Rodeway Inn

Mostly naïve foreign tourists who probably think that they got a great deal… I have stayed a night in this place with a friend from out of town– next day had bedbug bites all over. Also, beware the amount of crime that is associated with this place.

To put it simply; this is the worst hotel I’ve ever stayed in. The rooms are comically small. The closet door literally fell off the hinges. The AC turned on and off loudly all night. The walls are paper thin. I could hear everything going on in the hallway all night. I got no sleep at all. The only positive is the proximity to Central Park. EDIT: we left for Spain after staying here the night before our flight and it is quite (almost assuredly) possible my identity was stolen by the front desk of this slum.

We had a wonderful time at the Rodeway Inn. The location is absolutely central Upper West Side with access to great restaurants, bars and shops on Amsterdam Ave. and Columbus Ave. We walked in the park extensively every day and explored the gorgeous, upscale neighborhoods by foot, but subway access to other parts of the city is easy from Broadway. This is the only affordable hotel in the area, which makes it a real find. The rooms are very small but have everything you need — coffee, cable, soap, good heat, etc. The rooms with a queen and a full bed were perfect for us. Breakfast is served daily in a room upstairs due to the construction going on at the hotel (which did not disturb our stay in any way) and consisted of donuts, fruit, cereal, yogurt, coffee, tea and juice. The hotel was able to give us early check in which was so incredibly helpful and improved our stay so we didn’t have to carry our bags. The hotel is not able to hold much luggage at this time because of the construction. The staff was super friendly, kind and helpful. We will come back!

This hotel is in a great neighborhood and right near Central Park. However, there have been three serious crime incidents at this building in the past several months. You can find the details on the internet. Until management takes security seriously I would not stay here. There are better options nearby.

Overall seems like a decent hotel with decent staff in a great location, but in the past year there have been:
Today, an armed robbery around 8am
A few months ago, an assault on a woman
Last year, a reported murder/​death
Very concerning! Stay at your own risk. Perhaps a security guard would be a good idea?

I stayed for a night at the Rodeway Inn, and – for the most part – I was happy with my stay. Check-​in was a quick and no-​nonsense affair: that entire process took about 2.5 minutes. I was offered my choice of rooms and selected one just a few steps from the main desk, which made access to my room a breeze. The hotel employees were friendly and easy to work with, and I enjoyed their matter-​of-​fact way of relating to me. The hotel’s location (W 71^st near Central Park West) is enviable, since it obviously allows for full access to the West Side as well as being extremely close to the more attractive (mid-​town and up) parts of the East Side (Museum Mile, St. Patrick’s, Rockefeller Center, Dean and Deluca, etc). Since that’s near the very geographical heart of Manhattan, being close to an entrance to a Central Park crossing is a big plus.
The hotel is a small place, and on the way to your room you might have to flatten yourself to the wall to let someone else pass, but it’s hardly an insurmountable deal-​breaker. There is a small –very small! – dining room, and my reservation came with a free breakfast which was surprisingly good: cute little mini-​cheese open-​faced omelets and mounds of perfectly crisped bacon, hot and cold cereal, juices, toast, coffee, and tea! All of it came with the price of the room and it was all delicious! But get there early, or be prepared to wait: there are only a few tables.
The only downer for me was the check-​in time: 4 PM (???). This seems ridiculously late in the day to have first access to one’s room, especially in a city in which the comfort of a hotel room is so important! I chipped off a star for this, but it’s still a good place. Yes, the room itself had carpets which were a little worn, the painted walls were a bit less than cheerfully bright, and the fixtures could have been more impressive. Still, nothing was even close to shabby – not at all. I was quite comfortable here, and the up-​keep is quite good for a place of its size. It’s cozy and modest, and obviously well-​cared for. When I want the height of luxury in New York City, I go cross town to the Four Seasons or The Plaza. This, though, is a fine place to stay in a fine location when just a room with a door is all I need.