Union Square Inn Hotel

I stayed at this hotel for the first and last time for four nights in mid-March 2008. The room appeared superficially clean with new wooden floors.

The shower was unpredictable, there is no elevator and it's rather noisy.

The location was pretty good, as it's located near a few subway lines.

Still, as prices for rooms in NYC are quite high, the price seemed right.

Not so! The morning I checked out, there were numerous welts on my face that I didn't associate with insect bites at first. By the next day, over a hundred itchy welts/bedbug bites appeared mostly on my upper body.

I've had to take extensive precautions here at home to prevent the possibility of bringing the problem with me. When I called the hotel to report this, they denied having an infestation problem. Don't stay here--the price is too high!

Looking for something off the beaten path, away from the midtown madness? The Union Square Inn may be to your liking. Located on 14th Street East near 3rd and just two blocks from a NYU outpost, the Union Square is small but mighty.

The subway stop is right outside the door, making it a convenient location and it was amazingly quiet! Didn't know there was quiet in the City.

Ok, the rooms are sparse, do not except anything special. No fluffy robes, no pillow top beds, no coffee maker in the room, no hair dryer in fact. Forget about a view, or room service or clock radio to wake you. However, the beds were comfortable, clean, clean, clean. If you can't get up on time, ask for a wake up call. The floors are tiled so you don't have to wonder what's hiding in the carpet. The bathroom in our room was newly remodeled, walk in tiled shower, grout was spotless, no mold, no bugs, no stains. Whew!

Coffee and bagels and juice were provided from 7:30 - 9:30 each morning in a common area off the itty bitty lobby. Great for the first caffeine rush of the day, enough to satisfy before heading out.

The front desk personnel could not have been friendlier. Polite, organized, really on top of their game. They obviously enjoy their work here. The night before our departure, we ordered a car for the trip back to JFK, skeptical that it would arrive. It not only arrived but it was early. Another Whew!

What was my biggest concern? The fact that we were on the subway line. Yes you can hear/feel the rumble of the train during the night if you are a light sleeper, but I looked at it as comforting rather than annoying. I knew the trains were running, making my stay that much more efficient.

Saw lots of families and business people in the short two nights as "inn mates". Union Square is three blocks away. The Saturday morning Greenmarket was an incredible delight. Wished I could rent an apt for just one night and cook up a storm.

If you stay at the Inn, stop by Max Brenner's Chocolate By The Bald Man for breakfast - yum. No, not yum, affordable YUM.

So if you want to spend your vacation money on something other than a concierge and bell boy, if you want something in a more residential area, give it a try. Keep an open mind, bring your own hair dryer and you may just have a great stay.

The hotel is nice. I stayed there for five weeks because I had courses in the New York Independent Film School, which is quite close.

I had both my good and bad moments, but it's always like this when you stay somewhere for a longer period. At the end, all the staff knew my name and I felt quite happy with this, feeling like I'm at my very own place. I had maid services every day. The prices are really competitive and I already booked this hotel for my June course.

I had a kind of spring break there. They have very good service!

I had quite an awful day, and by the time I reached the hotel and I was looking like a rat. I didn't expect such good service and I was thinking those people now will throw me out, but they gave me a room and after two hours in the hot bath I was feeling great and ready for the New York's nightlife.

As for the receptionist, he didn't recognize me when he saw me after my hot bath.

There is something really warm and cozy in this hotel, I've been there twice and it reminds me of home.

I'm from Prague and I can say that there is something quite European in it. It's really close to the business area in New York, it offers free good internet access and the staff is nice to strangers.