HGU New York

Hotel

Firstly we should note that when we last stayed in NYC (April 2019) we had an exceptional experience from our previous hotel. They upgraded us to a suite, so there was always going to be some comparisons drawn between the two establishments. That said, there was still a lot to be disappointed about in this hotel. We had a late check in as we didn’t arrive into JFK until after 10pm, immigration was a nightmare and so we didn’t arrive at the hotel until near midnight (we had informed them prior to arrival this may be the case). When we arrived at the hotel it took us a while to find the reception, which is set back down a corridor and hidden in a corner. So instantaneously we were put off by the lack of human presence, there is also no door man or concierge. When we got to the check in desk the clerk on duty, whilst not overtly rude, did have an air of not being bothered. There were no pleasantries other than, ‘Hello can I help? ’ None of the New York warm welcome we had had in the past. There was no explanation of facilities (later in our stay we found a bar and a cafe area. We didn’t use the cafe, but did use the bar which we found in inviting. The bar person was sat drinking and watching a basket ball game, and again not rude but took them a while to tear themselves away from the game and deliver our order… two bottles of water) and we were asked for our room deposit — which is a standard practice, we know, but the tone and demeanour was very cold.

I didn't feel like I was staying in a 4-star hotel. I booked for a week and things were weird since day 1. The general atmosphere was weird. My room was dark, even with the lights on. Because of the pandemic, the restaurant and rooftop are closed. You can't eat breakfast there but they do offer coffee in the morning, starting at 7am. However, for 3 days in a row, there was no coffee at 7:30 or 8:30 am? The smell on my floor (3) was horrible on my first day there. I complained about it and I don't know if they did anything. It was a mix of smoke/cigarette/animal smell. Not pleasant at all. That smell came back during the week. The hallway was dirty for 2 days, nobody ever cleaned it. No cleaning service because of the pandemic, which I don't completely understand but on their paper, it says it's because they could not rehire everyone. I do hope that the common areas were cleaned, but I personally never say anyone cleaning. I did have my mask down once, while waiting for the elevator, as I was talking to my daughter. I got yelled at by the receptionist, asking me to wear my mask in a very aggressive and cold way. Again, that doesn't highlight the fact that you are staying in a 4-star hotel… Whenever you ask for something that is missing, it's always someone's else fault. I was using a stroller all week and the door is not practical for strollers. There is a bell outside to call for assistance, nobody ever came. All in all, I didn't like this hotel.

Best hotel very nice and clean reception very polite bed is comfortable I love it I live in New York City just needed a piece of mind this is definitely the place.

The bar is small but VERY nice. The service is very good.
Good mr.

Wonderful atmosphere! Great food. Love the bar! Love the decor and location! Great for meeting friends and clients!

Great roof. Good service and great views.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Beautiful! Came for the US Open and some sight seeing. Beautiful hotel, small and quaint! Everyone was so nice and attentive! Close to everything, quiet area, rooms were beautiful! Thank you!

Error was made with front desk and. They couldn't fix error and had to go to another hotel and couldn't help at all so disappointed I. Love the place at. First but I will not come back again.

Without a doubt the most friendly luxury hotel in the area. The atmosphere is upbeat and inviting. The staff are professional and eager to assist. I would give HGU a five star review. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Monday night open mic night.
Great bar food, cold beer, and awesome drinks.

Our favorite hotel in NCY! The staff is great, especially Danielle who always welcomes us with a big smile and ensures our stay is always wonderful! This is our third time staying in this hotel and we’ll definitely come back!

Absolutely love this hotel! Such wonderful welcoming staff! Room was extremely clean and quiet and cozy! Location was excellent and Valet parking made it so easy! We will definitely be back very soon!

Great boutique hotel, right in the heart of Manhattan, next door to Korea town and the empire states building. The rooms are quite small, but nothing surprising for New York. Theres a rooftop terrace which you can see the Empire States from. One star deducted because various things were not working when I stayed. The key cards didn’t work when I first checked in, the umbrella was broken in my room. And there were some items I had to personally ask for that I usually expect to be in hotel rooms, like toothbrush and slippers and kettle. Not a huge issue but still would have been better not having to ask.

I stayed at HGU New York over the weekend. The hotel was beautiful with an artistic and classical feel to it, the staff was friendly, and the location was great. All in all, very happy and will come back again next time I am in New York.

First, the room was small, which given the location, I could totally understand. However, the king size bed room was inside facing, so there’s no sunshine, the only view was a sewage pipe. What upset me the most was one particularly staff, a manager. It was a very raining day when we first checked in, I found the bed sheets wet which is totally understandable. I asked nicely to get some new sheets and linens and they could get it right in 1 hr. I went to see the manager who instead questioned my intention, and treated me like an idiot. Walmart would have better customer service than this… at least their managers wouldn’t jump to the conclusion that you are screwing with them after they have you wait for one hour.

The HGU is in a great location. Close to the subway, Madison Square Park (best park in NYC) and some great restaurants. The rooms are very clean and pretty good size, we stayed in a king size room. The defining quality though is the staff! They are amazing. Every single person we interacted with was genuinely well mannered and helpful. I had my phone stolen from a coffee shop and the staff was so helpful in providing me assistance with trying everything to find it. The doormen and women are beyond amazing! They should all get raises. I would definitely stay here again in a heartbeat.

Luxury Hotel DEFINETLY a great experience. Monday night's they have open Mic night. The music tends to be very good. The hotel looks like a modern 50's yet simple hotel. Their lounge is personal and feels like you are at a private V. I. P event. The rooms are small but very comfortable, clean and the bathroom is a beaut I would definitely recommend this hotel.

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived to this hotel. The front desk gave us no hassle to check in early. We had to wait about 30 minutes and we did that at the bar inside of the hotel. The service at the bar was the only downside to my visit to be honest. The waitress seems preoccupied with other things although we were the only patrons at that time. The rooms were surprisingly a decent size (you know how hard it is to find a spacious room). The room was impeccably clean and warm! Lol. We stayed here during New Years and it was freezing in the city! The hotel is in a great location. You can walk to Macy’s in 34th street and surrounding area. For those that don’t like to walk, there is a subway about 1 block away. And of course its NY, so there are plenty of cabs, etc. I forgot to mention the restaurant and lounge in the hotel. The restaurant had a limited menu, so we didn’t dine there. The lounge are is very cozy and great for … lounging and having a few drinks. I’ll definitely be back here — when it’s warmer ;)

Small size rooms, dry reception at the front desk, no fitness room.

My stay at the HGU was awesome. It was my first time in NYC and I am so glad that we found this place. Such a pretty location and very “homey” feel with a hip vibe. Danielle was super awesome and made us feel at home. Jason the bartender was great by making wonderful drinks and was very personable. The roof top was so fun and had such a great view of the Empire State Building. I would definitely stay here again the next time I visit NYC!

The hotel is gorgeous and extremely clean. HGU has a wonderful staff that is professional, helpful, and attentive. From check in to check out everything was a smooth process. The location is perfect too. This hotel is definitely a must stay!

A very nice small hotel. Hotel staff are very friendly. Danielle is one of the impressive staffers that made me feel warm and welcome. Thank you Danielle for changing a quieter room for me!

It's a small and cozy place, two bars downstairs to entertain visitors, room was big enough for one first it was cold until I figured out how to work the heating system. I also found it safe to walk to and from even at night.

Great little hotel with good bars and great service. Breakfast experience can be improved and lack of an on-premis gym is a minus.

I definitely recommend this Hotel. The HGU is right in the Center of the City. Located right in the Times Square area. It is conveniently located near everything from Restaurants, Shopping, the Theatres. The service and staff was always excellent. Very nice and accommodating. The rooms are very clean, beautiful, and we'll kept. If you're looking for a great stay while in NYC, I would give the HGU a try.

A great boutique hotel. I had a thoroughly enjoyable stay. Would definitely use it again.

Hotel definitely impact, modern style with photos and modern paintings on the walls. Nice lobby, though hidden after the tiny lobby with classic leather sofas and beautiful paintings on the walls. Ditto for the bar. Standard rooms, we had a standard queen… 5 days we had a good time, although some space would have made it convenient. The breakfast leaves a little bit to be desired. We had an unlimited continental buffet… But they often lacked things. Limited spaces for breakfast. Better get her out in one of the many old-fashioned diner. At 600/700 m from the hotel on Park Avenue towards downtown is the Big Daddy's which is spectacular. What about not bad as a hotel, definitely recommend it but by a 4 star I expect more, much more.

Nice place, the people are the best, especially Danielle! They need to soundproof the windows on the lower floors to dampen the street noise at night. Chef is great and very inventive. All in all top marks.

Clean, sophisticated and cosy rooms in a beautiful and trendy hotel. Though the rooms are on the smaller side they make it up in comfort and style. The service and staff are very welcoming and accommodating, they were superb in helping out with various issues that came up. The excellent location is a great bonus for a hotel that feels high-end without the high cost.

Very nice staff. Great, clean, design. I would be happy if every hotel I ever stayed in was like this. Perfect.

It was a little bit clean, comfortable and very good value for money.

Very impressive hotel. Staff is friendly and awesome. Beds are comfortable.

Great location to visit New York. Nearby Metro station.
The room in the hotel small and cozy.
Very helpful and friendly staff.

Great place, nice room 15 minutes walk to time square 5 minutes from empier state, but too expensive.

My husband and I were only in the city for one night but we found the HGU very delightful. Very hip vibe but a bit noisy streetside. Loved the dining room for lunch and the food was amazing. I'd recommend a stay but pack small bags. :)

Very helpful front desk. Danielle was a very friendly and supportive Staff member. She answered all our questions at the front desk and gave us the proper assistance.

Great location. Room is not big, but very well arranged. All new & clean. Advise that you book the larger (20m2) rooms, as I can imagine the smaller rooms have to be tiny.

We stayed here a few months back for a whole week and we loved it here. Well situated and well priced for the area. I mentioned it was my partner's birthday prior to booking and we receive some complementary cocktail passes for their very cosy bar to celebrate. Very friendly reception and door staff.

Got the small room on 2/F at full rate and it was very disappointing. It was not worth the money. They eventually moved us to a room on 10/F which was way better. At least I didn’t have to use ear muffs when I slept.

It is basically rooms with no windows above a very noisy pub. There is no sound proof or smoke proof. So if you like sleeping in a disco club, this is the hotel for you.

Clean room, great service, nice bar, solid staff. Solid for a mid town reaction.

Very Small rooms, but par for the NYC course. The rooms are nice and the beds, super comfy. Great location and not a far walk from anything.

Convenient location for business travel. Wouldn't have minded if there were some free food included, but I guess that's not so common in NYC.

Rooms are on the smaller side but very high quality and the environment is good and service is great!

Comfortable room. Friendly staff. Affordable rates. Would definitely stay here again.

Beautiful, comfortable, very good services. The restaurant is however not up to par (too salty, a card not efficient enough and too much waiting before the service). Good cocktails.
Very good service Therefore the restaurant needs to be improved (too salty, not a great menu, you wait too long before eating). Good cocktails.

Loved this hotel ❤❤ artsy boutique hotel with lovely furniture and are pieces all around its areas. The rooms are not considered big but they're a comfortable size. Staff is wonderful and cheerful. Easy to get to and lovely to walk to and from.

I was in a discounted room so not expecting much but wouldn't be worth full price. Very small room. Night staff did not seem to understand what hypoallergenic pillows/blankets are (all provided were down). Bathroom was literally freezing no matter how high heat in room, water did not ever get hot only mildly warm. "window" looked at concrete wall/roof. But day staff was very nice and slippers/robe/bed/TV/mini-fridge all good. All was clean. Great location. No coffee in room.

Perfect spot for 2 people visiting NYC. Definitely want to stay here again. The art & photographs on walls is wonderful, has romantic vibe, staff MORE than helpful. Cozy bar with fireplace would make it a good spot for Winter so must be back then. Don't change anything here!

This place isn't too bad for the price. I stayed here a couple of times years ago and it's what I'd call a budget hotel, considering NYC prices. It's not a Marriott or Hilton and certainly not the Plaza but gets the job done. Hope this helps.

Very good location, directly next to the subways station. The staff what very friendly and polite. The room what ok (and clean all the time), not very modern but we knew that from the pictures. The only thing which could have been better what the Wi-Fi connection (10th floor). Breakfast which included, which we didn't know. It what a nice one. We stayed there 10 days. It's a perfect hotel for a city trip! Thank you!
A super hotel for a city trip, because it lies directly on the subway. The breakfast was included, although we had not booked it. It was more than adequate in all cases, but expect no ultimate breakfast for the price of the hotel. The staff was friendly and helpful all the time. The room was decorated on the pictures, not particularly modern but functional (and for New York relationships quite large) and clean. Wi-Fi was included in the price, but unfortunately we had connection problems in the 10th floor occasionally /-crashes. We had all in all a great stay at the Hotel Grand Union.

It's ubication is great. The rooms have all things that you need for a good night.

I recently stayed at this hotel on 11/30/13 and 12/1/13 and have nothing but compliments to say about the hotel, the staff and the cafe at the hotel. My rooms were very clean so were the bathrooms. I love the historic feel and look up the hotel and I will be definitely staying again at this hotel. The rooms were much more spacious as was the bathroom compared to the Lexington hotel not too far away. Which was occupied by another family member of mine on the same dates, he had several complaints during his stay at a so-called fancier hotel.

Beautiful historic hotel with great facilities and service. The price is incredible and the neighborhood will situate you in the middle of all the action in New York with great access to other areas.

The location is unbeatable. Very central and ideal for a NYC trip.

I strongly advice not to go to this hotel unless you really want a well situated hotel. Actually, that's the only good point about this hotel.

Room was still dirty. Soap from previous guest in the shower (stuck to the shelf). Dirty and stained floor. Air conditioning was broken.

Own everything very well, only that bad not to100% was on the day of arrival. And the room was very small and dark, but since anyway the whole time out there is it not really bother.