The Muse New York

Just got back from 4 nights leisure stay at the Muse. Good location near time square and lifts quick. Fairly clean room although mirror coated in dust. Prior to our booking, I contacted the hotel if I could pay on two separate cards as it was a friends trip, this was confirmed by the hotel that it was absolutely fine. We check in at the hotel and confirm we would like to pay on two cards, the receptionist stated that wasn't a problem but we have to pay on check-out and we were not able to settle the bill on check in. The receptionist then asks for a credit card to secure a safety deposit on the room. Before we get chance to confirm how much this is, we check how much has been taken on the card my friend has just provided. As this is an American card no amount appears on the keypad. We asked how much the card was swiped for and the receptionist stated “oh let me check”. The receptionist then tells us the card has been charged a $1900 hold! $1600 being the hold for the room and $250 deposit. We expressed our shock at the amount not being advised to us and we queried why we couldn’t pay now on both cards, again we were told it has to be done on check out with no explanation. We get to the room and the room has only been prepared for 1 guest- 1 towel, 1 bath robe, 1 flannell, 1 glass. Clearly no cross check on the guest list done on house keeping. There was a buzzing all night every night from the room, my friend is a deep sleeper so this did not affect her but annoying nonetheless. On our 3rd night, someone was trying to get into our room around 4am waking us both up. It also sounded like this person was trying to get into other rooms at the time. We reported this to reception as it could have been as simple as a lost or drunk guest but also could have been something more serious. We were told this would be reported for security to look into, but not once did we get an update on this and for us not to worry. Having worked at as a Guest Relations Manager at a major hotel in London, I find it very disappointing that the hotel didn’t find it necessary to provide a simple update back to young females on this concern. It may have been nothing but equally would have taken 1 minute to make a call/visit to the room to let us know as a courtesy. We checked out to which I confirmed again that we will be paying on two cards, to which the receptionist says “no”. I laughed presuming it was a joke and the receptionist proceeded to tell us that to pay on two separate cards it had to have been paid on check in and because it wasn't, it now has to be paid on the card used for the deposit hold. We informed the receptionist I have in writing that we can pay on two cards and we also were told this on check in we would do this on check out. The receptionist told us that receptionist who checked us in got this wrong as there is no possible way we can pay on two separate cards. We were extremely unhappy as we tried every attempt possible to avoid this issue and were instead fobbed off by staff. We asked to speak to a manager to which we were told the hotel director wasn't at the hotel and we were given his card. We kept asking if there was a way to sort this and were purely told no. This was the first time I have ever been told I cannot pay on a different payment method/card on check out. We settled the bill as we were given no other option and asked to book a cab, once again we were told different amounts to when we asked about a cab to JFK earlier in the trip. Reception staff need immediate training in service and communication delivery. Clearly all staff do not understand the payment procedures and do not care to take large payment amounts of almost $2000 without warning or care. Customer service was basic throughout. I travel to New York at least once a year mainly with work and would never return to this hotel or recommend it as a result of this experience.

An upgrade just because the room was open! The lovely gentleman behind the counter was checking me in and said “can you excuse me for a minute?” He walked back to another staff member and came back 30 seconds with a big smile on his face. He told me that his favorite room was open for the night and offered me a complimentary upgrade. He was very excited and told me that the room was beautiful and had a big balcony. It was such an unexpected gesture, and I felt so cared for! The room was exactly as he said - beautiful and with a large gorgeous bathroom. And the balcony was incredible! I got on FaceTime with both of my kids and husband to show them around. It just made my day that the staff went out of their way to give me an extra special stay. Hours later when I was in the lobby, the nice person who set me up with the room called me over to see if I liked the room. I swear he was just excited about it as I was! I know this can’t happen every time but I will not forget and I will be back. Thank you!

My son and I take an annual trip to NYC to see several Broadway shows and have stayed at many hotels in the Theatre and Broadway Districts. The Muse New York is by far, the best choice for location, friendliness, cleanliness and value! The hotel has been recently remodeled and the lobby is fresh and inviting and they are adding a bar area currently which will offer drinks as well as grab 'n go snacks. We are always greeted with a smile and the concierge, Yaevick Cuevas is delightful and very willing to assist with reservations and recommendations to make your stay the best it can be. We also had the opportunity to meet with the Director of Operations, Joseph Fiordilino who is very friendly, accommodating, and responsive to customer inquiries. He takes a personal interest in ensuring that the guests have a positive experience and reaches out to resolve any concerns. He definitely values the guests and their opinions. The doorman is also very friendly and helpful in calling for cab service. The Muse New York is just steps away from Broadway, the theatre district, restaurants and the hustle and bustle but it is quiet and easily accessible. We love being close enough to the theatres that we can sneak back for a quick rest between shows and freshen up before dinner and the next show! The rooms are modern and updated and clean and offer good lighting, plenty of space, comfortable beds and several pillow choices. They even provide complimentary luxury robes. We highly recommend The Muse New York for your next visit to NYC! We are returning to The Muse in December for a couple more shows and will definitely book this hotel for our future trips! Thanks to all the staff for making our visit a perfect one!

Daniel was the star of this hotel and made the entire experience spectacular from start to finish. He went over and above to make us comfortable in a beautiful room with a balcony, warm attention to detail and some fantastic recommendations for off the beaten track venues from diners to piano bars. We have traveled all over the world but loved every minute of our stay at this peaceful jewel of a hotel. Thank you Daniel so much - we hope to visit you again very soon! D&J Lindsay

I ended up at The Muse in a unusual way. I originally booked the RIU Times Square, but they overbooked, and sent me to The Muse with a voucher. (I guess this is called "being walked" which has never happened to me before). Although I was very frustrated at the situation (at hotel RIU, not The Muse), it turned out better than I expected! The manager at The Muse Hotel - Christian, was very helpful offered to have me look at the room first before accepting the voucher, which was spacious and quite nicely appointed. He handled that very well, even though it was a situation not of his making. I ended up using the voucher at The Muse, and after a nice night of rest in a nice room I checked out, only to discover at the airport that I had left my laptop in the room! I was a bit stressed out, but called the hotel and they put me in touch with security - Angel Collado, who said that the cleaning staff – Gina Yu found my laptop and turned it in! Angel, had me print out a shipping label via fedex, and he packaged up my laptop and sent it out. I just received it today, just two business days after I left it! And this was in New York City!!! Hotels are in the service business, and us business travelers tend to forget how security and housekeeping are an important part of a hotel's staff...they both provided outstanding service when it really counted. Kudos to Angel and Gina and the Muse Hotel!