This hotel is located on the edge of SoHo, adjacent to
Greenwich Village, and within walking distance of Chinatown, Little Italy, and
Canal Street. Watts Street, which runs in front of the hotel, can become
clogged with traffic because of its proximity to the Holland Tunnel, but we
were not bothered by car noise. Three small city-owned greenspaces/parks are
located between Broome, Varick, and Watts Streets with outdoor lounge chairs
and small tables and chairs (Freeman Plaza North, West, and East). M&M Market
is located on the next street (Sixth Avenue/Avenue of the Americas/Sullivan
Street/Broome Street), as are restaurants including Lupe’s East LA Kitchen
(Mexican), Souk and Sandwich (Middle Eastern), the extremely popular Black Tap
(burgers and milkshakes), and La Sirene (Italian). Note that the Google street
photo of this location is from 2013 and no longer accurately reflects the
hotel’s block; the most noticeable difference is that the lot next to the hotel
(adjacent to Varick Street) is under construction for a new residential
building.
Hotel amenities include a small pull-in driveway for loading
and unloading passengers and luggage, a complimentary buffet breakfast, tiny
outdoor area off the breakfast atrium, Artifakt Bar (which has a separate
entrance from the street, is open evenings only, and doubles as the baggage
storeroom during daylight hours), small makeshift business center in one corner
of the lobby (with two computers and a printer), complimentary Wi-Fi, and fitness
center. The lobby is small, but contains an L-shaped leather sofa and ottoman
where you can wait for guests. Two elevators provide access to guest floors.
No on-site parking nor valet parking service is available,
but the hotel offers discounted rates at nearby Sam’s Parking on West Broadway.
(If you happen to read my previous review, the parking garage that was located
at the corner of Varick and Broome Streets just at the entrance to the Holland
Tunnel has been torn down and is awaiting a new building.)
This 130-room property contains 18 floors (there is no floor
13), and there are 8 to 9 rooms located on each floor. Corner rooms end in 00,
01, 08, and 09, but appear to be no larger than others on the same floor. Four
rooms on the 17th and 18th floor are larger than on other floors (those room
numbers end in 00, 02, 04, 06) and feature a wall of windows. The three choicest
rooms are on the top/19th floor because they are suites with terraces. Also on
the 19th floor is an outdoor terrace (with all-weather wicker chairs and coffee
tables) that can be used by any guest during reasonable hours. Smoking is
permitted on the terrace.
We stayed in room 1702, which is a larger room with a wall
of windows (with blackout blinds that you can raise and lower). Our room
contained a king-size bed with a nightstand on each side, a desk and chair,
TV/storage armoire, and a reclining sofa. Our room also had a closet that held
an electronic safe, iron, ironing board, and ice bucket (there are ice machines
on specific floors, including 17; however, they are turned off during sleeping
hours so they do not disturb the guests). The desk held a coffee maker;
although it is not a Keurig, it is still a machine that accepts packets to brew.
The bathroom was an acceptable size for Manhattan; however, the small pedestal-type
sink vanity provided little room for storage beyond the hotel-provided
Neutrogena shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and soap. The hair dryer is tiny
and attached to the wall. Note that our room did not contain a
mini-refrigerator although there was space designated for it in the TV armoire.
Our room was in good condition, so it was either recently renovated or well
maintained by the staff.
Our first stay at the Hampton Inn Manhattan - SoHo in 2012 was
successful, as was our second stay in 2016, and we plan to stay here again when
we visit Lower Manhattan. But next time, we want to try a 19th floor
terrace suite!
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