Hotel Carter, NYC: Is it as Bad as the Reviews Say?

However it is also one of the cheapest centrally located hotels and after reading so many negaitve reviews I felt compelled to stay at Hotel Carter and see if it is as bad as most reviews say.

Here is how I found the experience.

Pros

Price - one of the cheapest in NYC, even cheaper than a lot of hostels!
Location location location - very close to Times Square
Hassle free stay

Cons

Dated decoration
The rooms could do with a facelift
Judging by some Instagram pictures there is questionable cleanliness in some rooms

First Impressions

What an amazing location! Very easy to find and get to located centrally in Manhattan less than one minute from Times Square. This hotel is huge, and although doesn't look modern from the inside or outside, it isn't as bad as I was expecting. The reception staff were friendly, check in was quick and the lift seems to work fine.

Location

Hotel Carter is located on West 43rd street, just seconds away from Times Square making the location amazing and an easy base to explore the rest of New York City. You really can't beat the location which is a fantastic location close to the subway to explore the rest of the city.

The Room

I was quite dreading getting to the room but after opening the door I felt relief, I had a fantastic room, large, light, a clean bathroom and also there was a big bed and flatscreen tv on the wall.

Although the view isn't amazing, there is still natural light. It definitely isn't the most modern hotel room I've stayed in but it's really not too bad either.

The hotel room decoration is quite dated, it doesn't look like it has had a facelift in over 20 years and could do with a lick of paint to brighten it up. But as I don't expect to spend must time in my room this isn't that big a problem.

Cleaniness

After reading online reviews you would probably not want to step anywhere within 10 blocks of this hotel but we were pleasantly surprised. The sheets looked and smelled clean and the bathroom although not modern, was clean without any insect infestations of which I had seen plenty of pictures of online. I didn't get bedbugs either (maybe I'm one of the lucky ones).

Hotel Staff

The staff don't go out of their way to reach out to you but if you answer any questions they are helpful. I had my bedding changed without asking, maybe I got lucky?

Cost

It is hard to find a cheaper hotel in New York without staying out of Manhattan. I paid £65 per night for 3 nights + tax (£229 total for a double room with 2 people sharing). Other hotels in this area can cost double, triple or more for the same location - abeait they probably have better facilties and more mordern decoration and facilities.

Overall

If you are looking to visit New York without breaking the bank then Hotel Carter is a great choice. Okay you can pay more and get a more modern hotel with better facilities and breakfast but if you don't set your expectation too high then you should be able to enjoy a comfortable stay here. I liked my room, okay its not the Ritz, but for the price you pay you can't really complain.