Intercontinental The Barclay New York Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City

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The lobby

Designed by New York Central Railroad in the early 1920s, the InterContinental Barclay is in many ways a classic American-style hotel (though its parent company, IHC, hails from across the pond). At 686 rooms, this 14-story Indiana gray limestone and granite building has played host to President Reagan, Nelson Mandela, Bette Davis, Marlon Brando, and Ernest Hemingway.

The lobby decor may be inspired by the American Colonial and early Federal pieces that once furnished George Washington's Mount Vernon home, but what's most glaring is how fundamentally uninteresting this hotel is. Nestled among close to a dozen high-to-midrange properties along Lexington and Park Avenues, the InterContinental Barclay seems almost painfully aware of its futile attempt to compete with higher reputation properties like the iconic Waldorf Astoria nearby or the swanky W New York just across the street. Certainly, the hotel is not as generic and mass markety as, say, the midtown Marriot or the Hilton, but guests staying at the Barclay shouldn't go looking for something like Cole Porter's piano here -- you'll have to sneak across the street to the Waldorf Astoria to see that. More discerning guests are also likely to be a little underwhelmed by the overpriced and boring restaurant and guest rooms, which are in need of a technological update (rooms are only equipped with old tube TVs and pricey, wired Internet connection).

New York City's Old Money may have once frittered away the late night hours in the hotel's dark bar, but today, it's difficult to label the guest the hotel attracts. During my visit on a Wednesday in June, the Barclay was overflowing with all types of people. Business travelers idled on one of the colorful brocade couches. Children hung onto their parents' legs, eager to start exploring the Big Apple. Baseball fans printed out their tickets for the Mets game at the hotel's business center.

The lobby was a laptop hub, mostly because wireless Internet is free there and unavailable in rooms. (There is in-room wired Internet for $14 a day.)

Hotel staff

Like most upscale hotels in the area, the Barclay's staff does whatever it can to cater to its guests. The hotel's branded "Instant Service" guarantees prompt attention to typical requests, some of which are complimentary. These include laundry and clothes pressing, additional pillows, and electrical adapters for international guests.

The concierge (available until 11 p.m.) can help guests with everything from theater tickets and dinner reservations, to suggestions for shopping and sightseeing. He is also happy to arrange baby-sitting, temporary cell phone service, doctor visits, and transportation to the airport.

As with many high-end midtown hotels, shoes can be shined overnight at no extra charge.

View on a Larger Map

The InterContinental Barclay is located in Midtown East, a neighborhood that has long been a favorite for visitors who come to the city for both work and play. Though the immediate blocks surrounding the hotel feel like a "hotel district," business travelers love the area because it is convenient to the offices of nearly every Fortune 500 company, and is just six blocks from Grand Central, which services all East Side subway lines.

Leisure guests enjoy the central location of the hotel, which is convenient to popular tourist destinations, including Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and the MOMA -- all are within a two-to-six block radius. Other areas of interest nearby include Central Park, an 843-acre haven for the urban outdoorsman just 20 blocks north of the hotel. The hotel has hosted several high-profile guests in town to visit to the U.N., which is just five blocks away.

The Theater District and the lights and crowds of Times Square are just a 10-to-15 minute walk to the west.

The hotel is also convenient to Lexington Avenue shopping, which includes favorites like Bloomingdales, as well as the more upscale shops of Madison and Fifth avenues like Chanel, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana, and high-end department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Barney's.

The hotels is just two to six blocks away from nearly every east side subway line, and it's easy to head west, via the 42nd Street subway shuttle. Taxis are never a problem, since the immediate area is chock-full of hotels with guests eager for a lift, and a friendly and efficient doorman outside the Barclay happily does the hailing.

Most of the midtown neighborhood is considerably less empty in the evenings and late at night. Still, because there are so many higher end hotels in the immediate area -- with doormen loitering out front -- safety shouldn't be a huge concern for guests.

The Superior Room

Basic rooms -- standard rooms or superior rooms, which are one small step up -- start at about 250 sq. ft., which is a touch larger than average for a New York City hotel, especially for a midrange one. These rooms feature comfortable enough beds (the sheets in my room were rough sateen cotton/poly blend by Guest Supply, but many of the higher-end rooms have beds with Frette linens. All beds have a lightweight down comforter, large desks, smaller-than-usual bathrooms (and especially-small bathtubs), decent electronics (except for the old tube TV with $16 on-demand movies), and slightly bland, generic decor -- beige carpeting, hum-drum furniture, and brocade curtains.

Unfortunately, the smell in my room was not so standard. It was the first thing I noticed -- before the iPod dock or the view of the "courtyard" (the top and the brick sides of neighboring buildings) from my window. The entire room smelled as if a staff member had diligently cleaned the place with a dirty cloth.

The bathroom was definitely on the smaller side and closing the door might easily evoke claustrophobia for some. There were London-based Floris toiletries on the counter. The shower had decent pressure, but it was on the small side.

There is no wireless Internet available in the rooms, just hard-wired Internet for an extra $14 a day.

There was a one-cup Keurig coffeemaker, which made some pretty decent coffee. The in-room safe was roomy enough for a small laptop. The minibar in my room looked like it had been neglected for some time and many of the slots were empty. The items that remained were of typical quality.

There is not a huge difference between the standard room and the next step up, the deluxe room -- which is only about another 25 sq. ft. The other features remain the same, including the bed choice, which is either a king or two doubles for both types of rooms. Suites come in two different styles: the Executive features a separate bedroom and the Junior Suites are one large room with a spacious seating area set next to the king-size bed.

The gym

The well-equipped, 24-hour gym features five treadmills, three elliptical machines, several stationary bikes and StairMasters (each machine has an individual TV monitor), free weights, and weight-training equipment. There are also separate locker rooms for men and women, which both feature a sauna and steam room. A masseuse is available on-site and the concierge can schedule an appointment for a massage either in the fitness center or in the guest's room. For a true royal spa treatment, guests should consider making an appointment across the street at either the W New York's popular Bliss Spa or the Waldorf Astoria's 14,000-sq.-ft destination Guerlain Spa.

The hotel's business center features several computer stations, which are available around-the-clock for $7 an hour. The staff can also handle requests like photocopying, faxing, and printing during business hours. Printing will cost $1.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page, basic photocopying is 25 cents per page, and incoming and outgoing faxes in the 212 area code are $3 for five pages.

Wireless Internet is free in the lobby. There is only wired Internet in the rooms, which is $14 a day.

All guests receive a free copy of the The New York Times in the morning, delivered to each room. There is also a selection of more than 150 international newspapers, though a metro daily from Spain may cost a guest an extra few bucks.

The Barclay Bar and Grill features children's menus

Hotel staff are consistently friendly to families that bring along the little ones, and the Midtown East location is good, though not great, for a family trip -- close to Rockefeller Center, which offers ice skating in the winter, and Central Park is about 20 blocks away. The world-famous toy store FAO Schwartz, is about 12 blocks away.

Kids' menus are available at the restaurant and for in-room dining. If those options don't work out, there are plenty of fast food and quick-bite restaurants in the vicinity.

Standard rooms come with either a king or two double beds and are priced at the same rate; multi-room suites are also available. Bathtubs are unusually small so bath time might not be the most fun here. Cribs are available to guests at no additional charge. Rollaway beds are available for $50 a night, but cannot be put into rooms with two double beds.

The lobby

Unfortunately, the first thing I noticed about my room was its odd smell. It was as if a staff member had diligently cleaned the place with a dirty cloth. However, other rooms I saw during my visit did not have the same scent.

Common areas around the hotel were well maintained, including the well-trafficked lobby, gym, locker rooms, and hallways.

A salad from the Barclay Bar and Grill

The Barclay Bar & Grill, located in the hotel lobby, offers three meals a day. For breakfast there are the standard eggs, pancakes, and waffles in the $15-to-$20 price range. At lunchtime guests will find an assorted menu of sandwiches, salads, and hot entrees somewhere in the $25-to-$30 price range. Dinner offers classics like lamb osso bucco or potato roasted halibut for about the same or higher. The food at the restaurant, though more or less well-prepared, is often not worth the price. Some portions, like the $18 Cobb salad I ordered for dinner, are shockingly small. The bar boasts more than 100 different kinds of martinis and cocktails.

Room service, which comes from the hotel's kitchen, also services three meals a day and is available from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.