I break my silence with a review of a hotel.
I received an offer to stay at the Element Times Square last summer. I get these sorts of invitations often, and I accept them once in a blue
moon. They only rarely fit into my schedule, and furthermore they're not always tailored to my own interests. I'm no puritan. I like to work with tourist boards on my own projects but the cold email invite usually doesn't work for me. In this case I realized that I was already scheduled to spend a night in New
York at the end of September. I like good design and green approaches that don't cost an arm and a leg. So I set it up.
I’ve reviewed a lot of hotels. For years I reviewed hotels
for EuroCheapo, scores of them, most budget-friendly or midrange numbers, some
of them the cheapest bed and breakfasts imaginable, others hostels with
individual dorm rooms with 20 beds, yet others perfectly nice small family-run
hotels whose owners are more interested in building an ongoing clientele than
in fleecing one-time guests. More recently I've reviewed high-end properties, too, and have developed my sense of what differentiates the generic from the special at different price points.
New York hotels have always annoyed me. They’re overpriced and they’re difficult to review – tight control by marketing and/or pr means
that it can be difficult to actually gain access to rooms. And it's like
pulling teeth to get hotels to admit to their rates for various room types. The
general squirreliness that market pricing engenders makes New York hotels loath to acknowledge
starting rates.
So right, the Element Times Square. It’s a pleasant, crisp modern place, located in a
corner of Manhattan new to hotels, right next to Escuelita, where I spent some time in the semi-dark in 1998. I was “upgraded” to a room with a well-appointed kitchenette. The chain’s green
components have been gently implemented, and while they may not satisfy eco-warriors, they are generally good. Energy-efficient appliances, real cutlery, recycled flooring, and low-flow faucets all stand out. Other details include the magnetized do not disturb sign, which can be slapped on the outside of the door, and a little sticker
showing guests how to use the water-efficient toilet. The design is
pleasing, a white and green motif throughout.
The only problem with my room was the air conditioning unit,
which was choked with dust. I didn’t experience any air quality issues but it
was unattractive. Another issue, though perhaps one highly contingent on timing, is
the elevators. They’re overtaxed and as a consequence waits are very long. I
also found the snack bar to be annoyingly expensive.
My other issue is with pricing. The most basic non-view room begins at $249.
I asked Tom Meyers, my old boss at EuroCheapo, to give me a sense of context for Element's rates. I wanted
to make sure that New York hotel rates hadn’t ballooned since my last hotel
reviewing assignment there in 2009. Tom had this to say about Element’s rates, which I provided
for him without identifying the hotel:
We think that these rates could never be considered "budget." Our
definition of budget runs about $79-150, and we'd put mid-range at
$150-250. I would consider these to be mid- to mid-upper range rates.
I'd be curious to find out how often they sell their rooms at the upper
end of their range.
Would I stay at an Element again in the future? Yes, I
probably would, most likely at another location so as to benefit from a lower nightly rate. Element is innovative and generally eco-responsible. While there is room for improvement on both counts, too few big chains can make such claims.
