The London NYC — User Comments Rating: 4.5 Pearls

Midtown West, Manhattan, New York City

Of course comparing The London and The Blakely may be a bit like apples and oranges......one chic, contemporary and trendy, while the other is elegant, traditional, and quietly comfortable. I am a regular guest and advocate of the one bedroom suites at The Blakely and they offer, in my humble opinion, the best suite value in the city. I decided to try The London and reserved one of the lower floor, least expensive suites (as did your critic) in hopes of finding good value. For starters, the London's rate was nearly $200 more (as is typical) than the suite at The Blakely on the same dates. Oyster says, "Best luxury deal around," and "huge suites." At 500 square feet at The London, the Blakely's suites are larger. The sitting room furnishings at the London are, indeed, contemporary and chic, albeit absurdly uncomfortable. Visiting friends got a good laugh about the discomfort they experienced. The bedroom is very small and closets are replaced with open racks that are tacky and unattractive. The narrow, white tile bathroom is lacking in any kind of upscale character and could be confused with any modern Holiday Inn bathroom. Yes, unlike The Blakely, there is 24 hour room service, but guests wishing to stay in the London Suites are obviously looking for better value than the very expensive view suites and wouldn't be using the extortionist room service menu anyway. Your critic's poorly presented $10 cup of coffee is testament to these prices and service. Back to The Blakely: Suites are elegant, comfortable and tastefully furnished, bedrooms are large with abundant closet space, and the sitting room has a large comfortable daybed and a closet as well as dresser drawes space so this easily becomes a 2nd bedroom for another guest. The London can't accommodate, comfortably, more than 2 guests, while The Blakely can easily house 4. The spacious suite bathrooms are stunning, with rainshowerheads and jetted tubs, frette robes, posh toiletries, mirrored walls and the unmistakable look of tasteful luxury. The modern kitchentte is a great bonus. One of Oyster's "cons" was the $1 charge per cup of coffee with the Keurig coffee maker. You'll be glad to know that that charge no longer exists. Of course the gratis breakfast in the lovely, adjacent Abboccato makes this all an even more outstanding value. I'll have to disagree with the Oyster opinion that The London is "The best luxury deal around." Obviously, this is all just one person's opinion, as was your critic's, but I think The Blakely deserves a new look through different eyes and a higher Oyster rating. I always enjoy the photos and opinions at oyster.com. Cheers, CHB