the room service door knob menu did not match (a couple were higher & a couple were lower). No big deal but I like to know ahead of time the actual cost. Also, I only had one of the door knob room service request things and would have liked to use a second one the next day. Maybe the cleaning staff typically replaces them when they clean, but I didn't have them clean my room so I don't know. Also I didn't realize that I would have to request a glass of ice water to go with my pricey breakfast and there is no space to request water or individual beverages on their door knob room service menus. I guess they want you to buy water from their mini bar!

I travel a lot to NY for work and stay in a lot of different places. I expected the Helmsley Park Lane to be a beautiful classic hotel. On first glance it was all of those things. When i got into the room it was extremely warm so i turned down the thermostat and went out for dinner. When I cam back, it was still too warm so i opened the window and went to bed. Since the window was open I was awake all night long listening to the traffic outside. The next morning when i took a shower the shower curtain was so flimsy it kept floating into the shower. The drain in the shower also did not drain and I showered with 2 inches of water in the tub. Gross.

This is a decent hotel. However, the facilities are rather outdated.

Just OK, not great, no more than 3 stars. Staff was well below average. Needs a makeover.

Decent hotel in a great location. Nice and welcoming staff.

This is a well-located hotel on Central Park South, but it needs up-dating and is short on staffing. Everyone who works there is nice, but the under-staffing makes for long waits--a hour for a table for breakfast(?!) on both mornings I stayed there. One doorman in the wintertime handling baggage, front door, taxis, etc.-- it just can't be done properly like this. The place itself has a bare bones look that is not due to a minimalist modern vision; rather, it has an empty lobby devoid of character, amenities or much assistance. The rooms too need upgrading. Bathrooms don't seem up to the standards of a luxury hotel.

Great views if you have a park view room. The interior is very dated, bathrooms are motel style. All clean yet it needs updating

My Park View room on the 16th floor was a treat. It was large by NYC standards, clean and had the most amazing view of NYC I could have hoped for. The Subway entrance was just a few doors down. The interiors are a little worn but the bed is very luxurious.

The location was perfect . The view from our room looking at the Park was magnificent ! The beds were comfy with the extra pillow top . The rooms are large . The bathroom had not been re done since the 70's . looking forward to staying there again.

I read the mixed reviews on this hotel that are scattered across various websites. I can say that I had a lovely stay. I found the staff professional and attentive. The rooms were clean. The bed really was remarkably comfortable. And the location is fantastic.Seems to me that Americans hate this hotel, and foreigners love it. Sure, the rooms may not be huge, but, it's an older hotel. Sure, the appointments may be French provincial and a bit dated, but it's appropriate to the era. I thought the hotel had tremendous character and class.On the downside, they lost my reservation and I had to spent a fair amount of time on the phone with [...]ensuring that I had a reservation, then requesting documentation to be faxed over, then following-up on this fax -- only to have them present me with an incorrect bill upon checkout where they tried to charge me for the rooms again. But, it was all cleared up.Don't eat at the restaurant. Grease-city.