Historical Traveller Reviews of Hotel Beacon
Good value for money
from oraczen
Stayed 6 nights in August with my wife and 2 teenage boys in 1 bedroom suite.
Very good neighbourhood with lots of places to eat / shop. 2 mins walk to subway and 10 mins into Times Square. Very close to Central Park.
Very large rooms and huge closets but tiny bathroom 5 feet by 5 feet.
All immaculate
We were originally on 15th floor at front of building but got a lot of noise from the supermarket opposite. Moved us to 20th floor at back which was much better although windows are not double glazed and you still get some noise.
Air con worked well but a little noisy.
Beds queen size and 'OK' as was sofa bed.
The kitchen facility in the room is excellent.
Staff very friendly and helpful
Good value for money at 200USD inc all taxes
We survived the NYK blackout !!
not at all what was expected
from A TripAdvisor Member
After reading all the reviews on tripadvisor, we went down to NYC and checked into the beacon. the hotel is nothing short of a dump. The room smelled like a mixture of javex and bleach and after being in the room a mere 20 minutes, I ended up with about 6 bites, I still have no idea from what. Yes, the upper west side location is great but the rooms are far from it. As well, the bellboy was incredibly rude but the gentleman at the front desk was rather accomodating as we grabbed our bags and checked out immediatley, not even staying a night. I would not at all recommend this hotel to anyone that wants to feel like they are on a vacation.
The Beacon shines
from Suebc
What a perfect choice. My husband and I, together with our 3 grown-up children stayed in a one bedroom suite for 2 nights (July 28-29 2003).
Aside from the fact that the Beacon was one of the few hotels which would accomodate all of us without having to book 2 rooms, we found the hotel suite to be clean and spacious and the service was great. It was excellent value for money. The location was ideal, just 3 blocks from Central Park, 1 block from the subway and across from the wonderful Fairways market. I would highly recommend the Beacon - it is a little gem on the upper West side.
Beacon is an excellent choice
from A TripAdvisor Member
Perfect experience at the Beacon. Stayed for three nights with three kids. Received a suite on the 22nd floor by request. Good views and good accomodations. Easy access to park, trains, $5 gym in basement, Starbucks next door, neighborhood restaurants are plenty. Great value and good job info from trip advisor.
Perfection on the Upper West Side
from A TripAdvisor Member
The Beacon was a perfect hotel. It was one block off the subway, across the street (literally!) from the Fairway Market, just a few blocks from Zabars, a few blocks from Central Park and incredibly comfortable. The room was pretty large by NYC standards with an effective air conditioning system and easy to use lights and TV. The bed was comfortable, the kitchenette was great and the bathroom was very clean and comfortable.
I recommend asking for a room on one of the higher floors to enhance your view and decrease traffic noise. We were on the 14th floor and the traffic was not a problem at all. I cannot overemphasize the terrific location and ease of staying at the Beacon. I highly recommend it and will stay again the next time we're in NYC.
Great Trip
from A TripAdvisor Member
My husband and I have stayed at the Hotel Beacon on two separate occasions. Both times we were very pleased with the accomodations, and the location of the room. We found the hotel staff to be very helpful with any question that we put to them. Jim Tracy, at the front desk, was very helpful. The housekeeping staff was courteous and very thorough. We love the location, near the park, and also only being a couple of blocks from the public transportation. We have recommended the hotel to our friends, and we will continue to do so. Thank you for a great stay, and we look forward to being with you again. Sincerely, Mr. and Mrs. A F Gelinas
Great Service, Spacious Rooms
from A TripAdvisor Member
My first trip to NYC and I was prepared for what I had heard from friends about New Yorkers. I was absolutely WRONG! The Hotel Beacon staff went out of their way every day to make me feel welcome and were helpful in giving directions and locating theatre tickets. Don't stay anywhere else!! They have a kitchenette in every room and are right across the street from a market. You can't beat it!
Hotel Beacon: Worth far more than what I payed.
from A TripAdvisor Member
Recently I had to fly into NYC for a small convention. I knew that my weekend would be free and I wanted to be closer to the culture of city. I really wanted to avoid the constant buzz and flash of Times Square, and the shuffling of money in the business and financial district. I finally chose the Hotel Beacon based on price and location. It's in a great location on the Upper West Side. They were offering a special on their one bedroom suites that I just couldn't pass up. It was well worth it because I had an excellent view of Central Park, a kitchen, and the rooms were quite large compared to most NYC hotels I have stayed in throughout the past. I had a one bedroom suite for only $180/nt and it had a kitchenette with all the dishes and everything I needed. I think the Beacon's regular rooms have kitchenettes too. I couldn't imagine being in a better location for what I needed. Just about everything I did while in the city I did it within a 10 block radius. I was right next to Lincoln Center, Museum of Natural History, Central Park, the Rose Center, and an abundance of food and entertainment for when the sun went down. The neighborhood felt very safe and the tree-lined streets were a very nice touch to top it off with. Overall, I couldnt imagine staying anywhere else in the city. However, my only complaint would be the lack of intrusive lights and sounds that used to interrupt my sleep before I found this place. I definitely expected to pay much more for such high ceilings, the marble bathroom, and all great staff. I'll definitely stay at the Beacon next time I am in New York
Great Hotel
from travelgirl031
This hotel was excellent! I booked it for 4 nights based on reviews and I was not disappointed. It was very clean, roomy, and nicely decorated. They met my request for a room with a view. The room was on the 24th floor overlooking the Hudson River. I felt it was in an excellent location, close enough to all the action, but distant from all the noise. Also it was only two blocks from the subway. I would definitely recommend this hotel and would stay again.
Nice, Nice, Nice
from TeddyTexas
The Hotel Beacon was a great place to stay. I just got back from my first trip to New York and we all had a wonderful time. My daugher, my mother, her other granddaughter and I spent 9 nights at the Hotel Beacon. We were very very pleased. I booked this hotel on-line from the Hotel's web site after reading the reviews here at Trip Advisor and I was glad I did.The hotel staff was wonderful and very helpful. The room was clean and large with an average size very nice bathroom with a hair dryer. The room also had a small refrigerator, a microwave, a toaster, a coffee pot, and a 2-burner stove with pots and pans, plates, bowls, glasses, and silverware for four. For some reason there was not a spatula, so I don't know what you would do if you wanted to cook some eggs over-easy. Also, there is no ice available other than two small ice cube trays in the refrigerator. We did request two more trays that were brought up promptly. The Fairway (a very interesting grocery/deli store) was just across the street so we got some food for breakfasts and snacks. Zabars (another very interesting grocery/deli store) was about six blocks north.We were just a few short blocks from the subway which was very convenient. An Avis car rental location was just one block north. If you wanted a taxi generally it took a little longer to get one that was available around 9 a.m. One day we just gave up and walked the 11 blocks to where we wanted to go.Because we were in the upper West Side it was away from all the hustle and bustle of the Times Square area and other tourist areas. That was nice when it came time to go back to the hotel because it wasn't so crazy like other parts of the city and was very relaxing. We all felt very safe and well taken care of at the Beacon and the immediate area and I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel.I would suggest asking for a room above the 15th floor to help with traffic noise, etc. We were on the 10th floor and it wasn't too bad but it could possibly easily disturb someone not used to little slow due to them stopping on each floor (or so it seemed) to pick up or let off passengers.The next time I go to New York I will certainly be planning on staying back at the Hotel Beacon again.
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