Marriott New York East Side Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Midtown East, Manhattan, New York City

The lobby

The Marriott New York East Side is and isn't just another Marriott. Designed by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's grandfather, it first opened in 1924 as the Shelton Hotel, a place for swinging bachelors. At the time, it was one of the city's tallest residential buildings and much excitement surrounded it. In 1926, Harry Houdini was lowered in a coffin to the bottom of the hotel's pool. Painter Georgia O'Keefe and painter Alfred Stieglitz lived there for years. In 1990 the Marriott took over, and it has been a 3.5-star chain hotel ever since.

These days, the original Shelton is only apparent in fragments, an original staircase here, an old stained-glass window there. But the dark woods and marble floors of the relatively small lobby and second floor suggest the glamour of past times. The 646 guest rooms above, however, are all modern. Renovated in 2007, they boast large HDTVs, desks with A/V hookups, and new carpeting and furnishings. The hallways also showcase (or suffer from) garish movie-theatre-esque carpeting.

Today, the hotel attracts business travelers and upper middle-class families -- mostly Americans. I met families from Florida, young accountants from Maryland, and a harried London lawyer who didn't know what time zone he was in. Guests chat easily with one another in elevators, and children are respectful and well-behaved. The small lobby bar is popular with hotel guests but not with locals. Hotel management says there are plans to renovate the lobby in 2010 to give it an open, "great room" feel, but don't expect anything awe-inspiring like the lobbies at the nearby Waldorf Astoria or Roosevelt hotels. The space here is limited.

Business center staff

Service-wise, I got off to a bit of a rough start, but things quickly improved. No one greeted me or offered to help with my luggage. The only doorman was on the phone. Check-in was quick, but later I witnessed guests waiting far longer. Check-in itself was overly curt. Again, no one offered to help with my bags, nor did anyone explain which elevator would take me to my room. Things approved markedly after that though.

Every time I pressed the "At Your Service" button on the in-room phone, someone answered it after a single ring and kindly addressed my questions. Bartenders were friendly and chatty. A bellhop took such pride in the hotel that when he saw me shooting pictures in the lobby, he pointed out some of the building's original features and told me about its history.

Extra towels and room service arrived promptly, and with a smile. Maids helped me navigate the labyrinth like halls whenever I couldn't find the elevator (admittedly, this was fairly often). I asked a family from Florida about their stay at the hotel. They quickly exclaimed, "We love it here! Everyone has been wonderful."

Concierge service is outsourced to Continental Guest Services, the same company that provides concierge services to the Grand Hyatt, Doubletree Times Square, the Holiday Inn, and a number of other hotels in the city. Continental concierges can often seem overly corporate and robotic in their recommendations, but those I dealt with at the Marriott were extremely kind and helpful.

View on a Larger Map

The Marriott East Side sits in a cluster of big, mostly old hotels. The Intercontinental, the W, the Waldorf Astoria, and Hotel Roger Williams are all within a block. The hotel's entrance is right on Lexington Avenue, a street busy with cars (the better to get a taxi) but relatively little foot traffic. The hotel's location in east Midtown means that the surrounding area is busy during the day when office workers arrive via subway or train at Grand Central to toil away in high-rise office buildings. After work, some of these folks stick around for a quick drink at a hotel bar (and not the Marriott's bar), but the area quickly empties out in the evenings and is relatively quiet. It's extremely safe, but not very exciting. Some sporty dive bars along Second Avenue can be a bit lively if the right game is on, but this is in no way an area known for its nightlife.

In terms of transportation, the 6 train at 51st Street, two blocks away, is the closet subway stop to the hotel. More useful is Grand Central Station, six blocks away. Visitors can grab the shuttle train there and be at Times Square in less than five minutes, or pretty much anywhere else in Manhattan in less than 45 minutes.

New York City has three nearby airports: JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark (in New Jersey). Flying into JFK or LaGuardia is typically easiest and the least time-consuming. From JFK, it's a (one-hour) $45 flat-rate taxi ride to anywhere in Manhattan. From LaGuardia, it's about a (30-minute) $40 metered cab ride to Midtown Manhattan. Rides from Newark cost at least $40 (plus tolls), and can take more than 90 minutes. Don't forget to tip your driver 15-25 percent.

To save some cash, try the group shuttles that are available at all three airports for about $14/person. For more information on the shuttles, go to Super Shuttle or New York Airport Service. You can also take public transit from any of the airports for as little as $7 per person, but travel can take up to two hours and involve a lot of lugging bags up and down stairs. For mass-transit directions right to the hotel, check out HopStop.com.

The Standard Room

The standard room, the deluxe king, averages 175 square feet. This isn't huge, but it's a pretty typical size for a New York City hotel. Rooms are comfortable and smartly laid out -- big enough for a large desk, king-size bed, night stand, and side chair. Décor is tasteful and contemporary, but not trendy. Most of the rooms are scarlet, mustard, or dull yellow, like other Marriott properties. There are a few more interesting details, like a scarlet leather headboard with built-in spot lamps, but the wood veneer furniture reminds you that you're still at a generic franchise hotel.

Designed for business travelers, the large desk features an ergonomic desk chair, numerous conveniently placed outlets, and a breakout box with A/V hookups for guests to connect their iPod or laptop to the 32" LG HDTV. Costing $15.95/day, the Wi-Fi isn't cheap, nor is it very fast: I clocked upload and download rates below 500 kbps. However, the $15.95 does include unlimited local and domestic long-distance calls as part of the Marriott's "Wired-for-Business" plan. A small table smartly rolls under the desk to use for dining or extra workspace.

The big, fluffy white bed is the room's centerpiece. Topped with a thick down comforter in a white duvet cover atop a padded mattress pad, it's supremely comfortable. The hotel's Web site says the pillows are foam, but my room featured feather pillows and European shams with poly filling.

Room temperature is controlled via a digital panel on the wall. Rooms can be sufficiently heated up or cooled down to suit a guest's needs.

The 32" LG HDTV broadcasts a wealth of cable channels. Most channels are analog (not high-def), but HBO, ESPN, and TNT come in HD with Dolby Digital sound. Movies, including indie films and those still in theaters, are available for purchase, as are "On Demand" TV shows from Showtime, Discovery Channel, NBC, ABC, and "kids-only programming." The movie selection also features over half a dozen films for "kids & family," perfect for plopping the little ones down after a hard day of sightseeing. Rooms also feature Timex alarm clocks that can connect to any MP3 player via a headphone jack. They work with iPods, but unlike iPod docks, they don't charge them.

Renovated in 2007, the bathrooms still feel especially clean. In my tub, there wasn't a spot of mold or mildew, and the Kohler rain showerhead had perfect water pressure. The gleaming granite counter features a convenient little alcove, perfect for stowing a cosmetics bag. Toiletries are from Bath & Body Works -- nice but not totally luxurious -- much like the Marriott itself.

The gym

Updated in 2009, the Marriott's 35th-floor fitness center is one of the city's best. Star-Trac cardio machines -- 6 treadmills, 4 elliptical machines, several bikes -- each have their own individual cable televisions, along with iPod docks and USB ports. Headphones are available to borrow at no extra charge. There's a nice variety of weight machines and free weights. The stretching area also has an Ab Roller and an exercise ball. Large arched windows along two walls present stunning views of the surrounding skyscrapers. Flat-screen TVs hang on various walls around the gym, silently broadcasting the news. However, getting to the gym might require using three different elevators.

The second-floor business center is open until 11 p.m. during the week and 10 p.m. on weekdays. However, I stopped by the business center several times in the middle of the day and it was closed with a "we'll be right back" sign hanging on the door. When it is open, it's small, but nice. There are just two computers, a paper shredder, a printer, and a copier. Computer use is extremely expensive: $6 for 15 minutes during the week and $4 for 10 minutes on the weekend. However, guests can print, fax, or copy 20 pages for free. While most hotels have automatic pay stations set up at the computer terminals, the Marriott East Side has an attendant on call to take payment via cash, credit card, or room charge.

Televisions feature entertainment controls

Though the Marriot East Side attracts a business crowd, it also draws more families than neighboring hotels, like the Intercontinental, the W, and the Roosevelt. Adjoining rooms are available by request (no guarantees). Roll-aways and cribs are provided at no extra charge. A superior room or larger is needed to accommodate them.

For guests needing a babysitter, the concierge can make arrangements through The Babysitter's Guild, a childcare agency that specializes in caring for children in from out of town. Most guests prefer to simply get the agency's number from the concierge and speak to the agency themselves about their childcare needs.

The extensive pay-per-view movie selection featured over half a dozen films for "kids & family" when I visited -- perfect for plopping the little ones down after a hard day of sightseeing. Parents can also set parental control on the televisions in the rooms to ensure wholesome entertainment.

Rooms are quite clean. Guest rooms were renovated in 2007, but they still look new. Carpets feel fresh. Bathrooms sparkle. Hallways smell of cleaning products. There are a few scuffs on the doors here and there, but for the most part, everything is in great condition. The only cleanliness incident: There was a dirty wine glass left in my room from a prior guest.

The Shelton Grille

Put the words "Marriott" and "food" in the same sentence, and you might conjure bad memories. The $16 Italian Grill Cheese sandwich I ordered from room service came quickly enough, and on the special whole-grain bread I requested, but there was hardly any eggplant, the bread was soggy, and the too-salty prosciutto was stacked in a big lump at one end of the sandwich. The coleslaw on the side was so sickly sweet, it was inedible. Skip the pizzas on the room service menu; they're pre-cooked, not fresh to order. Room service is available from 6 a.m. until midnight daily.

The Marriott East Side's restaurant, the Shelton Grille, is open only for breakfast, with lunch service suspended at the beginning of 2009 due to the economic downturn. It serves a standard $23 breakfast buffet, as well as cheaper à la carte items.

There are numerous places nearby to grab a cheap breakfast or lunch, as the area surrounding the hotel caters to office workers. In the morning, bagels can be had at Ess-a-Bagel, three blocks away. For lunch, there's a deli on nearly every surrounding block, or try Oms/b and KushiQ, popular Japanese fast-food restaurants.

The lounge bar is open from noon to midnight and serves light fare ranging $6 to $18. Most of the bar snacks, like bruschetta and wings, are around $10. Scotch takes center stage behind the bar with 18- and 12-year-old bottles of Macallan prominently displayed. A kindly bartender told me they usually get big-drinking businessmen, mostly guests, but had also added some flavored martinis to the menu for the younger clientele.

Healthy eating options are big at the Marriott. Table tents atop the black marble bar tout the healthy dish of the day. Room service and Shelton Grille menus label "fit," low-carb, and low-fat options.