AKA Central Park

Read and judge for yourself. I received an email 2 days before my trip letting me know there would be facade maintenance and to possibly expect noise and obstructed views from 9-5 during my stay. Fine, but, struck me as shady to send the note 2 days before with a 72 hour cancellation policy. I needed to work from the hotel so given this info I might have looked for another place. Day of, my flight lands at 5am, and I head to the hotel to check in. The place is a ghost town. I wait for somebody, anybody, to help, but not only was nobody working the front desk, there was no security or anybody from the hotel FOR OVER AN HOUR before I decided to leave. Who knows when someone showed up eventually. I left after 2 more people came in and we were all flummoxed on what to do. I tried calling the hotel 5x and could see the phone as it was ringing. I leave a voicemail (which was never answered, btw). From the lobby I tried calling the sales line and got through to a person who informed me that since it was the morning of the day after check in (because I booked an extra night to ensure I’d have a spot after arriving early in the morning) they could not alter, cancel, or do anything with my reservation. I was stuck. At this point I was panicked and decided to leave to find a place to crash before important work meetings. Alas, there must have been something going on in the city that evening. I physically had to walk into hotels to inquire about availability because reservation sites don’t let you book for the night before given an early morning check in. I got no after no given hotels were fully booked when thank God a Hilton had an opening. Another hour wandering around New York in the morning after a long flight to find this room. AKA’s General Manager, Lauren Barbot, emailed me later that day to ask when I expected to check in (lol). I explained what happened and guess what? No response. I bumped the email a week later as at this point I never received a call back to my voicemail or response to my email. She never responded and it’s going on 3 weeks. So… good luck if you decide to stay here. Sharing in case my experience is helpful to others deciding. At least the Hilton had several front desk people, a security guard, and I imagine if I called them someone would have picked up or called me back.

Perfect Christmas in New York. Family of 4 enjoyed a terrific holiday. Fantastic location, behind the Plaza Hotel so just a few steps away from Central Park South with useful subway access. Rooms had plenty of space. Comfortable large beds. Good kitchen including coffee maker. Amenities on offer were also great - cinema room, bar, cafe, fitness centre, laundry.

By New York standards our room was huuuge! We had a king size bed, kitchenette, dining table and chairs, walk-in wardrobe and a big bathroom with bathtub/shower combination. The hotel also has washers and driers available for use free of charge and they even provide the washing powder free too. Location wise we were exactly where we wanted to be .....very close to Central Park without having to pay the ridiculous prices of the hotels literally just across the road from us. We have stayed once at The Plaza and several times at The Park Lane overlooking Central Park so we've been lucky enough to have the spectacular views but the prices have gone up so dramatically we decided it wasn't worth paying that price and opted instead for the AKA which is literally half a dozen steps across the road from the back entrances of both The Park Lane and The Plaza. There are subway stations nearby making travelling around very easy and, if you want to make your own meals in the room there is a Wholefoods at Columbus Circle just a few minutes walk away. When we return to New York we will be staying again at the AKA. The decor isn't as lavish and there is no spectacular view but at a much more reasonable price you get the same great location, an enormous room and more useful facilities than we had in either of the other hotels we have stayed in.

The location is excellent, just a few meters from Central Park, the Apple store on 5th Avenue and all the shops in the area. The facilities are good, but the kitchen utensils and cabinets need to be updated immediately, as they are worn out and have unacceptable defects for a hotel of the quality of the Aka. The room was reasonably clean. The kitchen was very greasy and had apparently not been cleaned properly. I was charged incorrectly at check-in and had some difficulty explaining the mistake to the manager. After a tiring explanation and sending an email with the previously agreed reservation, he finally understood and said he would reimburse me promptly. The reception staff are cold and inattentive, and even when I or my children greeted them, they did not respond, apparently more concerned with handling their cell phones.

The staff was always accommodating and friendly, making my stay comfortable. The only drawbacks were the low water pressure in the shower and the need for more lighting. The location also convenient, with a café nearby that's open from the morning, making it easy to get around.